9 am (English)	The Rideau Canal: UNESCO World Heritage Site Tours	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am	Canal Bikes	Confederation Park
10am	Biking on the Rideau	East Arch of Plaza Bridge
10am - 5pm	Rideau Heritage Experience	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am - 4pm	Energy Ottawa Ecosphere Environment Fair	Confederation Park
10am - 4pm	UNESCO Photo Exhibit	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11 am (French)	The Rideau Canal: UNESCO World Heritage Site Tours	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11am	Colonel By Day Proclamations	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11am - 4pm	Colonel By Day Celebrations	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11:30am	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
12pm - 5pm	World Heritage Plaza	Confederation Park
1pm and 3pm	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park

 

10AM
RIDEAU CANAL GARDEN TOURS DOWS LAKE

Tour the extraordinary display of annuals and hear the story of the origin and history of these famed gardens, guided by the Ottawa Botanical Garden Society, in collaboration with the National Capital Commission.

Back to schedule

9am (english) and 11am (french)
THE RIDEAU CANAL: UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE TOURS
bytown museum/ ottawa locks

The Rideau Canal borders the western edge of the University of Ottawa campus and is considered one of the world' most remarkable examples 19th-century engineering prowess.

The tour includes several stops at historical interpretation panels and runs roughly two hours. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes — you have to walk across the locks and climb a steep slope.

Tour Guide Michel Prévost is the University of Ottawa's chief archivist and the president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais. The Rideau Canal holds a special place in his heart, and he regularly gives guided tours of this historic man-made water link between Kingston and Ottawa.

Tours depart from the Parks Canada kiosk at Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks.

Back to schedule

10am to 4pm
CANAL BIKES Confederation Park

The Rideau Canal Festival Bike Program offers visitors and tourists an easy opportunity to experience the Rideau Canal by bicycle. For a minimum donation to Bicycles for Humanity, visitors and tourists can pick up a Rideau Canal Festival bike at Confederation Park or Dows Lake from July 30 to August 2, and enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride along the scenic Rideau Canal.

Bicycles for Humanity will also be operating a bicycle parking lot at Confederation Park throughout the Festival. Bicycles and safety equipment are graciously provided by Kunstadt Ottawa.

Back to schedule

10am
BIKING ON THE RIDEAU east arch of plaza bridge

Join your guides from Rent-A-Bike for a Heritage Bicycle Tour along the Rideau Canal. The National Capital Region boasts some of the best recreational pathways in North America and none are more historic than this scenic path along the Rideau Canal. This 90 minute tour takes you along both sides of the Canal with a turnaround at Hartwell Locks.

Please visit www.rentabike.ca to register.

Back to schedule

10AM TO 5PM
RIDEAU HERITAGE experience
bytown Museum/ ottawa locks

Evocative Objects: Artifacts Unfolding Neighbourhoods
Through ordinary and not so ordinary objects, film and photography, discover the unique stories of Ottawa from the forgotten history of LeBreton Flats and the intimate writings of Charlotte Whitton to contemporary portraits of some of Ottawa’s more current residents.

Back to schedule

10am to 4pm
energy ottawa ECOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR
CONFEDERATION PARK

Group ECOSPHERE – a not for profit organization – is proud to present its third multidisciplinary environmental fair in Ottawa. The main goal of this fair is to raise collective awareness by bringing together key players in the environmental world. Come take part in the dynamic activities, workshops, and conferences entirely dedicated to ecology and the environment, with an outdoor concert for children, and over 55 exhibitors!

Back to schedule

10AM TO 4PM
UNESCO PHOTO EXHIBIT
bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Enjoy the spectacular photography of over 55 of the world’s most renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

Back to schedule

11:30AM, 1PM, AND 3PM
BUY LOCAL BBQ CHALLENGE
Urban Terrace BBQ Patio, CONFEDERATION PARK

Chefs from Ottawa area restaurants and hotels prepare their favorite BBQ recipes in Confederation Park.The challenge? Their creations must be made entirely from local products sourced from Savour Ottawa producers! Keep a special eye out for celebrity hosts!

