Canadian Tulip Festival kicks off and the hunt for parking spots begins

Honourary Lt.-Gen. Richard Rohmer, prominent author and lawyer, spoke with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon before the 73rd Canadian Tulip Festival kicked off Saturday. Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIAArticle content

The Canadian Tulip Festival kicked off on Saturday, marking the 80th year since Canadian forces liberated the Netherlands during the Second World War.

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Thousands of visitors flocked to Dows Lake to enjoy the warm and sunny afternoon and to take innumerable photos of blooming tulips.

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Couples walked hand in hand, trying to find open spots, while families wandered around carrying children and walking dogs, soaking in the sunlight and the warmth.

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Dignitaries, including Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and Ontario Lt.-Gov. Edith Dumont, were guests of honour at the event, and new United States Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra was also in the honour party.

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A cannon salute marked the end of the opening ceremony, while four CF-18 fighter aircraft flew over the festival grounds to commemorate the anniversary of the end of the war.

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The beautiful weather was good news for event organizers, but it also meant the revival of annual complaints about rare parking spaces at the festival site.

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Volunteers at the Canadian Tulip Festival are again encouraging attendees to take public transit or rideshares as street parking spots around the leafy neighbourhood festival site fill up quickly.

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The festival’s official parking lot this year is located at Carleton University (Lot P7), which was full by noon on Saturday.

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Smaller lots near the festival location were also filled up.

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Tayah Clairie and Andrew Suthon decided to take in the festival on Saturday because they plan to go out of town next weekend. They said they were lucky to find parking shortly after arriving in the area.

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“Somebody was coming out, luckily for us,” Suthon said.

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If not, he said they likely faced a wait.

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Clairie agreed traffic was heavy in the area, but she said the festival lived up to its billing.

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“We heard that this (is) beautiful, and so far it’s definitely lived up to the experience,” she said.

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A few festival goers also parked on residential streets near Dows Lake.

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David Hudson, who has lived near the intersection of Dows Lake Road and Kippewa Drive since 2019, said dozens of people will circle the neighbourhood while trying to find free parking for their vehicles.

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However, he said festival organizers should do even more to encourage people to come to the event, especially since Carleton is an eight-minute walk away.