The Winterlude: A Major Winter Festival In Ottawa And Gatineau.

If you love snow, winter activities, and ice sculptures, head to Canada! Every year in February, a major winter festival called Winterlude takes place for three weeks in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

A very chilly festival

The Winterlude is the essential event of February in the Ottawa and Gatineau region in Canada.

This Canadian festival has been organized for over 30 years. It was founded in 1978 to celebrate winter through various fun activities.

This event attracts nearly 600,000 participants each year, who come to enjoy generally free activities.

Winter activities

Winterlude offers three weeks of entertainment and activities for all ages.

The festival's highlights include:
- Ice sculptures displayed at Confederation Park in downtown Ottawa: these ephemeral wonders are the creations of sculptors from around the world, who compete in talent during national and international competitions. At night, colored lights reveal the beauty of these sculptures.
- Rideau Canal Skateway: when temperatures drop, the historic Rideau Canal in the heart of Ottawa becomes the world's largest natural ice rink! Lace up your skates to enjoy this 7.8-kilometer-long rink!
- Snowflake Kingdom, located in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau: this domain is the continent's largest snow playground and hosts a multitude of activities inspired by Canadian winter and northern traditions (sliding, climbing, dog or horse sleigh rides, dancing, shows, etc.).

Note: most of Winterlude's activities take place on weekends. The schedule includes skating lessons, hockey tournament, winter triathlon, and children's entertainment. However, the sculptures, the skateway, and the Snowflake Kingdom are accessible throughout the week.

Food lovers can also enjoy culinary events in some of the capital's restaurants: food and wine pairings, chef demonstrations, and winter feasts.
For a complete list of activities, please refer to the official Winterlude website (link below).

Practical information

The next Winterlude will take place from February 2 to 19, 2024, in the vicinity of Canada's capital.

The main events will be held in Ottawa (at Confederation Park and the Rideau Canal) and in Gatineau (at Jacques-Cartier Park).

However, during the festival, hundreds of activities are offered by partners elsewhere in the capital region.

You can find the detailed festival program on the official website below.