Top 100 Events in Canada 2013 - Festivals & Parades

#1 Festival & Parade
Calgary
Billed as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the 10-day stampede delights cowpunchers and urbanites alike. Now, after celebrating 100 years with record ­attendance in 2012, the event is looking to the future. The parade marshal for 2013 was forward-looking commander Chris Hadfield, Canada’s rock ’n’ roll space cowboy. And new attractions, such as the 900-foot zip line over the 193-acre grounds and the Bell aqua ranch, ­featuring extreme jet skiers performing stunts day and night, are drawing in the next generation. Bull riding, steer wrestling, and chuck-wagon races will always be at the core of the event, but concerts and galas—where shiny belt buckles and Stetsons abound—also bring huge crowds from all over North America and beyond. Next: July 4-13, 2014

#2 Festival & Parade
Toronto
The usual uproarious 10-day festival will seem tame compared to what’s in store for 2014 when the city hosts WorldPride during the city’s traditional Pride Week period in late June. The city will be the first North American venue for the international celebration; millions of revelers are expected to attend the Pride Parade, while the Trans March and Dyke March likely will draw record numbers. Next: June 20-29, 2014

#3 Festival & Parade
Ottawa
Canada’s capital turns into a giant winter festival for three weeks every year when visitors get a chance to skate on the world’s largest naturally frozen ice rink, check out competitive ice sculpting, and play in North America’s biggest snow playground. Winter delicacies, including BeaverTails pastries and wine pairings, take the chill off. Next: January 31-February 17, 2014

#4 Festival & Parade
Quebec
The annual winter festival, traditionally leading up to the start of Lent, has been around in one form or another since 1894, when the first ice castle was constructed in the city. Visitors these days can sleep in a hotel made of ice, watch winter sports like ice canoeing and dog sledding, and ­attend a masquerade ball at the ­elegant Chateau Frontenac hotel. Next: January 31-February 16, 2014

#5 Festival & Parade
Toronto
More than one million tourists pour into the city every year to celebrate Caribbean music and culture. The festival lasts three weeks, but the signature event is the Caribana parade, which takes place on the Saturday of Caribana Weekend, the last weekend of the festival. More than 10,000 colorfully costumed singers and dancers take part in the parade, while spectators strut their stuff on the sidelines. Next: July 2014

#6 Festival & Parade
Halifax
Every summer, Halifax’s historic waterfront hosts award-winning street performers from around the world. The free 11-day, family-friendly festival is a hilarious, frightening, exhilarating, and moving showcase of comedy, visual arts, music, and acrobatics. Next: Summer 2014

#7 Festival & Parade
Ottawa
There’s no better place to celebrate Canada than the country’s capital region. The ­celebrations, which include ceremonial events, shows at noon and dusk, and a nighttime fireworks display, are based on Parliament Hill. Major’s Hill Park is the home of Canadian culture celebrations, and events at Jacques-Cartier Park are ideal for young families. Next: July 1, 2014

#8 Festival & Parade
Vancouver
Billed as the world’s biggest offshore fireworks competition, the Honda-sponsored three-night event attracts as many as 400,000 spectators to the streets and beaches of the city’s scenic English Bay. Revelers can take in a free live concert before the explosions start and can view the Red Bull Airshow from vantage points near and far. Next: July 2014

#9 Festival & Parade
Vancouver
Actors, musicians, acrobats, and puppeteers thrill kids and grown-ups at the weeklong celebration on the city’s Granville Island. Ticketed shows take place on multiple stages, while an admission fee provides access to more than 15 kid-centric art activities. Next: May 26-June 1, 2014

#11 Festival & Parade
Victoria
The free concert performed from a floating stage draws about 40,000 audiophiles to the city’s picturesque Inner Harbour. Prior to the evening concert, there’s live music in the Splash Family Zone all afternoon, a chance for kids to try out musical instruments, and fare from nearby food and beverage vendors. Next: August 3, 2014

#12 Festival & Parade
Dawson City, Yukon
For more than a century, the town has celebrated its heritage with an annual summer festival that draws tourists and gold bugs to the Yukon community. Locals and visitors who make the trek to the beautiful Northern setting can ­experience old-time cancan dancers, walking tours of the historic gold rush town, an arts festival, a golf tournament, and Mounties in their iconic red serge uniforms. Next: August 2014

#14 Festival & Parade
Winnipeg
The 10-day festival celebrates the joie de vivre of the fur traders who established the Red River Colony in the ­present-day city and the ­French-Canadian community in ­western Canada. Historical and ­educational activities are programmed in both French and English, and ­traditional French-Canadian food and drink is served. Next: February 14-23, 2014