New this year:
Beer and wine pairings will be added to some demonstrations. The Rideau Canal Festival welcomes the students of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa who will be assisting our chefs.

Back to schedule

11AM
COLONEL BY DAY PROCLAMATION CEREMONy
BYTOWN MUSEUM/ OTTAWA LOCKS

The Bytown Museum will be open for free as part of the Colonel By Day celebrations!

Back to schedule

11am to 4pm
colonel by day celebrations
Bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Join us to celebrate local heritage! Activities include:

• Heritage cookery demonstrations
• Costumed characters of Ottawa’s past
• Outdoor musketry demonstrations
• Lace making
• Flax and linen weaving
• Heritage rug braiding
• Ingleneuk Country Scottish Dancing
• Aboriginal drumming and music by Northern Voices
• Blacksmithing
• Face painting
  ... and much more!

Back to schedule

12pm to 5PM
World Heritage Plaza Confederation Park

Featuring a photo exhibition of the Badaling Great Wall of China; a photo exhibition of other World Heritage sites in China and local vendors, performing artists from our local Chinese community; and much more!

Back to schedule

Love Locks Bytown Museum/ ottawa locks

Oil paintings and linocut prints by Monique Martin
Monique Martin is Artist in Residence for the Bytown Museum in partnership with the Rideau Canal Festival for the summer of 2010. The exhibition has two parts. On the first floor of the Bytown Museum is a display of her oil paintings with padlocks as a theme. The Community Gallery on the second floor exhibits her linocut prints and houses her printmaking studio.

The Permanent Collection
For complete information on programming at Bytown Museum visit www.bytownmuseum.ca

CANAL METRE LOUNGES RIDEAU CANAL

Canal Metre Lounges are open throughout the Festival, and offer daily activities, refreshments, and a beautiful view of the Rideau Canal.
Click here for daily schedules.

9am	Rideau Yoga with Yoga Travels	Dows Lake
10am	Canal Bikes	Confederation Park
10am	Biking on the Rideau	East Arch of Plaza Bridge
10am	Explore Lowertown West with Heritage Ottawa	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am	Garden Tours	Dows Lake
10am - 1pm	Explore the Docks	Dows Lake
10am - 4pm	Scavenger Hunt on Water	Dows Lake
10am - 6pm	Rideau Heritage Experience	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am - 6pm	Energy Ottawa Ecosphere Environment Fair	Confederation Park
10am - 6pm	UNESCO Photo Exhibit	Confederation Park to Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am - 4pm	Kids Radio Controlled Boat Course / Model Boat Show	Dows Lake
11am	Rideau Yoga with Yoga Travels	Dows Lake
11:30am	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
12pm - 6pm	World Heritage Plaza	Confederation Park
12pm - 1pm	Dancin' in the Street	Dows Lake
1pm	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
1pm	Guided Tour of the Rideau Canal Ottawa Lockstation	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
1pm - 2pm	Model Boat Flotilla	Dows Lake
1pm - 4pm	Gaelic Unplugged Rideau Heritage Stage	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
2pm - 3:30pm	Rideau Canal Flotilla: Floating Through the Decades	Dows Lake
2pm - 3:30pm	Sirenhoops	Dows Lake
2pm	Chamberfest and RIdeau Concert	Canal side at the National Arts Centre
3pm	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park

9am and 11AM
RIDEAU YOGA WITH YOGA TRAVELS DOWS LAKE

Start the day off right with a free yoga lesson from Yoga Travels in a rejuvenating outdoor yoga experience. Classes meet at the festival's Info Kiosk outside Dows Lake Pavilion. BYOB&YM... Bring your own blanket and yoga mat.

For more information on Yoga Travels, visit www.yogatravels.ca

Back to schedule

10am to 6pm
CANAL BIKES Confederation Park

The Rideau Canal Festival Bike Program offers visitors and tourists an easy opportunity to experience the Rideau Canal by bicycle. For a minimum donation to Bicycles for Humanity, visitors and tourists can pick up a Rideau Canal Festival bike at Confederation Park or Dows Lake from July 30 to August 2, and enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride along the scenic Rideau Canal.

