Ottawa Ferrari Festival 2026 – Ottawa, ON

🏖 Ottawa Ferrari Festival 📅 June 19–21, 2026 📍 Preston Street, Ottawa 🅾 Free Public Viewing 🏗 19th Annual Edition

Ottawa Ferrari Festival 2026

Once a year, Ottawa’s Little Italy stops feeling like a neighbourhood and starts feeling like northern Italy. For three days every June, Preston Street — otherwise known as Corso Italia — closes to regular traffic and opens to something far more interesting: more than 50 Ferraris, rare Italian exotics, Maseratis, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos, and classic Vespas lined up bumper to bumper for the public to admire.

This is the 19th annual Ottawa Ferrari Festival, organized by the Ferrari Club of America Ottawa Chapter and running June 19–21, 2026. It runs in conjunction with Italian Week Ottawa, which means the street is already buzzing with food, music, and that particular summer energy that only Little Italy can produce. The Ferraris just make it a lot louder.

🏆 Concorso d’Eleganza 🚘 Demo Zone 🎙 Italian Car Parade 🤵 Charity Dream Ride 🍴 Awards Dinner 🇱🇹 Italian Week Ottawa

📅 Full 2026 Schedule Get Tickets → Official Site →

💡 The Concorso d’Eleganza at Dow’s Lake and the Preston Street car displays are free for the public to enjoy. The Saturday night Awards Dinner and Charity Dream Ride require tickets or festival registration.

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✨ Why Go 📅 Schedule 🏆 Concorso 🚘 Demo Zone 📍 Essentials 💡 Tips ❓ FAQ

✨ Why This Festival Is Worth a Drive to Ottawa

There are car shows, and then there is the Ottawa Ferrari Festival. What sets this one apart isn’t just the calibre of machines — it’s the setting. Preston Street transformed into a 1.3-kilometre promenade of prancing horses, the smell of espresso and cannoli drifting past six-figure supercars, all against the backdrop of one of Canada’s most vibrant Italian neighbourhoods doing what it does best in June.

Now in its 19th year, this festival has grown from a modest car club gathering into an event that draws over 200,000 spectators and visitors across the weekend. And unlike a lot of automotive events that feel more like parking lots with velvet ropes, Ottawa’s has character. The Concorso d’Eleganza happens along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway beside Dow’s Lake, with the Rideau Canal — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — as the backdrop. It’s genuinely beautiful.

The Demo Zone on Saturday afternoon is something you won’t easily forget either. Ferraris running through an enclosed section of Carling Avenue, the exhaust note bouncing off the buildings, the crowd of tifosi pressed up against the barriers. You don’t need to own a Ferrari to feel the energy. You just need to show up.

📅 2026 Festival Schedule

Three days, multiple venues, something to see at every turn. Here’s how the weekend unfolds.

🏆 Concorso d’Eleganza — Dow’s Lake

Held Friday June 19 on Queen Elizabeth Driveway beside the Rideau Canal, the Concorso d’Eleganza is the prestige element of the festival. Ferraris at least five years old are judged for originality and authenticity against the Coppa di Platino standard. Other Italian marques compete in their own classes. Here’s what’s on offer:

💡 Public viewing is free. Enter from the area near “The Man with Two Hats” on Queen Elizabeth Driveway near Preston Street. Registration for entries closes in spring — check fcaottawa.com/concorso for details.

🚘 Ferraris & Friends Demo Zone — Sat, June 20

If you want to know what a Ferrari actually sounds like at speed — not in a YouTube video, but in real life, ten feet away from you — the Demo Zone is where you need to be Saturday afternoon. A section of Carling Avenue east of Preston Street to Booth Street is closed off, and festival Ferraris (and invited cars) run two laps through the course while the crowd lines the entire route.

It runs from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. It’s free for spectators. Get there early if you want a good spot along the barriers — the tifosi know what they’re doing and the best vantage points fill up.

🚗 Access for spectators is from Carling Avenue. Staging for participating vehicles is at the Demo Zone Paddock at 580 Booth Street. All festival cars must have confirmed $2M liability insurance to participate in the Demo Zone runs.

📍 The Essentials

📍 Get Directions to Preston Street →

💡 Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

📍 The Concorso and Preston Street displays are the two things you can experience for free. Plan your visit around Friday evening or Saturday evening for the street display, and Friday daytime for the Concorso at Dow’s Lake.

🚘 Don’t miss the Demo Zone on Saturday afternoon (2:30–4:30 PM). This is the one time during the weekend you’ll hear Ferraris actually moving at speed. Get there early and find a spot along Carling Avenue before the barriers fill up.

🤵 Book the Charity Dream Ride early if you want to ride in a Ferrari. Tickets go to fcaottawa.com/tickets and this one tends to sell out. All funds raised are matched by National Bank.

🍕 Dinner on the street is on you on Friday, but you’re in the right neighbourhood for it. Preston Street and the immediate area are packed with Italian restaurants. Make a reservation if you want somewhere specific — it’s Italian Week too, so it gets busy.

🚻 Parking along Preston Street is closed to the public during the display hours. Come to the intersection of Rochester Street and Aberdeen Street for access points. Plan to walk or take transit — the neighbourhood is very walkable.

🏆 Bringing a car? Trailer parking for Concorso entrants is available Thursday through Sunday at the Royal Canadian Navy Curling Club at 41 Navy Private, just a short distance from Dow’s Lake.

💋 Follow along: @fcaottawa on Instagram for updates leading up to the event and live coverage during the weekend.

❓ Common Questions