Photo courtesy Britt Novakowski.
by Britt Novakowski, Turkish expert extraordinaire
Ottawa’s annual celebration of the many wonders of Turkey takes place this weekend – and no, it has nothing to do with the bird. Rather, the Ottawa Turkish Festival will turn Confederation Park into a Grand Bazaar of Turkish culture, complete with traditional music, dance and food. Mmmm, baklava.
But don’t stop there! Baklava is just the beginning. Swap your morning Starbucks for a strongly brewed, tooth-rottingly sweet Turkish coffee and you’ll be buzzing for the rest of the day. Make sure to round off breakfast by grabbing a few simit – large bagely-type-things the size of your face, covered in sesame seeds and guaranteed to kill a low-carb diet in a single bite – and then go dance it off!
The festival features a line-up of dancers, traditional music and Whirling Dervishes all day Saturday and Sunday. What’s a Whirling Dervish? If you’re curious, google it. Or - even better - go find out for yourself!
All events are free and the food is AWESOME. Visit the festival website for the complete event schedule and for more information on what to expect.
Hope there’s burek. Mmmmmmm, burek.
“and no, it has nothing to do with the bird”
come on, really?