Sunshine & Free Time – 2016 Tourism Guide
Summer is all about fun in the sun with family and friends. As Goose Break marks the change of seasons and families enjoy their harvest, it’s just about time to start planning this year’s summer activities, vacations and family getaways.
Whether you’re looking for music festivals, history lessons, leisure outings, outdoor adventures or arts and culture activities, we’ve highlighted a diverse selection of events and programming taking place around Montreal and all of Quebec this summer 2016.
First up is the bustling metropolis of Montreal:
Late May
Museums Day
By the end of May, spring has definitively sprung in Montreal and the warm weather and excitement around summer activities makes it a great time to tour the city on foot to take in different sights and attractions before peak tourist season.
One interesting opportunity for art and history lovers is Montreal Museums Day, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year on Sunday, May 29. Museums Day offers free admission to every museum across the city and gives visitors the option of planning out their schedule or following a prepared itinerary with transportation included.
This year’s programming at the 41 museum locations can be found online at museesmontreal.org/en. Some suggestions: the Biosphere Environment Museum, the Canadian Guild of Craft (which features a number of First Nations artefacts and an Inuit art collection), and, for a family-oriented outing, the Montreal Science Centre.
www.museesmontreal.org/en/museums-day
Go Bike MTL
From May 29 to June 5 the Go Bike Festival in Montreal proposes a number of cycling-related activities around the greater Montreal area. Go Bike MTL caters to both recreational and serious cyclists with bike tours all across the island ranging from 25 to 150 kms. Programming includes the Bike to Work initiative May 30 to June 3, the Metropolitan Challenge on May 29, and the Tour la Nuit (night tour) on Friday, June 3. Go Bike MTL’s main event, the Tour de l’Île de Montréal (tour of the island), takes place Sunday, June 5.
www.velo.qc.ca/en/govelo/Go-bike-Montreal-festival
June
Fringe Festival
Montreal’s St. Ambroise Fringe Festival hosts a wide array of live entertainment, including theatre, dance, music, drag shows and comedy. Artists and performers are selected solely by lottery and the artistic work presented is entirely uncensored as the focus of Fringe Fest is complete accessibility and freedom of expression for both artists and audiences alike.
A staple of Montreal’s early summer entertainment, Fringe has a grassroots feel and brings acts and artists from all over the world for alternative theatre and performances that stray from convention. Events take place at a variety of makeshift and conventional theatres as well as at a main outdoor venue on Boulevard St-Laurent, allowing the audience to connect directly to the artists on stage. Featuring hundreds of shows and performances, all at low prices, Fringe 2016 takes place June 1-21.
Montreal Grand Prix
If you enjoy the glamour and luxury synonymous with the F1 racing scene, there is no better event to get your party on than at Montreal’s Grand Prix, the only F1 race in North America. Grand Prix festivities run June 10-12, culminating in the main event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on the last day.
F1 takes over Île Jean-Drapeau and the downtown core for the weekend with locals and tourists showing off their tricked-out cars and flocking to pubs, restaurants and a blocked-off Crescent Street for concerts, demos, celebrity appearances, car displays and more.
Beer Fest
Montreal’s Mondial de la bière is an international beer-tasting festival at the Palais de congrès. This year’s edition runs June 8-12 and gives visitors the chance to taste craft brews and artisanal alcohol from all over the world. Admission is free, but drink tickets are a dollar apiece with samples requiring 2-to-8 tickets depending on the quality and size of drink offered by each exhibitor.
Beer Fest is a great chance to try out some of Quebec’s lesser-known craft beers as well as some rare imports. The festival also offers workshops on how to brew your own. Whether you are looking to sample new products, discover new drink pairings for dinner parties or enjoy quality beer and amazing food on an outdoor terrasse, the Mondial de la bière has a little bit of everything for the 18+ crowd.
www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca
FrancoFolies
The world’s biggest French-language music festival, Les FrancoFolies take the stage at downtown venues and Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles June 9-18. Offering up a mix of franco pop, rock, folk, hip hop, jazz, world music and performance art, FrancoFolies 2016’s line-up includes the likes of Jean Leloup, Charles Antoine Gosselin, Eric Lapointe, Les Trois Accords, Marie Mai, Koriass and Manu Militari and many up-and-coming artists.
