Ottawa Festivals

Festival organization based in Canada

This article relies excessively on references to primary sources. Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources.
Find sources: "Ottawa Festivals" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

|

Ottawa Festivals

Abbreviation| OF
Formation| 1996
Type| Festival organization based in Canada
Legal status| active
Purpose| advocate and public voice, educator and network
Headquarters| Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Region served

| Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Membership| 53 festivals

Official language

| English, French
Website| www.ottawafestivals.ca

Ottawa Festivals, is a member-based organization based in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, supporting and promoting the festival industry in the region. Established in 1996, the organization comprises 53 festivals that showcase a diverse range of cultures, arts, and entertainment to the local community.

## History

[edit]

The roots of Ottawa Festivals trace back to the summer of 1994 when four distinct festivals—Ottawa Bluesfest, CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival, Ottawa Chamber Music Festival, and Fete Caribe—emerged with a shared objective of celebrating and sharing various artistic expressions with the community. Recognizing the potential for collaboration and mutual support, these organizations came together to exchange ideas and experiences.

In response to growing public interest in these new festivals, the president of Ottawa Tourism Commission Authority (OTCA) called a meeting in the fall of 1994. The purpose was to establish a communication channel between the festivals and OTCA. During this meeting, it became evident that the festivals shared common interests and a desire to coordinate tourism information and enhance their individual events. As a result, the Ottawa Festival Network was formed, with an initial board comprising prominent figures such as Mark Monahan (Ottawa Bluesfest), Michel Gauthier (Canadian Tulip Festival), Gene Swimmer (Ottawa Folk Festival), and Christine Broughton (OTCA). This initial group laid the foundation for the network's growth and its collaborations with organizations like the Canadian Tourism Commission, City of Ottawa, and Human Resource Development Canada.

In April 1996, the Ottawa Festival Network officially became an incorporated entity, representing a diverse group of not-for-profit member festivals that celebrated various cultures, arts, and entertainment. A significant milestone came in April 2006 when the network commemorated its 10th anniversary with the "Launch of the Festival Season" event. This occasion celebrated Ottawa's festival industry, which had made a substantial contribution to the region's art, culture, and entertainment scene over the past decade. The event introduced a new official name, Ottawa Festivals d'Ottawa, along with a refreshed logo, a 10th-anniversary brochure, and an updated website. It highlighted the industry's growth, its impact on local tourism and the economy. [1]

Before the establishment of Ottawa Festivals, the National Capital Region Festival Network was formed in 1986 as the first collaborative effort by festivals in the area. At that time, festivals were not formally recognized by the City of Ottawa as a means of economic development and tourism promotion. The group, consisting of organizers from various festivals, worked together to advocate for the recognition of festivals as more than just community recreation. With the support of the Culture Division of the City of Ottawa, they developed criteria and established a festival program that allowed festivals to apply for annual funding.[citation needed]

## Festival members

[edit]

* Winterlude
* Ottawa Irish Festival
* Maple Sugar Festival
* Ottawa International Writers Festival \- Spring Edition
* Victoria Day Festival
* Canadian Tulip Festival
* Ottawa International Children's Festival
* Ottawa Marathon
* Carnival of Cultures
* Canada Dance Festival
* Magnetic North Theatre Festival
* Italian Week
* Westfest
* Festival Franco Ontarien
* Ottawa Fringe Festival
* Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival
* Summer Solstice Aboriginal Arts Festival
* TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival
* Canada Day Arts Festival
* Unisong Canadian Choir Festival
* Canada Day
* Ottawa Bluesfest
* Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill/Son et lumière
* HOPE Volleyball Summerfest
* The Great India Festival (formerly, Festival of India)[2]
* Ottawa Turkish Festival
* Orchestras in the Park
* Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival
* Ottawa Lumière Festival
* Navan Fair
* Ottawa Greekfest
* Ottawa Folk Festival
* SuperEx
* Ottawa Reggae Festival
* Capital Pride
* Capital Vélo Fest
* Richmond Fair
* Carp Fair
* Metcalfe Fair
* Fall Rhapsody
* Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference
* Ottawa International Animation Festival
* Ottawa International Writers Festival \- Fall Edition
* Lebanorama
* Ottawa Storytelling Festival
* Canadian Folk Music Awards
* 3i Summit: Imagine - Interact - Inspire
* Christmas Lights Across Canada
* Festival X
* Music and Beyond
* South Asian Festival
* Summer Fling – A Theatrical Affair!
* Latin Sparks Festival

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Ottawa Festivals".
2. ^ "TGIF Ottawa – The Great India Festival Ottawa".

2\. http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/ottawa-411/

3\. http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/ottawa-411/other-things-to-do/

* Ontario portal

* v
* t
* e

Landmarks in Ottawa

National
and historical|

* 24 Sussex Drive
* Château Laurier
* Confederation Square
* National War Memorial
* Diefenbunker
* Laurier House
* Parliament Hill
* Peace Tower
* Centre Block
* East Block
* West Block
* Rideau Hall
* Senate of Canada Building
* Supreme Court of Canada
* Monuments and memorials
* National Historic Sites
* Designated heritage properties

Museums|

* Bank of Canada Museum
* Billings Estate Museum
* Bytown Museum
* Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
* Canada Aviation and Space Museum
* Canada Science and Technology Museum
* Canadian Museum of History
* Canadian Museum of Nature
* Canadian War Museum
* Pinhey's Point Historic Site
* Laurier House
* National Gallery of Canada
* Nepean Museum
* Portrait Gallery of Canada
* Royal Canadian Mint

Entertainment
and festivals|

* Barrymore's
* Bronson Centre
* ByTowne Cinema
* Canadian Tulip Festival
* Centrepointe Theatre
* CityFolk Festival
* Gladstone Theatre
* Great Canadian Theatre Company
* House of Targ
* Kanata Theatre
* National Arts Centre
* Ottawa Bluesfest
* Ottawa Jazz Festival
* Rogers Centre Ottawa
* Winterlude

Sports|

* Britannia Yacht Club
* Canadian Tire Centre
* Nepean Sailing Club
* Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park
* TD Place Arena
* TD Place Stadium
* Terry Fox Stadium
* Wesley Clover Parks

Parks and
natural landmarks|

* Central Experimental Farm
* Dominion Arboretum
* Chaudière Falls
* Confederation Park
* Green Island
* Greenbelt
* Mer Bleue Bog
* Hog's Back Falls
* Kìwekì Point
* Lansdowne Park
* Major's Hill Park
* Ottawa River
* Petrie Island
* Rideau Falls
* Rideau River
* Victoria Island

Shopping|

* Bayshore Shopping Centre
* Byward Market
* Rideau Centre
* Place d'Orléans
* St. Laurent Centre

Architecture
and infrastructure|

* Bridges
* Buildings
* Tallest buildings
* Capital Pathway
* Fallowfield Station
* O-Train
* Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
* Ottawa Station
* Rideau Canal
* Roads
* Transitway
* Walkley Yard

* Category
* Ontario portal
* WikiProject

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template