Some of Ottawa’s Sparks Street festivals certainly stimulate the senses – Rib Fest goes after your taste buds, while this weekend’s Buskerfest showcases plenty of sights to behold.
The 21st annual festival, which began Thursday, features locals as well as performers from as far away as Australia and England.
"Bendy Em is an amazing contortionist, there’s a bike boy from Australia as well,” said performer Jon Lockhart. “It's just amazing to see these people come from across the globe to perform on the streets of Ottawa."
"This is actually my third time coming to Ottawa, I like the small town feel and the whole love-and-respect thing here,” said New York City’s Peter Rabbit.
“It's a real cool city, plus it's a great place to take pictures and do tourist stuff that I don't do at home."
Fans could also take pictures of acts that throw fire, do whip tricks and fit themselves into tiny glass boxes.
"They have so many cool tricks, I have never experienced something this cool before," said Karem Hamzeh. "I've seen bouncy castles, slides, very impressive shows so far; I'm enjoying myself.”
"I come from a smaller town and we don't have anything like this in the streets,” said Jessica Bourgeois. “It really brings a lot of people out and it brings the community together and it seems really nice."
The festival is in a familiar setting for many, including the Hopkinson family who have made the trip from Cornwall all 21 years.
"I love it, different entertainers and they have excellent talent," said Pierrette Hopkinson.
“You take the city for granted and you miss all these things when you move away. so that’s why we came back," said Renee Lavigne.
Buskerfest runs through Monday.
With a report from CTV Ottawa’s Katie Griffin
