Vanier Sugar Festival continues to April 2
The Vanier Sugar Festival is back in-person this year, returning today and continuing until April 2, at Richelieu Park.
It’s a gourmet, cultural event that brings together people of all ages and backgrounds for various activities: sugar shack breakfast, musical performances from local artists, petting farm, lumberjack competition, inflatable structures, space dedicated to First Nations and many other surprises, not to mention good maple taffy!
A long-awaited in-person return
“We are delighted to finally be able to present a Sugar Festival in person to visitors from the Vanier neighbourhood, but also from the greater Ottawa area,” explains Vanier Museopark Executive Director Madeleine Meilleur.
The last few years have not been favourable for the Sugar Festival. In fact, as readers may recall, the Vanier Sugar Shack went up in flames back in August 2020.
Between the loss of the sugar shack and the pandemic, it has been three years since the festival was held in person. This year will mark the return of the traditions and festivities the visitors know and love! The reconstructed and newly opened Vanier Sugar Shack is only a few stages away from its inauguration.
Varied cultural programming
For this in-person return, the Museopark wishes to exceed the expectations of festivalgoers.
“This year’s program will have new features which are the result of new partnerships with the community,” explains Madeleine. “For instance, we are particularly proud of our collaboration with the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC) for the musical programming of the festival, and we are convinced that the visitors will be delighted to discover local artists.”
2023 Sugar Festival program
Monday, March 27, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.: 16th Annual Soup(e) Splash, a friendly culinary competition where Ottawa restaurants compete to create the best maple syrup-based soup. Kiwanis Hall, Richelieu-Vanier Centre, 300 des Pères-Blancs Ave.
Tickets will go on sale on the Museopark’s website on February 27, 2023.
Wednesday, March 29 and Thursday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.: School Days. Schools in the greater Ottawa area are invited to experience and learn the traditions around the sugar season through a series of fun activities and original musical performances.
NEW – Friday, March 31, 5 p.m.: Dinner & Dance to the sounds of traditional music! Accompany your meal with an evening of dancing where traditional musicians, Louis Racine and his band, will perform.Centre Pauline-Charron, 164 Jeanne-Mance Street.
Tickets will be on sale soon at the Centre Pauline-Charron online box office.
Saturday, April 1 (9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, April 2 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.): Family Days. All weekend long, come celebrate the sugar season and enjoy the traditions of artisanal maple syrup production at its best! Activities for everyone with great sugar shack meals for the foodies! Richelieu Park and Vanier Sugar Shack, 300 and 320 des Pères-Blancs Ave.
Sunday, April 2 (9 a.m. to 11 a.m.): 5 km race. Stéphanie Plante, the city Councillor for Vanier-Rideau, invites people from her ward to run or walk through the streets of Vanier. Registration details to be provided soon.
If you are interested in volunteering for the festival, please email us at benevoles@museoparc.ca. We are looking for 100 volunteers to help with numerous tasks during the seven days of the festival.
For details about the festival, visit our website. We hope to see many of you at the 38th edition of the Vanier Sugar Festival!
This article was written by Annick Normand, the Vanier Museoparc’s communications and marketing manager.