Best Fest

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Ottawa International Children’s Festival (OICF). If you haven’t been before, this is the year to go and take advantage of the opportunity to introduce your children to worlds beyond their own.

Here’s how to make the most out of your experience at the OICF:

Avoid long line-ups at the box office by buying your tickets in advance. Tickets can be purchased by fax, phone or online.

Check the website for the age recommendations for each performance. Some productions may not be suitable for kids under five. This year, the OICF is offering two productions for the very young: Trio for a Green Pea/Trio pour un P’tit Pois, and Bathtime/Le Bain. Parents are encouraged to bring the little ones to these shows, or to shows that are listed as ‘all ages’.

While you’re online, check out the short study guides for each show. The guides are intended for teachers, but also give us parents a little extra background info about each performance.

Allow for some extra time to hang out at the Festival and let yourself be entertained. Check out the Imagination Station (an art station for kids), face-painting, the board-games tent and the buskers. Plan on spending an extra hour before, or after their show just to soak it all in.

Don’t miss the Architects of Air Luminarium (and don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a bouncy house, because it’s not). It’s an inflatable, walk-through, sculpture/art installation that will knock your socks off. It’s completely accessible to everyone from babies to the elderly, as well as those with physical disabilities (including people in wheelchairs).

The OICF takes place at Lebreton Flats Park, so have a parking plan before you set out. Parking is available at the Canadian War Museum ($10/day or $1.75/half hour), and along the Ottawa River Parkway (meters). And consider alternative transportation. The Festival site is less than a 10-minute walk from the Lebreton stop on the Transitway, and is also on the bike path, if you’re considering alternate transportation.

More tips:

• If you find yourself in the middle of a snack or diapering emergency, keep in mind that the cafeteria and washrooms at the War Museum are easily accessible from the site. (Change tables are in the family washrooms.) There will be portable washrooms on-site but they aren’t made for baby changing.
• Arrive early! All shows are general admission. Families should arrive half an hour before the show begins in order to snag the best seats.
• The Children’s Festival show ticket will give you free admission to the War Museum on Sunday, May 30.

Festival fun is always amazing. If you’re armed with our tips, you can make it ‘artfully’ unforgettable.

Comments