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by samepenny
West, Texas
October 21, 2007
From journal Optimal Ottawa
by girlfromals
Ottawa, Ontario
May 29, 2004
My first stop was Artisans in the Park, a large tent near the south entrance. There are dozens of artists selling their wares including paintings, clothing, woodworking, pottery, glass, fudge, and jewelry. I found some fantastic jewelry created by a Montreal artist. I purchased a lovely gold and amber bracelet. I went back another day to buy gifts! The most interesting work I saw was by a woman who used fish bones on a black background to create all kinds of scenes! These were absolutely amazing!
The International Friendship Village features Turkey, birthplace of the tulip, the Netherlands, which is synonymous with the word tulip, and Japan, which has developed a number of unique tulip varieties. You can buy food and crafts and participate in various activities. The Japanese tent was hosting an origami lesson when I dropped in.
During the day, the Concert Stage is open to all visitors to Major's Hill Park. Various artists perform during the day. During the evening, the Concert Stage is home to big name artists. The evening concerts require a separate ticket. You can purchase a one-event ticket or an all-concert pass which gets you in to all evening concerts. Individual tickets range from $10-15 Cdn and the all-concert pass is only $25. This area is surrounded by food vendors. If you like hot dogs and cotton candy, this is the place for you. If not, then stop in the Market to pick up fruit and veggies from local farmers, and drop by the local butcher shops and bakeries to pick up a picnic lunch to take to Major's Hill Park.
The Family Zone, located at the north end of the Park, was absolutely swarming with kids who were clearly enjoying themselves. Kids can climb on an inflatable Titanic, paint, or watch one of many live entertainers. When I passed by, a large crowd of kids and parents was enjoying one of the entertainers encouraging everyone to count to 3 as he prepared to toss something.
I admit that I was a little disappointed. I had expected more flowers. There were only two real flower beds, one by the Family Zone, the other near the Artisans in the Park tent. Considering we are celebrating tulips, I had expected more flowers. But when I saw the number of people at this site, I could understand why there were so few flowers - they would probably have just been trampled on. If you know this in advance, you won't be disappointed.
Entrance is free with your Tulip Passport. Otherwise, it costs $5 on weekdays, $10 on weekends, and $8 for Seniors. Kids 12 and under are free. Head to Capital Tickets to buy concert tickets in advance.
From journal Tiptoe Through the Tulips in Ottawa