Bicycles for Humanity will also be operating a bicycle parking lot at Confederation Park throughout the Festival. Bicycles and safety equipment are graciously provided by Kunstadt Ottawa.

Back to schedule

10am
BIKING ON THE RIDEAU east arch of plaza bridge

Join your guides from Rent-A-Bike for a Heritage Bicycle Tour along the Rideau Canal. The National Capital Region boasts some of the best recreational pathways in North America and none are more historic than this scenic path along the Rideau Canal. This 90 minute tour takes you along both sides of the Canal with a turnaround at Hartwell Locks.

Please visit www.rentabike.ca to register.

Back to schedule

10AM
EXPLORE LOWERTOWN WEST WITH HERITAGE OTTAWA
Bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Lowertown West is the heart of old Bytown where canal workers first settled and some of Ottawa's earliest residential, commercial, and institutional structures can be found. The walk takes participants around Major’s Hill Park, up to Nepean Point, and then looks at some of the historic buildings in Lowertown and the ByWard Market. Your guide is Hagit Hadaya, architectural historian.

Tour departs from the Parks Canada Kiosk at Bytown Museum / Ottawa Locks.
Tour duration: approximately 1.5 hours

$10 fee for non-members supports the work of Heritage Ottawa, a non-profit charitable organization.

Please visit their website at www.heritageottawa.org for more information on summer heritage walking tours.

Back to schedule

10AM
RIDEAU CANAL GARDEN TOURS DOWS LAKE

Tour the extraordinary display of annuals and hear the story of the origin and history of these famed gardens, guided by the Ottawa Botanical Garden Society, in collaboration with the National Capital Commission.

Back to schedule

10am to 1pm
explore the docks DOWS LAKE

Visit Dows Lake Pavilion to meet the boaters as they put the finishing touches on their floats for the Dows Lake Parade of Lights.

Back to schedule

10am to 4pm
Scavenger Hunt on Water dows lake

Our information kiosk at Dows Lake Pavilion will have a fun scavenger hunt available all weekend for paddle boaters of all ages! See how observant you can be while paddling the canal. Clues to six answers can be found on Dows Lake. Enter for a chance to win a prize each day when you submit the correct answers to the scavenger hunt. Drawings will be held at 4pm, winners do not have to be present to win.

Back to schedule

10am to 4pm
Kids radio controlled boat course/
model boat show Dows Lake

This fun activity is open to kids of all ages. Navigate one of the Rideau Nautical Modelers’ Club Tug Boats through a fun obstacle course for a chance to win your very own R/C Boat.

Back to schedule

10AM TO 6PM
RIDEAU HERITAGE experience
bytown museum/ Ottawa locks

Evocative Objects: Artifacts Unfolding Neighbourhoods
Through ordinary and not so ordinary objects, film and photography, discover the unique stories of Ottawa from the forgotten history of LeBreton Flats and the intimate writings of Charlotte Whitton to contemporary portraits of some of Ottawa’s more current residents.

Back to schedule

10AM TO 6PM
UNESCO PHOTO EXHIBIT bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Enjoy the spectacular photography of over 55 of the world’s most renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

Back to schedule

10AM TO 6PM
energy ottawa ECOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR
CONFEDERATION PARK

Group ECOSPHERE – a not for profit organization – is proud to present its third multidisciplinary environmental fair in Ottawa. The main goal of this fair is to raise collective awareness by bringing together key players in the environmental world. Come take part in the dynamic activities, workshops, and conferences entirely dedicated to ecology and the environment, with an outdoor concert for children, and over 55 exhibitors!

