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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.