Celebrate the Sesquicentennial all Summer long with Canada’s 150 Events in Ottawa

The festivities are well underway in the capital, with an unending array of extraordinary events to mark Canada’s 150th birthday. ArtHaus Condos’ central location in the heart of the ByWard Market gives you access to Ottawa’s hottest happenings nearby all year around. This summer’s Canada 150th events will see Ottawa’s streets, parks, and cultural institutions become animated with countless concerts, adventurous art shows and pop-up performances.

ArtHaus Condos has gathered the latest 150th events in the ByWard and surrounding area to make the most of Canada’s birthday, and savour the sesquicentennial celebrations all summer long!

MOSAÏCANADA

Behind the ByWard’s National Gallery of Canada, Jacques-Cartier Park will host the biggest horticultural event in Canada for 107 days with MOSAÏCANADA. This grand horticultural homage to our country will include a 150-themed exhibition of giant plant sculptures celebrating Canadian history, values, culture and art. The exhibit will string along a route extending over almost one kilometre. With some 40 different arrangements, it will take around 90 minutes to make your way through all of the displays. Mosaiculture is a most spectacular horticultural technique that combines different art forms: sculpture for the structure, paint for the palette of colours, and horticulture as the means of creating living and changing artworks with plants. After the Gatineau exhibition ends, individual pieces will be moved to sites in provincial and territorial capitals in 2018, creating an ongoing legacy.

NAC

The National Arts Centre  grand re‑opening will unveil the building’s beautifully constructed new additions, and will offer free activities from a bbq to dance sessions and a NAC orchestra performance Canada Day weekend. Celebrate the country’s sesquicentennial with CANADA SCENE, a massive gathering of Canada’s most exciting artists, from the country’s finest musical acts, orchestras, and live theatre. Buffy Sainte-Marie will be joined by very special guests Randy Bachman & DJ Shub Monday, July 3, 2017, 7:30 pm in one of Canada Scene’s signature events. The musical icon and inspiration to a generation of artists and activists will share and celebrate our Canadian – and very human – stories.  Buffy prods and pokes at familiar stories to find the other side, producing powerful and lyrical songs that weave the human narratives left out of the history books. Take in  live theatre July 13-15 with the musical  Old Stock: a refugee love story is a humorously dark folktale woven together with a high-energy concert. This genre-bending music-theatre hybrid starring klezmer-folk sensation Ben Caplan, one of Canada’s most riveting and compelling performers, is inspired by the true stories of two Jewish Romanian refugees immigrating to Canada in 1908. There’s no doubt that the NAC is one of the prime spots to take in the 150th offerings.

Ottawa’s core site for Ottawa 2017 programming in the ByWard Market continues with its exceptional 150 celebrations. Stop by Inspiration Village on Canada Day to celebrate Canada’s 150th  with special activities and performances for the whole family. Take in a red and white inspired musical rendition by Groovy Little Orchestra who will perform some of the top Canadian songs. Christopher, Josée and Lexie from Mini TFO will also be on-site to entertain little ones with songs, stories and games. For the more adventurous, through July, get ready to soar above Inspiration Village as you learn to manipulate a drone during agility and precision flying courses for all ages, or show them your skills during a friendly competition. Who knows, you might just take on the next Roberta Bondar or Chris Hadfield! Pack a bag and visit Inspiration Village July 7, 14, 21 and 30 for an exciting evening where you could be whisked away to a surprise Canadian Porter destination. Sip on mocktails, listen the beats of a live DJ and join in on games as you wait to find out if you’re the lucky winner. Just bring your suitcase and your smile and they’ll take care of the rest.

Picnic and Dine in the Sky

Food will be a major theme of Canada’s summer 2017 celebrations. A Canadian first, the Interprovincial Picnic on the Bridge will take place on the Alexandra Bridge on July 2, 2017. The iconic steel truss structure spanning the Ottawa River between Ontario and Quebec will be transformed into a grassy haven.The event will feature entertainment, samplings – including fresh baked breads from ACE Bakery – surprise giveaways and one of the most breathtaking views in the country. If you like your food with a side of adrenaline, high-flying foodies can dine 150 feet in the air on the Sky Lounge from July 7 to 22, held aloft by a crane high above City Hall. Cocktail and gourmet dinner options will be served from $150 and $250. Showcasing great Canadian food products, this culinary adventure will be locally sourced, prepared with a dash of subtle creative nuances and flavours. Ad soon as you arrive graze on gourmet appetizers and an aperitif. Then take to the skies, where you will enjoy a selection of the country’s best cheese and exquisite charcuterie, all accompanied by a fine Canadian wine. High in the air, enjoy a three-course gourmet meal, a mouth-watering mixture of local flavours prepared with contemporary flair. Back on solid ground, finish the evening off right with a delicious liqueur.

Be at the centre of the action near ArtHaus Condos  in the heart of Ottawa, as the nation’s 150th birthday is celebrated all summer long.