Rideau Canal Festival
One of Ottawa's newest festivals, the Rideau Canal Festival is a four-day event in early August celebrating this impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Fast Facts
- This 4-day outdoor festival takes place at venues along - and on - the Ottawa portion of the Rideau Canal over the Civic Holiday long weekend, the first weekend each August.
- The Festival was founded in 2008 to celebrate the heritage of and healthy lifestyle supported by the Rideau Canal, following its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
- The Festival features decorated boats parading the length of the Ottawa portion of the Canal in impressive flotillas, a giant bicycle parade open to all, a canoe rendezvous, heritage activities, entertainment, an environmental fair and more.
- Special celebrations salute those who built the Rideau Canal, including Colonel By Day in honour of Lt-Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers - the man who oversaw the Canal's construction in early part of the 19th Century.
- The Festival is an "Aim for Zero" event devoted to offsetting its carbon footprint through a wide range of initiatives.
