Check out Ottawa's alternative Canada Day festival

Ottawa Travel Guide

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Thursday, 24 May 2012 19:13

Canada Day is a highly anticipated event throughout Ottawa, as the holiday weekend brings many events and festivals to the city for celebration and fun. For instance, travellers in the area from June 30 through July 1 can participate in the Escapade Music Festival taking place at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Since its inception in 2010, the Escapade Festival has attracted electronic music enthusiasts in droves to hear famous DJ Deadmau5 spin fresh tracks with the Parliament Hill fireworks in the background. This year, spectators will gather at the museum for two days of heart thumping tunes performed by some of the best talent in electronic music.

Headlining the event this year will be several superstar acts featured on the Heineken main stage, including top DJs like Eric Prydz, Avicii, Chickie and Grammy-nominated Nadia Ali.

During the shows, guests can purchase memorabilia from their favourite acts, such as bumper stickers and t-shirts. There will also be food vendors onsite and stalls for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Two other stages, the Oh! Canada and Pulse, will have dozens of DJs as well, such as the Egyptian group Aly & Fila, Canadian native DJ Emm and Ottawa born and raised Ryan Labelle. Much of the music is what travellers may hear in clubs throughout the city, with strong bass lines and reverberant drum patterns.

Those who plan on going to the concerts can purchase tickets for the whole weekend or single day passes. Due to its popularity, officials say they project that the event will sell out.

"Fans are urged to get their tickets now so they won’t be disappointed later on as we anticipate a capacity crowd for Canada Day’s biggest party," said Michael O’Farrell, representative for DNA Presents that is hosting the event.

Travellers taking tours of Ottawa who want to incorporate this festival into their plans can get the latest updates about activities and the lineup through the DNA Presents Twitter and Facebook pages. Although the city will be hosting many events that honour Canada's roots and customs, this new tradition is also worth experiencing for fan of electronic music that will be joining the other thousands of visitors in Ottawa during this holiday.