Mural Fest
A relatively new event that celebrates street art , the Montreal Mural Festival kicks off June 9 with a block party on Boulevard St-Laurent, featuring food, drink and outdoor music, and continues through June 19. Some of Montreal’s best graffiti artists are given permission to use the sides of massive downtown buildings as their canvas and decorate the urban landscape with fun and thought-provoking art. Featuring 50 murals, this festival is the perfect opportunity to see urban artists in action and mingle with some of the city’s creative souls.
Folk Fest
The Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal continues to grow every year and boasts an excellent lineup of singer/songwriters, blues, country, bluegrass and other folk styles in various indoor venues plus three days of free music on the Lachine Canal. Now in a new location on the Esplanade du Centenaire, the Folk Fest is a family-friendly event in a laid-back, inviting atmosphere that promotes local artists, folk legends and young talent on three separate stages. It also offers face painting and bouncy castles for kids and an evening of camping sponsored by Parks Canada.
National Aboriginal Day
Organized by the people behind the Montreal First Peoples Festival, National Aboriginal Day is marked in Montreal with a special ceremony starting at 12 p.m. at Place d’Armes in celebration of the solstice on June 21.
A special event that features Native drummers, traditional dancing, singing, art and ceremonial regalia from different First Nations in Quebec, this is the perfect opportunity for Natives, Montrealers and tourists alike to celebrate Native culture.
Jazz Fest
The Montreal International Jazz Festival’s star-studded musical line-up draws hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world. While there are a number of paid, indoor shows, the Jazz Fest also offers many free concerts on five outdoor stages with established musicians in a variety of genres not limited to jazz. Blues, funk, soul, hip hop, pop and world music are all on the menu and each year the festival highlights several popular artists in major free concerts, typically at the opening, midway and closing points of the festivities.
Jazz Fest 2016 runs June 29 to July 9. While the full outdoor program has not yet been released, the roster for this year’s indoor concerts includes George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Kool & the Gang, Rufus Wainwright performing with a full orchestra, the Sugarhill Gang with Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel and Scorpio, Lauryn Hill, Radio Radio, Peter Bjorn and John, and Cat Power solo.
International Fireworks competition
If you’re looking for a spectacular evening activity in Montreal, the Montreal International Fireworks Competition is an affordable and exciting display that can be enjoyed by the entire family (just make sure you bring some earplugs for your little ones).
Running July 2-30 every Wednesday and Saturday night, this Montreal tradition showcases the world’s best pyrotechnics as countries from across the globe compete for the best international fireworks display. This year’s contests features Chile, Canada, Switzerland, the Unites States, Spain and Sweden, plus opening and closing extravaganzas that you can catch for free from the Old Port or anywhere on or near the Jacques Cartier Bridge. But you can also purchase tickets and watch from La Ronde.
www.sixflags.com/larondeen/linternational-des-feux/program
Comiccon
The Montreal Comiccon comes to life July 8-10 at Palais des congrès and gives comic book, sci-fi, cosplay, gaming, anime, horror and movie fans the chance to show off their cosplay colours, test out new video games, buy new bling and meet some of their biggest heroes.
This year’s guest of honour is none other than William Shatner. Other stars include Alfonso Ribeiro, Billy Dee Williams, Dave Ross, Kate Mulgrew, Liam McIntyre, Neal Adams, Yaya Han and Scott Hall with more announcements still to come.
Percussion Festival
The 15th annual Festival International de Percussions brings together rhythmic traditions from all over the world and while percussion is the focus, music, dance, photography, visual arts, exhibitions and drum workshops are all a part of the show. This year the festival takes place in Verdun July 2-10 and promises a unique blend of culture and international grooves.
Carifiesta
Montreal’s Carifiesta is back for its 41st edition of bringing the colourful traditions of Caribbean culture to Montreal’s streets in sizzling fashion.
