Ottawa residents are going to have a busy calendar this summer with festivals happening all throughout the city.
Breanna Jackson can attest to that. Jackson is Bell Media’s Weekender and knows all the festivals happening in Ottawa this summer.
Jackson says that PoutineFest, RibFest, Bluesfest, Gatineau’s Hot Air Balloon Festival and Canada Day celebrations are the major events that bring people into Ottawa.
Ottawa Tourism looks at what events were most popular in the previous year and base decisions on what to bring back this year.
A lot of these events come with a wide range of variety and are budget-friendly for students who don’t want to break the bank, such as the Nature Nocturne at the Canadian Museum of Nature.
Most of these events are geared towards families but you find all types of people there. Family-friendly events include The Capital Fair and The Navan Fair. Events geared more towards adults are the Ottawa Beer Fest and Glowfair Festival. There are events geared towards both demographics including Ottawa Capital Pride week.
Jackson mentions Ottawa is home to many districts such as the Glebe, Byward Market, Westboro, Chinatown, Little Italy, Elgin Street and Lansdowne, which helps in holding events all throughout the city so everyone can participate.
She mentioned in an email that her job is, “to make people want to stay in Ottawa for the weekend and explore the city. Whether it be to local markets, sports games, art exhibits, shows on stage or even a farm. There really is something for everyone to do in Ottawa, whether you are on a budget or have some extra cash.”
Julia Thomson, project coordinator for the communications team at Ottawa Tourism, is also aware of all the events going on in Ottawa this summer.
Thomson says the Tamarack Ottawa Race Weekend is the big event that kicks off the summer with a busy weekend.
They want to get the word out of all the events happening in Ottawa that people might not know about such as the upcoming Italian Week or Ottawa Fringe Festival.
A lot of the Ottawa 2017 events grabbed the attention of many people all throughout last summer. Some people in Ottawa might have missed certain legacy projects that revitalized during that time such as the re-opening of the Canadian Science and Technology Museum. There are always events that occur weekly such as yoga on the hill and changing of the guards.
Thomson says the key is, “really getting out there and finding out what’s happening in the city.”
Thomson’s job is to plan itineraries for travel bloggers, journalists and other travel media who are coming to Ottawa and want to experience the best of what the city has to offer.
Ottawa Tourism has a calendar on their website and they release a weekly blog called, What to do in Ottawa this weekend?
Ottawa has so much to offer this summer, whether you love sports and want to gather a group of your friends and join the Hope Volleyball Summerfest or immerse yourself in a different culture at events like the Capital Ukrainian Festival.
“I also feel as though students need to get out more and explore all that our city has to offer. We have so many different museums with exhibits, hiking trails, restaurants, boutiques, markets and concerts that people need to be more aware of what is coming up so they don’t miss out,” Jackson says.