The festival runs over 10 days each May at Commissioners Park by Dow's Lake. The 2027 dates are not announced yet. Here is what we know, where the beds are, and how to get there without a car.
When is the Canadian Tulip Festival 2027?
The 2027 dates are not announced yet. Ottawa Tourism lists the festival as "Spring 2027, dates to be announced" and says it runs over 10 days each May. The main beds are at Commissioners Park by Dow's Lake, and the NCC says close to one million blooms open across Ottawa and Gatineau.
For a guide to timing, the 2026 edition ran May 8 to 18, and the 2025 edition ran May 9 to 19. On its home page the festival says it hopes to "return to the skies" for its Diamond Jubilee in 2027. There was no fireworks or drone show on the 2026 Victoria Day weekend.
There is no official peak bloom date. The NCC says the tulips bloom from late April and into May, and that its displays last about four weeks. A warm or cold spring can move that window, so check the festival site before you plan a day around it.
Where to see tulips in Ottawa and Gatineau
Commissioners Park, at Preston Street and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, is the centre of the festival. The NCC counts 30 beds there, including the Queen Juliana Gift Bed and a test bed for new varieties (Canada.ca says 26 beds). The park covers 8.95 hectares, with paved paths and benches. Summer washrooms are at the Dow's Lake Pavilion.
Tulip counts differ by source. The festival says 300,000 blooms in the park and Ottawa Tourism says over 300,000. Canada.ca says more than a quarter of a million. The "million" figure is for all sites in the capital, not the park alone. The NCC plants 100 varieties in 120 beds at 30 sites.
Other NCC sites are the Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Rideau Canal Western Pathway, Major's Hill Park with its "tulips of thanks" bed, the Confederation Boulevard planters and the National War Memorial. In Gatineau, look near the Alexandra Bridge, in Jacques-Cartier Park and at the Canadian Museum of History. Canada.ca adds Malak's Bed behind the museum and Montcalm-Taché Park in Gatineau, and the Garden of the Provinces and Territories in Ottawa. In our parks list, Major's Hill Park ranks #1 of 537 (4.8 from 3,011 reviews) and Commissioners Park ranks #33 (4.6 from 2,941).
Is the Tulip Festival free? Tickets and events
Entry is free. The festival calls itself the world's largest free public tulip festival, and Ottawa Tourism says access to the site and select programming is free. 2027 prices are not announced. In 2026, three extras cost $5.00 each: the CIBC Tulip Trek scavenger hunt, the Tulip Trail through tulip history, and the Tulip Taxi hop-on golf carts with three stops across about 1.2 km of blooms. Trek and Trail hours were 10 am to 8 pm Friday to Sunday and 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Thursday.
Free 2026 programming included the Tulip Legacy self-guided tour with 7 QR-code stops, the town criers competition, Karaoké Radio-Canada and the Korean Pavilion. There was also a Flower Fun Run, the Tulip Market, a Dutch Pavilion and a play zone. Ottawa Tourism lists the festival phone numbers as 613-567-5757 and 1-800-668-8547, a maximum group size of 50, and coach parking within two blocks.
Parking and getting there
Transit is the simplest route. Dow's Lake Station on O-Train Line 2 is on the north side of Carling Avenue, and Route 85 stops at Carling and Booth. Ottawa Tourism also lists electric canal boats between the Westin dock and Dow's Lake, the Gray Line hop-on bus and downtown bike rentals. Bike racks are spread through the park.
In 2026, festival parking was at Carleton University, the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, 855 Champagne Ave and 371 Beech St. No source lists lot prices. Temporary accessible parking was on the east side of Dows Lake Rd, and rideshare drop-off was at the Dows Lake Roundabout. Ottawa Tourism says the site is mostly flat and a limited number of wheelchairs can be rented.
The Queen Elizabeth Driveway closed between Preston St and Torrington Pl on four 2026 dates: May 9 (9 am to 6 pm), May 10 and May 16 (10 am to 6 pm), and May 17 (10 am to 11 pm). Expect similar closures in 2027, and check the festival travel page once dates are out.
Where to eat near the tulips
Preston Street and Rochester Street are a short walk from the beds. By our restaurant ranking (1,171 places, Google Maps data pulled 2026-10-29), the top picks nearby are Ayla's Social Kitchen, 338 Preston (#8, 4.9 from 796 reviews), Torta Boyz, 354A Preston (#36, 4.8 from 1,068), Farinella Rochester, 492 Rochester (#99, 4.7 from 1,201), and Perch, 300 Preston (#129, 4.8 from 304). Karahi Boys, Hong's Kitchen and K, Let's Eat are also on Preston.
For coffee, Café Raphaël at 101 Champagne Ave S is #1 of 135 in our coffee list (4.9 from 1,577), and eXpresso Cafe at 439 Preston is #8. For brunch, Meadows Diner at 455 Preston is #36 of 61. For something cold, Farinella Snack Bar at 344 Preston is an ice cream shop, #13 of 27. Ranks come from a published formula on ratings and review counts, refreshed every 90 days.
History: the Dutch gift
Princess Margriet of the Netherlands was born in Ottawa in 1943, at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, where part of the hospital was declared Dutch soil. After the royal family went home in 1945, Princess Juliana sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to thank Ottawa and Canadians. Canada.ca says the Dutch Royal Family and the people of the Netherlands each still send 10,000 bulbs every year.
The first festival was in 1953, led by the Ottawa Board of Trade, and Malak Karsh is considered its founder. The tulip became Ottawa's official flower in 2001. Recent themes honoured the Royal Canadian Navy (2023), the RCAF centennial (2024) and 80 years since the Canadian Army liberated the Netherlands (2025, the 73rd festival).
Questions and answers
Where is the Canadian Tulip Festival?
At Commissioners Park by Dow's Lake, at Preston Street and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway in Ottawa. The NCC also plants tulips at 30 sites in Ottawa and Gatineau.
When can I see tulips in Ottawa?
The NCC says from late April and into May. The festival itself runs over 10 days in May; the 2027 dates are not announced yet.
Is the Tulip Festival free?
Yes. Entry and select programming are free. In 2026, the Tulip Trek, Tulip Trail and Tulip Taxi cost $5.00 each.
How do I get to the Tulip Festival without a car?
Take O-Train Line 2 to Dow's Lake Station or Route 85 to Carling and Booth. Bike racks are spread through the park.
When does the Tulip Festival end?
The 2026 edition ended May 18, on Victoria Day. The 2027 end date will come with the official announcement.
Sources
- Canadian Tulip Festival (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- Canadian Tulip Festival official site. Checked .
- Tulip Festival travel and parking. Checked .
- Tulip Trek. Checked .
- Tulip Trail. Checked .
- Tulip Taxi. Checked .
- Tulip Legacy self-guided walking tour. Checked .
- Tulips in the capital (NCC). Checked .
- Commissioners Park (NCC). Checked .
- Six things you didn't know about tulips in Ottawa-Gatineau (NCC). Checked .
- Tulips in the capital (Canadian Heritage). Checked .
- Tulip Festival honours the liberation of the Netherlands (Canadian Army). Checked .
- Canadian Tulip Festival 2025 (Governor General). Checked .
- Deep historical roots of the Canadian Tulip Festival (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- Tulip Festival parking tips and car-free options (Ottawa Tourism). Checked .
- fromOttawa place data, lists pulled 2026-10-29. Checked .