Back to schedule`

11am
Guided Tour of the Rideau Canal Ottawa Lockstation Bytown museum/ Ottawa Locks

Join us to discover the natural and human-made features of the museum’s immediate environs. Learn more about the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal and how development affected this landscape from before the construction of the canal to present day Ottawa. Please note that this tour is outdoors and involves a modest amount of walking on sometimes challenging terrain.
Tour is available in English and French

Tours depart from the museum’s Café & Boutique

Back to schedule

11:30AM, 1PM, AND 3PM
BUY LOCAL BBQ CHALLENGE
Urban Terrace BBQ Patio, CONFEDERATION PARK

Chefs from Ottawa area restaurants and hotels prepare their favorite BBQ recipes in Confederation Park. The challenge? Their creations must be made entirely from local products sourced from Savour Ottawa producers! Keep a special eye out for celebrity hosts!

New this year:
Beer and wine pairings will be added to some demonstrations. The Rideau Canal Festival welcomes the students of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa who will be assisting our chefs.

Back to schedule

12pm to 1pm
Dancing in the street dows lake

Dancers and musicians of The School of Dance will create a unique outdoor performance around Dows Lake Pavilion. Come be inspired by their creativity! 

For more information, visit www.theschoolofdance.ca

Back to schedule

12pm to 6PM
World Heritage Plaza Confederation Park

Featuring a photo exhibit of China's World Heritage Sites, including the Badaling Great Wall; a sneak preview of Ottawa’s Great Arch, a gift from Beijing to Ottawa; performing artists from our local Chinese community; and much more!

Back to schedule

1pm to 2pm
MODEL BOAT FLOTILLA Dows Lake

Hosted by the Rideau Nautical Modelers club, this model boat parade is open to anyone who wants to decorate their model boat and compete for best in show.

For more information, visit www.rideaunautical.ca.

Back to schedule

1pm to 4pm
Gaelic Unplugged
Rideau Heritage Stage, Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks

Presented by the Rideau Canal Festival and hosted by Austin Comerton, of The Gaelic Hour.
Grab your fiddle and join the fun at Gaelic Unplugged hosted by Austin Comerton, of The Gaelic Hour.

Music and dance is a rich part of the heritage of the canal and the festival is pleased to offer this opportunity to see some of the best Gaelic performers in Ottawa.

It’s open mic, so if you want to be part of the performance contact Nhanci Wright, Program Director of the Rideau Canal Festival, program@rideaucanalfestival.ca

There is no fee to participate and no charge to watch!

Back to schedule

2PM to 3:30pm
RIDEAU CANAL FLOTILLA:
FLOATING THROUGH THE DECADES rideau canal

Grand Marshal: Community Ambassador, Max Keeping
A procession of over 25 beautifully decorated boats, reflecting this year’s theme Floating Through the Decades, will launch from Dows Lake Pavilion and make its way to the National Arts Centre. The parade concludes with a grand musical performance outside the National Arts Centre by the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival.

Enjoy the show from one of our eight Canal Metre Lounges along the way, or bring your own chairs out to watch the parade anywhere along the parade route.

Back to schedule

2pm to 3:30pm
Sirenhoops Dows Lake

Featuring Ottawa’s latest trend in fitness that celebrates play, Brigitte – also known as Hooperella, will not only entertain you with playful hoop dancing, but you can try it too! Learn more at www.sirenhoops.com.

Back to schedule

2pm
Chamberfest & Rideau Canal Festival
canal side of the national arts centre

Festival-goers will be captivated by musicians performing from both sides of the canal, creating a once–in–a–lifetime sound installation under the direction of composer Kelly-Marie Murphy.

Back to schedule

Love Locks bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Oil paintings and linocut prints by Monique Martin
Monique Martin is Artist in Residence for the Bytown Museum in partnership with the Rideau Canal Festival for the summer of 2010. The exhibition has two parts. On the first floor of the Bytown Museum is a display of her oil paintings with padlocks as a theme. The Community Gallery on the second floor exhibits her linocut prints and houses her printmaking studio.

The Permanent Collection
For complete information on programming at Bytown Museum visit www.bytownmuseum.ca

canal METRE LOUNGES RIDEAU CANAL

Canal Metre Lounges are open throughout the Festival, and offer daily activities, refreshments, and a beautiful view of the Rideau Canal.
Click here for more information.

