A parents guide to surviving Westfest

by Andrea June 10, 11, 12 are tripled-circled in our calendar. We are BOOKED, and have been for weeks. We are officially ready for Westfest Weekend.

Like many of my Westboro-area neighbours, my family and I are proud of Westfest. Westfest is, at it’s heart, a giant street party. Some would argue that it’s the kind of street party that’s experienced a few forgivable growing pains in past years, but that’s to be expected from an undertaking of this size.

Today our collective chests puff out a little when talk comes around to this little festival that grew. It draws massive crowds, great musical acts, and best of all, it’s a great family-friendly event that’s totally free.

Every year my daughters (who are now 10 and 12) marvel at the fact that Westfest takes place at the end of our street. We live so close that we end up paying multiple visits over the entire weekend. Westfest weekend is the one time of year we get to visit and chat with almost all of our friends and neighbours. (Of course it goes without saying that my kids hate this part, because it holds them up from The Fun Stuff.)

Westfest has become a summertime tradition in our family, and since we’ve been doing Westfest since the very beginning I think I’m qualified to give some advice on how to survive with kids in tow.

If you live close enough to Westfest you must consider walking. If you live outside a comfortable walking distance, please be aware that street parking is extremely limited. Get comfortable with the idea that you will have to leave your car far from the action.

Wear your best walking shoes and haul out that umbrella stroller, because it’s a bit of hike if you plan on taking everything in. Westfest covers 14 blocks, nearly a one kilometre chunk of Richmond Road, which can feel very long if your feet hurt.

Taking your bike is another option. Save yourself some aggravation and lock it up in the secure area on Tweedsmuir Avenue at Richmond.

Check the weather before you leave the house, and if you’re planning on spending some time there, prepare for any weather-related eventuality. We’ve been going to Westfest every year since it began and have experienced it all: days so cold you crave cups of coffee just so you can warm up your hands, and days so hot we’ve come close to fainting from heat stroke. And on that note…

Bring water and sunscreen, and make a food plan. If it’s a nice day it is guaranteed that restaurants will be packed. Many of them extend out to the street and serve a pared down menu in order to take pressure off the kitchen staff. The Works, for example, only serves two or three kinds of burgers during Westfest. If you don’t have a plan and find yourself walking from restaurant to restaurant long after lunchtime you will soon come to regret it, especially if there are kids involved. One year we just plain gave up on finding room on a patio and so we ordered takeout pizza from Newport and ate it by the side of the street.         And last but not least, tie balloons securely around little wrists!

Daytime at Westfest is for the families to enjoy what they call the “On The Street” stuff. There is a lot for kids to see and do. In past years we’ve seen many cool street performers, enjoyed various inflatable bouncy things, and taken advantage of some great facepainting artists too.

But in my view, Westfest is truly about the music. Check out the lineup here first, and then book a sitter. The Domicile main stage has moved to a new location and is now situated along the grassy strip behind the Real Canadian Superstore. (Here’s a map.) The main stage will open at 5 pm and the entire audience area at this year’s Domicile main stage will be fully licensed. (!)

Our family is really looking forward to a bigger and better Westfest this year. If you see us, please stop and say hello!

Andrea Tomkins is mother of two imps and wife of one. She on the board of directors of the Westboro Community Association and keeps a personal blog called a peek inside the fishbowl.

Win four tickets to see The Little Prince

The giveaway is now closed! Congratulations to our winner Barbara! Live theater is a great way to engage a child and capture their imagination. We have four tickets to give away to the Once Upon A Kingdom's English production of The Little Prince that starts this Thursday!

To be eligible to win the four tickets to the show of your choice (show times are here) leave a comment letting us know why your kid(s) would love to see this show! Please note that the production is for children ages 6 and up.

The giveaway closes June 8th at 6pm. Good luck!

Children's Festival

by Barbara

The 26th edition of the Ottawa International Children's Festival got underway on Thursday and the next few days promise a great deal of fun and learning for those lucky children (and their grownups) who make the trip to Lebreton Flats.

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Ken, Reid and I attended the Children's Festival last year and there are many reasons that we've bought tickets for several performances this year as well. The core of the festival is, not surprisingly, the performances. Last year we saw a play, clowning and drumming. This year, there are plays, dance and clowning.

The Children's Festival program provides good information on choosing an age-appropriate show that will interest your child. One performance is identified as suitable for 1-5 year old children and others bear the “all ages” tag, while one is identified as suitable for children over 8 and others are recommended for other age groups. Some are in English and French or other languages but many are non-verbal. Reid had a bit of trouble understanding why there were no words in the first non-verbal play but once she stopped listening for the words, she was able to easily follow the eloquently-told story. The organizers say that they:

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• strive to present work that excites and challenges audiences of all ages, and the festival prides itself on developing and producing award winning programming that comes to us from across Canada and around the world.

Based on the performances that we attended, I have to say that they do this and more.

