Enjoy Winterlude Annual Celebration in Ottawa

Canada's Capital is set to celebrate the 45th edition of Winterlude in February next year. The epic festival which takes place in the Ottawa region during the first three weekends of the month attracts on average 600,000 visitors who take part in the festivities and enjoy Canadian winter fun.

During the festival, you can marvel at beautiful ice sculptures, ice skate on the world-famous Rideau Canal Skateway (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and play till you drop in a gigantic snow playground called Snowflake Kingdom.

Many other Winterlude activities—indoors and outdoors—highlight Canada's cultural, artistic and culinary diversity. Urban sites, museums and special events present special seasonal programming as well as opportunities to connect with Indigenous culture. Most festival activities are free and take place in urban Ottawa and its adjacent sister-city Gatineau in the province of Québec.

Since its inception, Winterlude has seen new activities added over time like the famous Bed Race and the Ice Dragon Boat Festival. A horse race on the Rideau Canal Skateway called Trotting on the Rideau kicked off the very first Winterlude in 1979 but is no longer active today.

The festival was created by the National Capital Commission (NCC) in 1979 to celebrate Canada's unique northern culture and climate. Organizers were inspired by ancestors who would gather to enjoy each other's company during the long winter months.

Now considered the flagship event of the winter tourist season in Canada's Capital Region, Winterlude is proud to be among the prestigious Ontario Signature Experiences as well as the Top 100 Events in the United States and Canada 2021 according to BizBash.

For more information visit: https://ottawatourism.ca/en