10am	Heritage Walking Tours Architectural and Engineering Wonders on the Canal	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am	Canal Bikes	Confederation Park
10am	Biking on the Rideau	East Arch of Plaza Bridge
10am	Garden Tours	Dows Lake
10am - 6pm	Rideau Heritage Experience	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
10am - 1pm	Explore the docks	Dows Lake
10am - 4pm	Scavenger Hunt on Water	Dows Lake
10am - 6pm	Opening Ceremony of the Energy Ottawa Ecosphere Environmental Fair	Confederation Park
10am - 6pm	UNESCO Photo Exhibit	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11am (french)	The Rideau Canal: UNESCO World Heritage Site Tours	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11am	Rideau Yoga with Yoga Travels	Dows Lake
11am	Guided Tour of the Rideau Canal Ottawa Locks	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
11:30am	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
1pm	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
12pm - 6pm	World Heritage Plaza	Confederation Park
12pm - 3pm	Dancin' in the Street	Dows Lake
1pm	Musical Breeze Bicycle Parade	Lansdowne Park to Ottawa City Hall
1pm (english)	Where Ottawa Begins: Guided Tour of Permanent Exhibition	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
1pm - 4pm	Gaelic Unplugged Rideau Heritage Stage	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
1pm - 4pm	Jinfan Children's Arts Troupe Hourly performances at the World Heritage Stage	Confederation Park
2pm (french)	Where Ottawa Begins: Guided Tour of Permanent Exhibition	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
3pm (english)	The Rideau Canal: UNESCO World Heritage Site Tours	Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks
3pm	Rideau Yoga with Yoga Travels	Dows Lake
3pm	Buy Local BBQ Challenge Urban Terrace BBQ Patio	Confederation Park
4pm	Yoga Travels Yoga Lessons	Dows Lake
8pm - 9pm	Model Boat Parade of Lights	Dows Lake
9pm	Dows Lake Parade of Lights	Dows Lake
10pm	Fireworks	Dows Lake

10AM
HERITAGE WALKING TOURs bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Architectural and Engineering Wonders on the Canal
A one-hour tour along the Rideau Canal between Entrance Bay and Corktown Bridge to see the imposing architecture and engineering along the first mile of the canal corridor.

Hear the story of the architects and engineers involved in these historical structures. Imagine an earlier era when canal shipping created Ottawa’s commercial artery, when railway tracks lined the canal’s east side, and when the Queen Elizabeth Driveway was created as Ottawa’s first scenic parkway.

Tour guide David Jeanes is a retired professional engineer and Vice President of Heritage Ottawa. He has conducted tours of downtown Ottawa’s architecture and helped to organize the annual Doors Open event for the past seven years. He has researched, written, and lectured about many of the structures on the tour.

Tour departs from the Parks Canada Kiosk at Bytown Museum / Ottawa Locks

Back to schedule

10am to 6pm
CANAL BIKES Confederation Park

The Rideau Canal Festival Bike Program offers visitors and tourists an easy opportunity to experience the Rideau Canal by bicycle. For a minimum donation to Bicycles for Humanity, visitors and tourists can pick up a Rideau Canal Festival bike at Confederation Park or Dows Lake from July 30 to August 2, and enjoy a leisurely bicycle ride along the scenic Rideau Canal.

Bicycles for Humanity will also be operating a bicycle parking lot at Confederation Park throughout the Festival. Bicycles and safety equipment are graciously provided by Kunstadt Ottawa.

Back to schedule

10am
BIKING ON THE RIDEAU east arch of plaza bridge

Join your guides from Rent-A-Bike for a Heritage Bicycle Tour along the Rideau Canal. The National Capital Region boasts some of the best recreational pathways in North America and none are more historic than this scenic path along the Rideau Canal. This 90 minute tour takes you along both sides of the Canal with a turnaround at Hartwell Locks.

Please visit www.rentabike.ca to register.

Back to schedule

10AM
RIDEAU CANAL GARDEN TOURS Dows Lake

Tour the extraordinary display of annuals and hear the story of the origin and history of these famed gardens, guided by the Ottawa Botanical Garden Society, in collaboration with the National Capital Commission.

