2018 Canadian Tulip Festival welcomes tulip festivals from around the world

_ (press release) _ The Canadian Tulip Festival officially launched its 66

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edition with “A World of Tulips” theme today at the EY Centre with host Landscape Ontario. In the midst of blooming tulips and spring gardens, Henry Storgaard, Chairman, together with the Festival’s new Board of Directors, and local dignitaries, partners and sponsors unveiled plans for 2018.

“A World of Tulips” theme celebrates “A World of Friendship” with a profusion of yellow World Friendship tulips underscoring the significance of the Festival’s global connection to 27 Tulip Friendship countries mutually involved in promoting friendship and peace through the tulip flower.

The Festival’s four key venues offer four distinctive experiences for visitors: Commissioners Park/ Dow’s Lake – the garden tulip experience; Lansdowne Park – the art and culture tulip experience; ByWard Market – the urban tulip experience; and The Garden Promenade – the community tulip experience which encompasses tulip-centric activities across the city.

The Festival is pleased to offer new and exciting programming at each venue:

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 Commissioners Park/Dow’s Lake
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showcases Tulip Reflections from New Zealand, a unique mirror installation in the tulips; Dows Lake Pavilion Tulip Boardwalk featuring fun Tulpi Chairs from Holland; and Japan’s Tonami Tulip Fair inspired Floating Tulip Gardens.

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 Lansdowne Park
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presents a Turkish Tulip Carpet display, designed by the Istanbul Tulip Festival and created with over 50,000 tulips – a first outside Turkey; the Children’s World of Tulips Art Wall created with artworks submitted by over 5,000 local and international school children will adorn the walls of Aberdeen Pavilion; Italian- Dutch-Canadian comedy film
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 Tulipani, Love, Honour and a Bicycle
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will be screened at Cineplex Lansdowne; the Tulip Crush Game App Championship is set to challenge online gamers and visitors. Visitors can also stroll through a World Friendship 5-Foot Tulip Garden comprising over 100 5-foot tulips, hand-painted by             artists representing as many countries, and celebrating the Festival’s World Friendship theme.

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 Byward Market
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brings us a “Tiptoe Through a World of Tulips” installation curated by the World Tulip Society’s artist and Festival’s 2018 featured artist Monique Martin, who also created this year’s theme visual. As well, Market activity will offer culinary tours by C’est Bon and special menus by participating restaurants.

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 Garden Promenade
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boasts partners like Escape Bicycle Tours & Rentals, Ottawa Walking Tours, Lady Dive-Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus tours and others to make it easy for Festival visitors to enjoy tulip-centric activities across the Capital including the Lord Elgin Hotel Malak Exhibition, “Yoga in the Tulips” at Major Hills Park, and  Parliament Hill.  This year community stakeholders have also stepped forward to get involved much to the delight and appreciation of the Festival including the Bank of Canada Museum, The Canadian Museum of History, Beechwood Cemetery, the National Arts Centre and culinary event partners throughout Ottawa-Gatineau.

** ** ** Festival favourites ** returning include Victoria Day fireworks now at Dow’s Lake and guided tours through the tulips at Commissioners Park.  The Friendship Stage,  an enhanced Family Tulip Activity Centre, Homage to Malak photo exhibit and Tulip Art Gallery, as well as the 3rd Annual Tulip Festival Swing Dance, and  Mother’s Day Brunch for Bruyère  once again take place at Lansdowne Park.

The Festival especially invites all of Ottawa and Gatineau to take advantage of the many initiatives, projects, events, offers, and goodwill opportunities to show its tulip pride. ** More highlights can be found at our new website ** ** www.tulipfestival.ca ** ** launched today! ** Find what you want by looking under genre, date or location. ** Tickets ** for gated events are now on sale and available at www.tulipfestival.ca