Experience the beauty and meaning behind the Gift of Tulips from the grateful Netherlands to all Canadians with free historical and horticultural displays set among 300,000 tulips blooms over one kilometer of strolling parkland on the shores of Dow’s Lake in Ottawa.
New nighttime programming for this 70th edition includes movies every evening and the Dow’s Lake Boardwalk will be transformed into a kilometer-long blacklight garden display allowing guests to see the tulips in a new light, as pollinators see them in UV light.
A unique walking tour entitled “Ghosts in the Glebe” will tell the story of several servicemen who grew up right beside the festival site and paid the ultimate price for our freedom. Hauntingly beautiful and set across several important gardens including the Queen Juliana Gift Bed and the Platinum Jubilee Bed, this immersive tour covers over twenty breeds of tulips entwined with truly touching moments from the past.
The parking lot at Dow’s Lake will be closed to the public due to The Ottawa Hospital’s new Civic Campus development. Guests are encouraged to check the website for alternate parking near the park. OC Transpo is available via O-Train and bus stopping at Carling & Preston. “Tulip Trolley” shuttle service will run from Ottawa’s downtown core, with stops at the Westin Ottawa, the National Gallery of Canada, the Fairmont Chateau Laurier, and the Lord Elgin Hotel, ending at Commissioner’s Park.
Admission to the Festival Site is free. Cash, debit, or credit is recommended for shopping at the Tulip Team at Re/Max’s Tulip Boutique, Gourmet Food Trucks, and both day and night Guided Tours.
Photo credit Jana Glenn