Saturday, July 2, starting at noon a moving carnival of songs, beats, traditional dances, spirit and amazing costumes will take to rue Sainte Catherine marching from rue du Fort to Philips Square. While Carifiesta is a fun and vibrant party, its bigger goal is to celebrate emancipation and freedom, taking back Caribbean culture and sharing it with the people of Montreal.
Just for Laughs
Just for Laughs 2016 will take over Montreal July 13-31 with street events, gala evenings and performances featuring the world’s funniest performers. While much of the line-up has yet to be announced, Just for Laughs never disappoints (last year’s acts included Mike Myers, Dave Chappelle, Trevor Noah and Neil Patrick Harris). Confirmed for this year: Rachid Badouri hosting the Ethnic Show, Mike Ward as host of the Nasty Show, Canuck comic Howie Mandel, France’s Gad Elmaleh and Jimmy Carr from the UK.
Kahnawake Powwow
The annual Kahnawake Powwow is a massive celebration of Mohawk culture that brings together Indigenous peoples and tourists from all over the world. For those on the Powwow Trail it’s a can’t-miss event plus it’s growing more popular among city folk interested in First Nations and powwow tradition.
The Echoes of a Proud Nation powwow also attracts a wide variety of merchants and vendors from across the continent. This year’s edition runs July 9-10. General admission $8 while seniors pay $4 and children under 5 are free.
Fantasia
One of the best ways to beat the summer heat is to hit the cinema. The Fantasia International Film Festival offers a culturally diverse collection of movies curated to emphasize unrecognized talent, independent filmmaking, genre experimentation and quality films made outside the glamour and glitz of Hollywood production.
Fantasia is also known for reviving and restoring old cult classics. A competitive film festival and a fan celebration alike, this event has something for everyone, presenting films across all genres in smaller theatres around downtown Montreal.
Montreal First People’s festival
Présence Autochtone, also known as Montreal’s First People’s festival, is a multidisciplinary event that showcases Indigenous creativity through film, video, dance, concerts, art shows and other traditional activities.
The festival takes over downtown to celebrate local and foreign Indigenous culture and give visitors the chance to learn about Native art, lifestyle and values. This year’s full lineup yet to be released but the annual film and video competition and the live entertainment stage will run August 3-10 in Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles near Place des Arts.
Osheaga
Osheaga Arts and Music Festival celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and has become a major player in the North American music festival circuit. Osheaga takes over Île Jean-Drapeau the weekend of July 29-31 with a carefully selected line-up featuring renowned and budding artists across all musical genres performing on five different stages.
This year’s roster features the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Cypress Hill, Future, Mac Miller, the Lumineers, the Cat Empire, the Damn Truth and the Barr Brothers with more artist announcements to come.
Highland Games
If you’re looking to get in touch with your Scottish roots or simply take in some Celtic culture, Montreal’s Highland Games are in Parc Arthur-Therrien in Verdun on July 31.
Featuring bagpipe and highland dancing competitions plus Celtic sporting events like caber tossing, sheaf toss, putting the stone and the hammer toss, this family-friendly event also offers plenty of traditional wares and ales to sample and sip. The games also have bouncy castles, face painting and other activities for children.
www.montrealhighlandgames.qc.ca.
Heavy Montreal
Heavy metal fans have the chance to rock out in Montreal and Parc Jean-Drapeau late this summer, with Heavy Montreal shifting to one day of shows in the city (August 5) and two days on Île Jean-Drapeau (August 6-7). The festival presents a range of hard rock, metal, punk and other hardcore sounds with notable artists this year including Five Finger Death Punch, Volbeat, Disturbed, Mastodon, Killswitch Engage, Zakk Wylde and Black Label Society.
An ideal environment for metal-heads to let loose free of judgement, Heavy Montreal also has plenty of side attractions like the annual Heavy Mania Wrestling tournament.
