| Winterlude is an annual festival in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec that celebrates winter. It is built around the Rideau Canal, which is cleared to become the world's longest skating rink for the
time of the festival.
Other noted sites are the snow and ice sculptures, musical concerts, and the famous bed race. Jacques Cartier Park in
Gatineau is turned into a massive snow park with slides and structures for
children.
The traditional food for Winterlude is called the "beaver tail", a pastry made from fried dough. Winterlude is run by Canada's National Capital Commission and was started in
1979. The event is one of Ottawa's most important tourist draws, attracting hundreds of
thousands of visitors each year.
In February 2003, a controversy erupted about the length of the skating rink. As a
result, the National Capital Commission plans
to file with the Guinness Book of Records.
The event lasts for three weekends, usually the first three weekends in February. Very few events take place from Monday to Thursday in between weekends 1 and 2, and weekends 2 and 3. This means that the skating
rink is much less crowded and that the ice stays in a near pristine condition for much of the day, with only a thousand or so
skaters sharing it instead of the greater numbers during the weekend. The skate changing shacks and food catering kiosks
scattered along the length of the skateway, at the same level as the ice, are open day long during the week.
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