Back to schedule

10am to 4pm
Scavenger Hunt on Water dows lake

Our information kiosk at Dows Lake Pavilion will have a fun scavenger hunt available all weekend for paddle boaters of all ages! See how observant you can be while paddling the canal. Clues to six answers can be found on Dows Lake. Enter for a chance to win a prize each day when you submit the correct answers to the scavenger hunt. Drawings will be held at 4pm, winners do not have to be present to win.

Back to schedule

10AM TO 6PM
Rideau heritage experience
bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Evocative Objects: Artifacts Unfolding Neighbourhoods
Through ordinary and not so ordinary objects, film and photography, discover the unique stories of Ottawa from the forgotten history of LeBreton Flats and the intimate writings of Charlotte Whitton to contemporary portraits of some of Ottawa’s more current residents.

Back to schedule

10am to 1pm
explore the docks DOWS LAKE

Visit Dows Lake Pavilion to meet the boaters as they put the finishing touches on their floats for the Dows Lake Parade of Lights.

Back to schedule

10AM TO 6PM
UNESCO PHOTO EXHIBIT Bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Enjoy the spectacular photography of over 55 of the world’s most renowned UNESCO World Heritage Sites!

Back to schedule

11am
Guided Tour of the Rideau Canal Ottawa Lockstation Bytown museum/ Ottawa Locks

Join us to discover the natural and human-made features of the museum’s immediate environs. Learn more about the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal and how development affected this landscape from before the construction of the canal to present day Ottawa. Please note that this tour is outdoors and involves a modest amount of walking on sometimes challenging terrain.
Tour is available in English and French

Tours depart from the museum’s Café & Boutique

Back to schedule

11AM opening ceremony
energy ottawa ECOSPHERE ENVIRONMENTAL FAIR
CONFEDERATION PARK

Group ECOSPHERE — a not for profit organization — is proud to present its third multidisciplinary environmental fair in Ottawa. The main goal of this fair is to raise collective awareness by bringing together key players in the environmental world. Come take part in the dynamic activities, workshops, and conferences entirely dedicated to ecology and the environment, with an outdoor concert for children, and over 55 exhibitors!

Don't miss the Green Speakers Series, with over 10 featured speakers!

Back to schedule

11AM, 3PM, 4PM
RIDEAU YOGA WITH YOGA TRAVELS DOWS LAKE

Start the day off right with a free yoga lesson from Yoga Travels in a rejuvenating outdoor yoga experience. Classes meet at the festival's Info Kiosk outside Dows Lake Pavilion. BYOB&YM... Bring your own blanket and yoga mat.

For more information on Yoga Travels, visit www.yogatravels.ca

Back to schedule

11am(french) and 3pm (english)
THE RIDEAU CANAL: UnESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE TOURS
bytown museum/ ottawa locks

The Rideau Canal borders the western edge of the University of Ottawa campus and is considered one of the world' most remarkable examples 19th-century engineering prowess.

The tour includes several stops at historical interpretation panels and runs roughly two hours. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes — you have to walk across the locks and climb a steep slope.

Tour Guide Michel Prévost is the University of Ottawa's chief archivist and the president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais. The Rideau Canal holds a special place in his heart, and he regularly gives guided tours of this historic man-made water link between Kingston and Ottawa.

Tours depart from the Parks Canada kiosk at the Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks.

Back to schedule

11:30AM, 1PM, AND 3PM
BUY LOCAL BBQ CHALLENGE
Urban Terrace BBQ Patio, CONFEDERATION PARK

Chefs from Ottawa area restaurants and hotels prepare their favorite BBQ recipes in Confederation Park.The challenge? Their creations must be made entirely from local products sourced from Savour Ottawa producers! Keep a special eye out for celebrity hosts!

New this year:
Beer and wine pairings will be added to some demonstrations. The Rideau Canal Festival welcomes the students of Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa who will be assisting our chefs.

