Buskerfest brings spark to Ottawa’s Sparks Street this weekend

It’s theater of the sidewalk. The 25^th Annual Ottawa Buskerfest is on until Monday, August 1. For the unfamiliar, a busker is a performer, musician, or artist who performs in a place like a street or square for donations. In Ottawa, the place is Sparks Street, the downtown pedestrian mall a block south of Parliament Hill. I decided to check out Buskerfest this past Thursday when things were getting started. It was lunch hour, so lots of people had left their offices to enjoy some fresh air and entertainment. Tourists were enjoying it too.

16 different performers were on the official schedule for this year’s Buskerfest, but a few others always show up, too. I was there when Spring Action, a trampoline act, and Banjo Circus/The Popeye and Olive Show were on.  There were a few other unadvertised features that were amusing, too. Other acts taking place throughout the event include contortionists, fire juggling, magic shows, and acrobats. Performances continue into the evenings. Normally busy during weekdays, Sparks Street generally gets quiet at night. That isn’t the case during Buskerfest. It adds spark to Sparks.

 

 

Tags: buskers, Canada. events, ottawa