Village Squire, 1976-04, Page 26SPRING FESTIVALS
All across Ontario
people are celebrating
spring
SII o%er Canada the arrnal of spring is welcomed each year
%%ith testi%als celebrating the reawakening of nature, and a
resurgence of %italit%.
Four of the most popular are the Blossom Festival at Niagara
Falls Ontario. ,Mary 7-18; the Ottawa Spring Festival, May 16-24;
the Guelph (Ontario) Spring Festival, April 23 -May 9; and the
Creston Blossom Festival in British Columbia, May 21-24.
The Niagara Blossom Festival takes place in the fruit belt of
southern Ontario. Besides orchards in bloom it features a parade,
folk dancing. sports competitions, handicraft exhibitions and
sailing.
Multi -cultural dancing and singing groups will present an
opening show on May 7 entitled Ethnic Heritage.
During the parade next day, Miss Niagara Hospitality, Miss
Canada. Miss USA, and Miss Universe will salute the crowd from
a special float. Dignitaries, parliamentarians and mayors of
neighbouring communities will be on hand for the event.
Contestants for Miss Niagara Hospitality will take part in a
multi -cultural fashion show Sunday, May 9. A cooking
competition, an animal show, boys' and girls' soccer tournament,
lacrosse game and grand dance at the Park Motor Hotel on May
15 sill round out the program.
The origin of Ottawa's Festival of Spring (formerly the
Canadian Tulip Festival) goes back to September, 1946, when
Queen Juliana of The Netherlands sent a gift of 20,000 tulip
bulbs to Canada as a special thank -you from the Dutch people for
the role played by Canadian troops in the liberation of Holland
during the Second World War. The following year, another gift of
tulips came, and so on year after year -- until today over two
million tulips of Dutch origin bloom in the Ottawa spring.
Queen Juliana, who had spent the war years in Canada during
The Netherlands occupation, also arranged for a personal annual
presentation of bulbs to celebrate the birth there of her daughter,
Princess Margriet in 1943.
The tulips this year, as always, will be the main attraction at
the Festival of Spring. There are more that 150,000 of them in a
single bed at Dow's Lake at the south end of th4 Rideau Canal.
The% also bedeck Parliament Hill, miles of scenic driveways, city
c'cle paths, the Rideau Canal, parks and squares and major
public buildings.
Hull and other communities in the National Capital Region will
also participate in the Festival.
E'ents include: a procession of decorated boats on the Rideau
Canal; a bathtub race on Dow's Lake, a giant craft market and
beer -garden in Major's Hill Park and displays of fireworks.
The Guelph Spring Festival is essentially a musical event. This
..ear the Festival is concentrating on Canadian artistic talent,
h;ghlighted by a few outstanding international contributions.
The Canadian talent will bt•employed in works including the
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Cantata Singers of
rr.!a+.a. a three -performance run of Benjamin Britten's The
Beggar's Opera and the Canadian Mime Theatre from
• agara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
For children, there will be Magic Tom, and for the swing and
,azz . V. . Koffman and his quintet. The Orford String Quartet
both in concert and in a special ensemble.
P-:-r.l:,a1 attractions from outside Canada include the Italian
t,•,••g orrF stra I Musici di Roma; Polish composer and
Nrzvsztof Penderecki and Greek pianist Gina
r,"-Y./r1 Blossom Festival, like the one in Niagara, features
it full bloom The town's population annually doubles
',din the residents of this southeastern British
':.. ., cr,rr.rnunit, for a round of festivities that includes a
...•ar:r r ueen contrast, folk dancing, a Bavarian beer
8%';r•' �•:,.a. ,.it) ridr.s and sideshows.
?.4, VILLA(.E SOIARE/APRIL 1976
ON THE LEISURE SCENE
ALL REGULAR
BOYS SIZES AND
SIZE 7
Come, look over our
"get with it"
assortment of
on -the -go
styles to really
round out a man's
or boy's Easter
outfitting. Everything
for dress, sport or
play.
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ALL THE -
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WINGHAM, ONTARIO. •
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HANNA'S MEN'S & BOYS'
WEAR
357-1865