It’s Ottawa’s 200th birthday and the city is celebrating with a big block party along with festivities all across the nation’s capital. Arts, culture, the city’s history and local businesses are all front and centre across the downtown core to mark the bicentennial. Robert Butler is one of those joining the festivities in front of Ottawa City Hall with his daughter and their friends. “What I really was excited about was all the kids’ stuff that’s down here,” he said. “We’ve got some paint. We’re checking out the blocks over here.” He says they had made plans to be out of town this weekend, but when he learned about the free festival, he quickly changed gears to check it out. “Got some food, and we’re going to be traveling on the bus system that I hear is free today,” he said. “We’re going to go hop around Ottawa and see what’s going on and maybe come back.” All the food and drink venders are also local businesses. Josh McJannett, co-founder of Dominion City, says the company created a special edition Ottawa 200 seltzer to mark the bicentennial. He says it’s a chance to highlight what Ottawa has to offer. “There’s so many people building things and starting things here,” he said. “I really give credit to the city to have gone out of their way to find so many really compelling, cool local brands and businesses to bring in for an occasion like this.” More events are expected into the evening, including a performance from local singer-songwriter Jamie Fine at 8:15 p.m. Nuit Blanche tonight There are events happening across the city. In the ByWard Market, the countdown is on to Nuit Blanche. It will fill downtown with activations of sound and light shows and performances all night, running from 7 p.m. until 7 a.m. Sunday. In the early afternoon, Cubo is giving spectators a small peak at what’s to come later tonight during an afternoon rehearsal that takes them high in the sky. Jose Bertrand, executive producer of Nuit Blanche, says there will be several events in various spots downtown – including Confederation Park and the National Arts Centre. “It’s the yellow brick road,” he says of the various things people will be able to see. “Everything is open. You’re going around, the city is illuminated.” Transit is free all weekend along with other festivities to celebrate the milestone birthday.
