Final weekend of the Canadian Tulip Festival draws thousands of visitors

It's been at least three years since Jeslyn Gigi and Minimol Kokkattu snapped a photo next to the tulips in full bloom at Commissioners Park in Ottawa.

“We want to enjoy the beauty of nature, especially Ottawa. It's the capital of Canada,” said Kokkatu.

Both joined thousands of visitors coming from near and far for the final day of the Canadian Tulip Festival.

The tulips have been a tradition in Ottawa since the end of the Second World War. The National Capital Commission plants more than one million bulbs every year, creating the largest public tulip display in the world.

"Our founder said when the tulips came up after the war, they brought colour back to a grey world and especially after a couple of really hard years here in Ottawa I think that's what we see here. We're bringing colour back to the city," said executive director Jo Riding.

She say this year's festival saw around half a million visitors.

“That is busier than Winterlude, that's just as busy as Bluesfest, so we're super proud," said Riding.

All of those people visiting over the course of 11 days also helped drum up business for restaurants nearby.

The owner of Pub Italia says they chose to open early on Victoria Day to accommodate the crowds.

"We're usually closed… but we opened for the festival," said Joe Cotroneo. "It's bumper to bumper cars and the people are bumper to bumper."

While parking was hard to find, those who did make it to the heart of the festival revelled in its beauty. The late season tulips are still in full bloom.