Back to schedule

12pm to 3pm
Dancing in the street dows lake

Dancers and musicians of The School of Dance will create a unique outdoor performance around Dows Lake Pavilion. Come be inspired by their creativity! 

For more information, visit www.theschoolofdance.ca

Back to schedule

12 to 6PM
World Heritage Plaza Confederation Park

Featuring a photo exhibit of China's World Heritage Sites, including the Badaling Great Wall; a sneak preview of Ottawa’s Great Arch, a gift from Beijing to Ottawa; performing artists from our local Chinese community; and much more!

Back to schedule

1PM
MUSICAL BREEZE BICYCLE PARADE
FROM LANSDOWNE PARK TO OTTAWA CITY HALL

The Rideau Canal Festival and the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival have teamed up again to offer the Musical Breeze Bicycle Parade.

Join us for this outdoor musical and cycling event, with a grand finale at Marion Dewar Plaza (City Hall). Featuring performances along the route by Joseph Petric & David Mott, Evie Mark & Akinisie Sivuarapik, Ryan Scott and Jessie Stewart.

The Musical Wheel finale is presented by TorQ Percussion Quartet with the Chamberfest Community Hand Drum Collective. You can be part of the performance too– view this video to find out how. Or if you would like to join in the hand drumming visit treefrogpercussion.ca for details.

Register online at or as of 1pm at Lansdowne Park Gate #4.

Parade departs in waves beginning at 1:15pm.

Back to schedule

1pm (English) and 2PM (French)
Where Ottawa Begins: Guided Tour of Permanent Exhibition Bytown Museum

Your personal guide will take you through the permanent exhibition and recount stories of the region’s first inhabitants and the early days as Bytown to Ottawa at the end of World War One. The tour will provide knowledge and understanding of Ottawa’s heritage of diversity, opportunity and perpetual transformation from a frontier lumber town to a modern capital city. Rediscover our permanent exhibition Where Ottawa Begins.

Tour departs from the museum’s Café & Boutique

Back to schedule

1pm to 4pm
Gaelic Unplugged Rideau Heritage Stage
rideau heritage stage, Bytown Museum/ Ottawa Locks

Presented by the Rideau Canal Festival and hosted by Austin Comerton, of The Gaelic Hour.
Grab your fiddle and join the fun at Gaelic Unplugged hosted by Austin Comerton, of The Gaelic Hour.

Music and dance is a rich part of the heritage of the canal and the festival is pleased to offer this opportunity to see some of the best Gaelic performers in Ottawa.

It’s open mic, so if you want to be part of the performance contact
Nhanci Wright, Program Director of the Rideau Canal Festival, program@rideaucanalfestival.ca

There is no fee to participate and no charge to watch!

Back to schedule

1pm to 4pm
Jinfan Children's Arts Troupe
Hourly performances at the World Heritage Stage

Featuring the Jinfan Children's Arts Troupe from China, whose high-energy and dramatic performances have delighted audiences in over 42 cities around the world!

Back to schedule

8pm to 9pm
model boat Parade of Lights Dows Lake

Hosted by the Rideau Nautical Modellers, come watch them sail their model boats at dusk with amazing miniature light displays for all ages to enjoy!

Back to schedule

9PM to 10pm
DOWS LAKE PARADE OF LIGHTS DOWS LAKE

Come enjoy a magical experience at Dow’s Lake with over 25 glowing boats. The lake will be transformed into a shimmering ribbon as darkness falls and this nighttime parade on water casts off from Dows Lake Pavilion.

Back to schedule

10PM
DOWS LAKE pavilion FIREWORKS DOWS LAKE

The Parade of Lights finishes with a bang – Don’t miss our annual fireworks display!

Back to schedule

Love Locks bytown museum/ ottawa locks

Oil paintings and linocut prints by Monique Martin
Monique Martin is Artist in Residence for the Bytown Museum in partnership with the Rideau Canal Festival for the summer of 2010. The exhibition has two parts. On the first floor of the Bytown Museum is a display of her oil paintings with padlocks as a theme. The Community Gallery on the second floor exhibits her linocut prints and houses her printmaking studio.

