There is no better way to get to know a city than through it’s free outdoor street festivals.
I love street festivals. They are usually free events that bring together a diverse population of people into one common area. Small performance areas are set up where local musicians entertain the crowds and best of all the shops along the way set up booths with their items on sale and restaurants create menu offerings great for eating on the street. Can we have a street festival every day please? Well Ottawa seems to have a festival happening almost every week of the summer. I obviously can’t experience every festival but my partners in crime for the day Don & Jen Chow of FoodiePrints take me on a tour of WestFest, a festival in it’s 10th year that celebrates all things Music, Art & Life in Westboro Village.
During my initial 30 Day Adventures you may remember that I stumbled across Greek Days in Vancouver. There was no stumbling upon WestFest. Everyone in Ottawa knew it was happening and it was the definitely the place to be June 6 to 9th.
Off we go adventuring. One of the first things we encountered was a tent dedicated to another upcoming festival called Ottawa Turkish Festival which takes place in July. Showcasing traditional Turkish flatbread making techniques I’m almost tempted to fly back to Ottawa for this festival.
Not far away was the first performance stage with a school band performing to an admiring crowd.
Restaurants along the way built out large patios into the streets so that you could sit and enjoy a pint or two along your journey through WestFest. I saw at least 5 such patios along the street and I even ran into CBC journalist Laurie Fagan who I’d met earlier in my trip while checking out Yoga on Parliament Hill.
All this walking was getting us hungry and the aromas coming from all the food booths was too tempting to resist. We broke down and gobbled up some Churros. They didn’t last very long though.
Churros weren’t enough to quell my rumbling stomach though so we stopped at Gezellig’s booth to enjoy some spicy glazed pork belly and a shaved asparagus salad. I even got an invite to come in for dinner later on during my trip (stay tuned for that post).
There is more to see though so off we go. I think in total WestFest takes up about 4 to 5 blocks of Richmond St and it was packed from one end to the other.
There was even a small contingent of food trucks available for people to enjoy. Ottawa isn’t quite as far along the food truck scene as Vancouver but hopefully with the success of these trucks the choices and opportunities will grow.
One of the original Food trucks, Stone Soup Foodworks, wasn’t to be found on the street but was instead in the Main Stage performance area. I actually got to meet Jacqueline Jolliffe the owner while exploring WestFest. A true foodie I was impressed by her passion and commitment to slow food and what she does. I was only disappointed that I wasn’t able to sample any of her food since they were prepping for the big night of concerts.
I’ve explored the streets from start to finish and back again but there is more and it’s big. For the four nights of WestFest they hold open air concerts with some really great bands. Headlining the opening night concert was non other than Jane Siberry.
I loved my first WestFest experience. I got some sun, enjoyed great food, saw some interesting people and I got to hang out with some new friends Don and Jen Chow who were amazing and so generous making sure I met all the best vendors at the festival. Nothing like VIP treatment to make me feel welcome.
One strange thing did happen during this 30 Days In Ottawa adventure though, I think someone lost a leg 
If you are missing it I’m sure it’s still at lost and found.
And that’s why I love street festivals. You just never know what you are going to see. If you are planning to be in Ottawa during the summer months make sure you check out what’s happening and make the effort to explore one of the festivals. They are worth it.