There is more to the Children's Festival than the paid-admission performances, however. Admission to the grounds is free and arange of activities – such as entertainment by A Company of Fools, Children's Forests of the Future art installation and activity, and the Family Games Pavillion – would warrant a visit. Also, for a very reasonable fee of $5, your child can be transformed into a walking work of art by Kromatik, through face paint and hair decorations. The process is quick and impressive and you'll be at least as sad to wash your little one's face at bedtime as they will be. If you're like me, you might even be a bit jealous that you're not having your face decorated as well.

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The first performances start at 9:30 am and the last ones start at 7:00 pm. Single tickets for the performances are available at a cost of $11.50 per person (except for Barbieri and ZooZoo which are $13.60) and a three-show pack is available for $29.00 per person.

Barbara is mom to Reid, a girl who is 6 and ¾ (and takes the fractions seriously). A public servant by day she nurtures her love of writing through social media. She blogs at Tales of Life with a Girl on the Goand Losing it in Ottawa and offers shorter thoughts as @OttMomGo.

Nature within City Bounds: Andrew Haydon Park

by Natasha Spending a day at the park with my family seems like the best use of a nice and sunny summer day. My favourite park has always been the Andrew Haydon Park, located in Ottawa’s west end. It sits along the river and is neighboured by a marina, so you see ducks coming in from one end, and sail boats moving in the back.

For the avid park-goer, this park has all the amenities you need to take advantage of fantastic scenery, walking trails and bike paths right inside the city itself. The park, with its mini islands and bridges, is large enough to house the ever increasing crowds that dwell in the city.

If you’re after a small picnic, the tables scattered all along the park give you ample room to lay out a spread and enjoy a bite outside. The park also has barbecue pits if you prefer to cook your meal on site. If you do bring your own BBQ pits though, make sure you obtain a permit from the City of Ottawa, otherwise there’s a hefty fine for those that don’t obtain the necessary approvals.

Andrew Haydon park has several play structures that have sand brought in straight from the beach. My son absolutely loves spending time in the sand boxes with his toys and horsing around on the swinging structures designed for child use. A large and intricate play structure is also located on site to keep children a little older busy and active.

The park, due to its proximity to the beach, also has room to accommodate the sun worshipers that lay by the trees for a tan with a book in their hand. And don’t worry if you need to change your clothes or clean up your little ruffians, there are washroom facilities with changing stations open to the public at any time.

If you can’t walk or bike to the park, drive down and enjoy the spacious parking over several lots provided across the length of the park. A word of caution though: the best spots and picnic tables tend to get occupied rather quickly on nice days, plan an early trip to the park to enjoy most of its amenities.

If this beautiful weather holds throughout the summer, you can be sure to find me and the family picnicking at this park.

Andrew Haydon Park 3169 Carling Ave Ottawa, Ontario

Natasha is a new mommy to her first born, Baby H. She runs ShopHaven, a blog that reviews products and profiles local businesses and individuals from the Ottawa area. Natasha is also the creative force behind ShopHaven Baskets; a highly customized gift baskets service.

Art in the Park / the New Art Festival

by Shawna This coming weekend is one of my favourite events of the year: Art in the Park / the New Art Festival in the Glebe.  This year, for the first time, I’m going to be one of the artists, but in years past I’ve brought my kids down to visit friends who were participating.  In fact, the very first weekend of Harris’s life, two days after coming home from the hospital, I gingerly made my way across the grass to settle into a lawn chair for a chat at Marida’s booth to show off my new baby. 

There are always things for kids of all ages at this show: in addition to the art to look at, which is colourful and diverse, we have watched puppet theatre shows, nibbled on locally-produced food, and fed the fish in Patterson’s Creek.  That being said, you’ll have to keep a few things in mind if you’re bringing small kids:

• Kids have shorter attention spans so, unless you’re very lucky, you won’t be able to just linger where and when you’d like to and absorb the art or engage the artists in a lot of conversation.  It’s not unusual for me to go twice – once with my kids and once without them.
• You’ll have to be vigilant about enforcing the “look with your eyes, not with your hands” rule unless it’s hands-on art.  In the past there have been fabulous musical metal sculptures that kids are encouraged to interact with, but those booths are the exception rather than the rule.
• It can get hot and crowded so bringing hats and sunblock is a must; snacks and drinks can be bought there but it would be more frugal to bring your own.  If you have a stroller negotiating the crowds might get tricky, but may have that extra toting power to even bring a blanket to spread under a tree in an out-of-the-way spot for a picnic.

I love exposing my kids to art, and this is a very family-friendly, low-key way to do it.  There’s no admission and you don’t have to worry about them making noise like you would at the National Art Gallery.  And now that my daughter Sage is five and a big fan of making art of her own, I think she’ll get even more out of it when her father brings her down to visit my booth.  Feel free to stop on by yourself – the festival is bounded by Bank, Patterson, O’Connor and Glebe, and I’ll be at 23 North Pathway all weekend!

Shawna is mom to 5-year-old Sage and 3-years-old-this-Friday Harris. She has been writing online since 2003, and her latest project is her photography business. Her son hasn't missed a Glebe Art In The Park in his entire life.