The Permanent Collection
For complete information on programming at Bytown Museum visit www.bytownmuseum.ca

CANAL METRE LOUNGES RIDEAU CANAL

Canal Metre Lounges are open throughout the Festival, and offer daily activities, refreshments, and a beautiful view of the Rideau Canal.
Click here for daily schedules.

11am
OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY
WORLD HERITAGE STAGE, CONFEDERATION PARK

11am
Guided Tour of the Rideau Canal Ottawa Lockstation | Bytown museum/ Ottawa Locks

Join us to discover the natural and human-made features of the museum’s immediate environs. Learn more about the Ottawa Locks of the Rideau Canal and how development affected this landscape from before the construction of the canal to present day Ottawa. Please note that this tour is outdoors and involves a modest amount of walking on sometimes challenging terrain.

Tour is available in English and French

Tours depart from the museum’s Café & Boutique

11aM to 6PM
World Heritage Plaza
Confederation Park

Featuring a photo exhibit of China's World Heritage Sites, including the Badaling Great Wall; a sneak preview of Ottawa’s Great Arch, a gift from Beijing to Ottawa; performing artists from our local Chinese community; and much more!

1pm (french) and 4:30pm (english)
THE RIDEAU CANAL: UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE TOURS
bytown museum/ ottawa locks

The Rideau Canal borders the western edge of the University of Ottawa campus and is considered one of the world' most remarkable examples 19th-century engineering prowess.

The tour includes several stops at historical interpretation panels and runs roughly two hours. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes — you have to walk across the locks and climb a steep slope.

Tour Guide Michel Prévost is the University of Ottawa's chief archivist and the president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais. The Rideau Canal holds a special place in his heart, and he regularly gives guided tours of this historic man-made water link between Kingston and Ottawa.

Tour departs from the Parks Canada Kiosk at Bytown Museum / Ottawa Locks.

8PM to midnight
Cheers to Colonel By!
ChÂteau lafayette

The Byward Market is where it all began, the original Bytown. The Chateau Lafayette presents “Cheers to Colonel By” with live music by Celtic favorite Kyle Felhaver & friends.

Raise a toast to Colonel By and the British, Irish, Scottish, French and Native workers who built the Canal.

The Chateau Lafayette is our Canal Builders Lounge so don’t forget to ask about their special benefit for Adopt-A-Metre cardholders!

Love Locks
Oil paintings and linocut prints by Monique Martin
bytown museum/ ottawa Locks

Monique Martin is Artist in Residence for the Bytown Museum in partnership with the Rideau Canal Festival for the summer of 2010. The exhibition has two parts. On the first floor of the Bytown Museum is a display of her oil paintings with padlocks as a theme. The Community Gallery on the second floor exhibits her linocut prints and houses her printmaking studio.

The Permanent Collection
For complete information on programming at Bytown Museum visit www.bytownmuseum.ca

Dancin' on the Rideau | Dows Lake Pavilion

Come kick-start your weekend with performances by The School of Dance from 6 pm to 8 pm outside, followed by performances inside LAGO restaurant and live Celtic music and dancing featuring the Eganville duo Colleen & Erin Searson at Malone’s Bar & Grill!

CANAL METRE LOUNGES | RIDEAU CANAL

Canal Metre Lounges are open throughout the Festival, and offer daily activities, refreshments, and a beautiful view of the Rideau Canal.
Click here for daily schedules.

Festival Themes and Activities

The Rideau Canal Festival’s program of activities focuses on three main themes:

1. Rideau Heritage
   Celebration of the heritage recognized by UNESCO and National    Geographic and its impact on the Ottawa’s development;

2. Active Lifestyle
    Celebration of the Canal’s contribution to Ottawa’s quality of life and the     many ways to enjoy the Rideau Canal;

3. World Heritage - Environment
    Celebration of the Canal’s World Heritage Designation and the     Festival’s “Aim for Zero Footprint” commitment to preserve and protect     the Rideau Canal for future generations;