Fetes de la Nouvelle-France, Quebec, Canada. Photo / Simon Armstrong
Fetes de la Nouvelle-France, Quebec, Canada. Photo / Simon Armstrong
There are several parts of Canada that are French-speaking, thanks to its colonisation from 1534 to 1760, but the heartland of French Canada is the province of Quebec.
Translated as the New FranceFestival, this annual event celebrates Quebec's 400-plus years of European settlement with parades, dancing, music, storytelling and re-enactments. More than 700 artists and performers bring a dozen sites to life in the historic walled city of Old Quebec, with each year focusing on a different theme. This year's is "Imagine America", which will highlight the cultural diversity of the New France era.
Kites are cool, especially giant ones shaped like dogs or teddy bears. Saint-Honore's international kite festival has something for everyone — there's a small aircraft display, kite-building workshops, livemusic and fireworks display.
We're not exactly surewhat the heck a truck rodeo is, but it looks like a good time, with activities including "truck pulls" and "heavyweight races" on the agenda. There's also a fleamarket, parade, live music and a family zone.
This year's Pride celebrations will be extra special in Montreal, with the event celebrating its 10th birthday. Organisers are promising the most colourful and lively celebrations to date. There are three flagship events: CommunityDay, the Pride Parade, and the free T-Dance party. This year the iconic rainbow flag will be draped in green in a nod to the environment and the diverse nature of those in the LGBT community. This year therewill also be a comedy show, a second space for the Cafe des arts, and an international drag queen show.
One of the biggest music festivals in Canada, the 11-day Festival d'ete de Quebec showcases the talents ofmore than 1000 local and international musicians who cover the gamut of French music, hip-hop, electro, jazz, classical music andworld music. More than 1.5 million festival-goers flood the 12 indoor and outdoor venues in the city's downtown area to attend 300 shows. This year's headliners include Neil Finn, Sting and Peter Gabriel, Rammstein, Duran Duran, Ice Cube and Bryan Ferry. We want to go!