Reggae Festival
Reggae lovers won’t want to miss the Montreal International Reggae Festival this August 26-28 in the Old Port. Three days of dancehall, dub, lover’s rock and roots reggae featuring recognized artists who blend its different genres, Reggae Fest also features sister genres like calypso and R&B. Curated to celebrate Caribbean music, heritage and the cultural diversity of Montreal, the Reggae festival offers a more laid-back, dance-oriented alternative to some of the region’s bigger musical events.
www.montrealinternationalreggaefestival.com
Pride
Montreal’s Gay Pride festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, hosting community events, cultural activities and other festivities August 8-14 culminating in one of the biggest parades of the year. Pride Week recognizes all members of LBGT community by promoting their history, culture and art. A drag show at Place Émilie-Gamelin, a community day in the Gay Village and the Pride Parade through downtown under the theme “Our Flag, Our Nature” are the week’s major events.
www.fiertemontrealpride.com/en/
Summer activities outside Montreal
Gatineau Beer Festival and Festibière Rouyn-Noranda
The theme of Gatineau’s Beer Festival is “drink less, drink better” and it’s a great place to sip from a vast selection of craft beers (over 300 varieties) carefully put together by the 30-plus breweries featured at the event. This year’s edition runs May 26-28 at the Canadian Museum of History with indoor and outdoor venues as well as musical performances by Claude Bégin, Galaxie and Classified May 26, 27 and 28, respectively. Food, live entertainment and tons of beer are on tap.
For a similar event that’s closer to home, the Gatineau Beer Fest organizers also host Festibière in Rouyn-Noranda with this year’s festival happening June 9-11 at Presqu’île du Lac Osiko.
DansEncore
A dance event held right in the heart of downtown Trois-Rivières, DansEncore brings international dance acts to Quebec in an explosion of colour and movement. Featuring galas, contemporary shows, parties, competitions and master classes for dancers plus free outdoor entertainment and fun, DansEncore is in its 22nd edition and will go down June 2-5.
Fête de la pêche
A special event coordinated by Quebec’s Ministry of Forest, Wildlife and Parks, the Fête de la pêche (the Fishing Festival) is back June 3-5 with various activities planned across Quebec. For the three days Quebecers can drop their line anywhere around the province without a permit. Discover a new fishing spot, plan a trip with your friends and explore new areas of Quebec!
Saint-Honoré International Kite Festival
A festival that is every bit as beautiful as it is fun for the whole family, the Saint-Honoré dans l’Vent kite festival flies June 17-19 through the skies of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean.
Bringing in professional kite fliers from all over the planet to the Saint-Honoré airport, the festival has activities for all ages including inflatables, bubble soccer, mascots, airplane tours, live music, DJs, meals, refreshments and, of course, kite demonstrations of all shapes and sizes.
A three-day event, Saint Honoré’s kite fest caters to families and offers the options of setting up a trailer for the weekend.
Painting and Sculpture Symposium
Whether you are an artist or simply a fan of the fine arts, the Symposium international de peinture et sculpture du Saguenay–Lac-St-Jean gives you the opportunity to create and enjoy the crafts of painting and sculpting. The 2016 edition takes place June 15-19 and will bring together local, Canadian and international artists.
Amnesia Rockfest
Touted as the biggest rock festival in North America, Amnesia Rockfest is back in Montebello, Quebec for its 11th edition June 23-26. Blink 182, Rise Against, Jane’s Addiction, Ice Cube, Billy Talent, Lamb of God, Sum 41, Twisted Sister (their last-ever Canadian show) and NOFX (performing their album Punk in Drublic) are among this year’s headliners. Rockfest also bashes the funny bone with a comedy card that includes Alex Roof, Bob Bissonnette, Mike Ward and midget wrestling.
Cheese and Tradition
If you love wine and cheese, you won’t want to miss the newly re-branded festival Fromages, Bouffe & Traditions de Victoriaville this June 17-19 at Parc de la vélogare. While their new website is still under construction, the full program is expected to be released soon and it seems the festival plans on expanding from its focus on showcasing local and provincial dairy products to incorporate local heritage and cuisine. The event also features entertainment for kids and workshops on cheese-pairing.
www.fromagesbouffetraditions.ca
James Bay Walleye Fishing Tournament
The James Bay Walleye Fishing Tournament takes place on Lac Opémiska near Chapais, an international derby that is a favourite amongst many Cree. Running June 23-July 2, the 2016 edition is well spread out with plenty of activities accompanying the amateur and professional derbies.
