OTTAWA, March 4, 2025 – The Vanier Museopark is excited to announce that the 40th edition of the Sugar Festival will take place from March 24 to 30, 2025, at Richelieu Park (300 des Pères-Blancs Ave.) in Ottawa. This flagship event of the Museopark’s programming, which attracts thousands of visitors each year, proudly celebrates the traditions of maple season and highlights the traditional maple syrup production at the only urban sugar shack in Canada. The 40th Vanier Sugar Festival is presented by Desjardins Ontario Credit Union.
An Historic Edition
It was in March 1985 that Gisèle Lalonde, Mayor of Vanier, inaugurated the first Sugar Festival in the neighbourhood. “This is a special year for us,” says Madeleine Meilleur, Executive Director of the Vanier Museopark. “We are honoured to carry on this tradition that has brought the community together for four decades. The Sugar Festival is part of the soul of Vanier, and I have cherished memories of it. I remember the horse-drawn carriage rides, the children’s laughter, and the warm interactions with volunteers and festival-goers. When I was a city councillor, I loved meeting people, exchanging with them, and feeling that unique energy that makes the Festival such a special moment for our community. This 40th edition promises once again to rekindle these beautiful memories and create new ones!”
A Festive, Delicious, and Musical Program for All
Although there won’t be horse-drawn carriage rides at the Festival this year, the Museopark is still organizing a major event for this anniversary edition, with sweet discoveries. Here is an overview of the main activities:
Monday, March 24, 2025: The 18th edition of Soup(e) Splash, a gastronomic fundraising event for the Festival, where 6 restaurants from Vanier and Ottawa compete to create the best soup, which must include maple syrup.
Wednesday, March 26 and Thursday, March 27, 2025: School Days, where more than 1,200 children will explore the world of maple syrup through a series of interactive stations and an original, never-before-seen musical performance, created for the Festival (SOLD OUT).
Friday, March 28, 2025: Country Night at the Centre Pauline-Charron. A dinner & show featuring Martin Duford and Sugar Crush, presented by Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est (CECCE)
Saturday, March 29 and Sunday, March 30, 2025: Family and Community Days featuring a wide range of free activities for all ages:
Sunday, March 30, 2025 only:
NEW:
A Vibrant… and Free! Musical Stage
For a third consecutive year, the Vanier Museopark has entrusted the musical programming of the Festival to the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition (OMIC). “We are proud to once again partner with the Vanier Museopark to celebrate the musical richness of our region on the occasion of the 40th edition of the Sugar Festival,” says Mélanie Brûlé, OMIC’s Executive Director. “This Festival is an exceptional showcase for local talent and an invitation to explore music in all its forms. We are excited to offer festival-goers a diverse lineup that reflects the vitality and creativity of our local music scene!”
Expect an outstanding program that will get everyone dancing, with performances from Qattuu and Mimi O’Bonsawin, Kristine St-Pierre and Paul Weber as well as Hey, Wow, among others. The full lineup will be revealed on the Vanier Museopark’s social media in the coming weeks.
Support the Festival’s Free Admission
Once again this year, it is possible to purchase a toque featuring the Sugar Shack Festival logo. This is one of two fundraising campaigns organized by Muséoparc Vanier to help continue offering this free community event for everyone. Festival-goers can show their love for the Festival by purchasing their toque, with or without a pompom, for $40 (taxes included) by visiting the Vanier Museopark’s website.
Those who are able are also invited to make a donation to the Vanier Museopark to help keep the Festival free of charge.
The Vanier Museopark would like to acknowledge that the organization of the 2025 Sugar Festival is made possible thanks to the generous financial contributions of its funders, partners, and sponsors, including the Government of Canada, the City of Ottawa, the Government of Ontario, Desjardins Ontario Credit Union, Bilingual Ottawa (via ACFO), the Ontario Arts Council, Riverstone Retirement Communities, the Ottawa Music Industry Coalition, Pébéo, and Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est.
Join us for this anniversary edition
Come celebrate – and indulge your sweet side – with us from March 24 to 30, 2025, at the 40th Sugar Festival, presented by Desjardins Ontario Credit Union!
About the Vanier Museopark
The Vanier Museopark is a non-profit organization in the heart of Vanier, a working-class neighbourhood near downtown Ottawa, which celebrates the community’s rich heritage and history. Through exhibitions, talks, workshops, school programs, and interpretive tours, the Vanier Museopark helps curious people of all ages and cultures discover and learn about the habits and customs of the local Francophone community. The Vanier Museopark is Ottawa’s only French-language museum and one of the few Canadian museums devoted entirely to the Francophone community outside Quebec. The Museopark operates an authentic sugar shack in the heart of an urban maple forest, the only one of its kind in Canada. It also hosts the Sugar Festival, an annual event that promotes maple syrup culture, showcases Franco-Ontarian and Indigenous artists, and is a hugely popular family activity. Proud of its roots, the Vanier Museopark has been a fixture of the community since it was founded in 2004. www.museoparc.ca
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For additional information, visuals, or to schedule an interview, please contact:
Annick Normand
Communications and Marketing Manager, Vanier Museopark
communication@museoparc.ca