Explore some of music's roots at Ottawa's newest festival

Canada Travel Tips

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Wednesday, 07 March 2012 23:21

It can be thrilling to participate in a festival being hosted in a new city for the first time. Travellers who wish to experience something fresh in Canada's capital city can take part in the Ottawa Grassroots Festival.

On April 28, this unique concert will take place at the Montgomery Legion, and feature some of the best local talent performing soulful and soothing tunes. The aim of the festival is to offer attendees a new way to enjoy an array of different acts without having to go to a loud and chaotic venue. The types of music showcased at Ottawa Grassroots will include folk, bluegrass and blues.

Hosted by founder Bob Nesbitt, the show was put together by a committee of like-minded locals who hope to duplicate the success of the Blue Skies festival, which takes places in Clarendon Station, Ontario, every summer. If this local version of the concert sees success in Ottawa, organisers plan on expanding its repertoire in the future.

This year, one of the headlining acts will be Rick Fines. He has won several accolades for his music, playing the slide guitar and being a storyteller, including a Juno Award and a Maple Blues Award. Travellers may get to hear some songs off of his best albums, such as Arcadia and Live at The Harvest.

Another musician heading to the Ottawa Grassroots festival is Ana Miura. An Ottawa native, she has become a popular singer/songwriter nationwide and devoted much of her time to charity projects that raise awareness of breast cancer.

Not only will an assortment of local and national musicians take the stage, but there will also be opportunities for guests to watch some great dance demonstrations and participate themselves. The Ottawa Contra Dance association will be present as well as Mouvement, which performs a mix of yoga, capoeira  and African dance.

Travellers are encouraged to purchase their tickets in advance through the organisation's website, as the interest in this event may cause it to sell out quickly. New additions to the line-up and itinerary are being added daily, so guests to the Grassroots Festival may want to sign up for the newsletter that will offer the latest information on developments. While booking tours of Ottawa, travellers may also wish to plan on attending this fun-filled occasion that the whole family can enjoy.