In the mix are walleye sampling, wine tasting, beach sports, inflatables, balloon animals, meet and greets with professional fishers, live music and comedy shows. A Texas hold ’em poker tournament and Tupperware bingo are also on the program and evening performers include the Luc Boulianne Country Band, Martin Gagnon, the Unplugged Band, Orloge Simard, Gaith Boucher and country singer Denis Miron.
Beauce Carnival
The Beauce Carnival will be back at the Chibougamau arena June 23-26, a chance to get your children out for some fun as they celebrate the end of the school year and the beginning of summer.
The carnival promises crazy carnival rides with tamer options for the younger ones as well as a midway arcade and a variety of game booths.
Senneterre forestry festival
For all things forestry, the Festival forestier de Senneterre is back in action June 24-26. This year the festival teams with RDS sports channel to present a strong man competition on the first day, along with the standard amateur and professional lumberjack and team forestry challenges.
A family event, Senneterre’s festival also provides children’s animation like face painting and bouncy castles along with evening concerts from Pagliaro, Les B.B. and Vilain Pingouin – as well as a fireworks show on Friday evening.
Festival de la truite mouchetée
The Festival de la truite mouchetée is a competitive trout fisher’s dream, returning to the beautiful Saint-Alexis-des-Monts in the Mauricie June 18-26. Fishers from across Quebec and beyond gather to compete for close to $150,000 in prizes.
Activities include a Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebration with the group Jériboire, line dancing, a mud drag, super bingo, deck hockey tournaments, art expositions, a 13-and-under soapbox car race, a musical fireworks show and performances by DJ Andton, Yoan and Christian Marc Gendron with a tribute to the Piano Man.
www.festivaldelatruitemouchetee.com
FestiVoix de Trois-Rivières
The Mauricie region’s own summer music festival, FestiVoix showcases both established and emerging artists over the course of nine days in downtown Trois-Rivières both on outdoor stages and indoors at pubs and cafés.
Running June 24-July 3, this year’s roster features Hedley, Les Cowboys Fringants, Coeur de Pirate, Busty and the Bass, Tire le Coyote, Foxtrott and Jean-Pierre Ferland.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue humour festival
If you’re in need of comedic relief or just looking for a chance to get away and share some laughs, check out Hydro-Québec’s Festival d’humour de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue July 5-10.
This year’s edition features an English show presented by Erica Sigurdson with the likes of Mathieu Cyr, André Sauvé, Katherine Levac and Rachid Badouri, among many others.
Rachid Badouri
Tremblant Blues Festival
Mont-Tremblant is known for its golfing and family activities throughout the summer, but the resort also hosts the annual Tremblant International Blues Festival. With over 100 shows, most of them free, taking place on various indoor and outdoor stages, Tremblant’s Blues Fest offers “10 days of blues, from its purest roots to its influence on R&B, soul, funk, country, folk and rock…” in an intimate environment.
The 2016 edition goes July 8-17 and features Ian Siegal, Ben Racine, MicheLove and the Atomic Bullets, Nikki Hill, Mo Blues with a tribute to B.B. King, Kenny Wayne, Lance Anderson, Les Grandes Dames du Blues and many more.
Drummondville Cultural celebration
Celebrating its 35th anniversary July 7-17, Le Mondial des Cultures de Drummondville brings together hundreds of dancers from around the globe for cultural celebrations and folk-dance performances.
Confirmed so far are dance groups from Costa Rica, Martinique, Taiwan, Belgium, France, Slovenia and Canada. This unique festival combines ancient dance traditions with modern staging, lighting and presentation. An international musical line-up will be announced in coming weeks.
Amos H2O Festival
Sprawled across five different locations along the Harricana River, Amos’ H2O festival will float July 7-9 to celebrate nature’s gift of water and the wildlife and aquatic activities it allows us to enjoy. Last year’s events included a marathon, swim races, dragon boats and a draw for $32,000 in cash and prizes.
With musical performances by Slingshot Brothers, Les Trois Accords, The Lost Fingers plus Renée Martel and friends confirmed for this year, the festival’s sports and recreational activities will be unveiled shortly.