The tulips at Major's Hill and Commissioner's Parks may not be in full bloom just yet, but the 59th annual Canadian Tulip Festival opened Friday night all the same.
The first big event was the 2011 Tulip Ball at the Ottawa Convention Centre Friday night, with the Whimsical Tea Party Saturday at 11 a.m. at Major's Hill as the official opening.
There will be a parade to start it off, along with a screening of Alice in Wonderland at 1:30 p.m.
A Mother's Day Tea happens Sunday at 11 a.m., with choirs and floral arrangement demonstrations, and India Day will be celebrated May 14 with yoga, film screenings and travel information. That day goes along with 2011 being the Year of India in Canada.
Events running all festival include the Lego Community Garden at Major's Hill Park, with Canadian Lego craftsman Robin Sather building tulip bouquets and a giant flower garden May 6 to 8. That display is closed May 9 and May 16.
There will also be local artists displaying their work at both sites.
The Tulip Festival has 20,000 tulips sent each year by the Netherlands as a thank-you for the safe haven Canada provided for their royal family during the Second World War.
The National Capital Commission said the tulips should bloom shortly, and the weather should help speed the process – sunny and above 16 degrees Celsius every day until Wednesday, according to Environment Canada.
