Best of the Fests

Here a festival, there a festival—we’re spoiled for choice here in Ottawa during the summer. Thus, we present to you our annual top picks for festival going families.
There are of course our perennial faves like the International Busker Festival, the Ottawa Folk Festival, and the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival but we’ve added a few new ones to our round up this year.

We’re particularly excited about the third annual South Asian Festival coming up on July 16. Centrally located in Confederation Park (free admission), this one-day event will feature non-stop entertainment with classical, bhangra and Bollywood dance performances, fabulous South Asian cuisine, displays and sales of traditional artifacts, jewellery, glass bangles, silk and more, plus henna artists, laughter yoga—yes, laughter yoga—and face painting. There will even be a Kids’ Zone. If you can’t get to India with your kids, this may be the next best thing.