Welcome to the Gardens
Whether you would like to rest and catch up with friends or family, or enjoy the live music and entertainment, we welcome you to our Navan Fair Beverage Gardens.
The Gardens are located under the legendary Domes, offering seating and limited protection from the rain and sun.
Hours of operation:
Thursday, August 6 – 4 pm to 12 midnight
Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8 – 11 am to 12 midnight
Sunday, August 9 – 11 am to 4 pm
Entrance to the Domes is free for all ages, except for Friday and Saturday nights when a separate admission cost to the live entertainment is charged starting at 7:00 pm. Attendees must be age of majority to purchase and enter. Domes passes can be purchased online or in person at the entrance to the beverage gardens. Information on the entertainment lineup can be found here.
Wondering why the structure is called the Domes?
When Pope John Paul II visited Canada in 1984, he arrived in Ottawa on September 19. The following day, Pope John Paul officiated at an outdoor mass on LeBreton Flats, west of Parliament Hill. For this event, a specially built structure was constructed, designed to give those attending a clear view while protecting the Pope, the altar and the assisting priests from the weather.
Following the event, the tower structure had to be cleared so the space could be returned to the National Capital Commission. Peter Clark, the Mayor of the former Cumberland Township, was contacted by Raymond Steel, the original contractor, who inquired if there might be an interest in the structure. Following significant but very quick planning, the former Cumberland Township Council approved the grant funding of $6,000 to transport the structures to the Navan fairgrounds. Forty-four days following the September 20th mass, the Domes were moved by transport and helicopters to the CTAS fairgrounds on November 3, 1984.
Over the years, the Domes have become a central structure and meeting place for the Navan community and the annual Navan Fair. “The Domes were built to last an afternoon, but they have served Navan for more than 25 (+) years. They were built for a specific religious organization but have been used as a community place. When we ask what difference the Domes have made to the Navan Fair, the answers keep coming back to the way the Domes have become a “place,” and thereby a symbol of community.”
Reference: “Domes of Navan – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, a production of the Cumberland Township Historical Society.
