Festivals are the most common and popular means of social celebration for the mankind. No matter what the culture or country, festivals are always the best way for everyone to come together and celebrate life as s single community. It is a mean for us to let go everything and enjoy the goodness of an occasion with complete tranquillity. And what if, you could enjoy these festivities in one of the world’s most tranquil and calm places? Canada is famous throughout the world for its mountains and valleys, lush green foliage and snowy winter lands, that, coupled with some of the most warm and nice culture and diverse populations in the world makes it a tourist haven, and what is a better way to plan a trip, than by going through a list that highlights the most famous and popular festivals in the country?
That’s right folks! We are bringing you a list of the most popular festivals in Canada, and here they are.
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec (29th June – 27th July)
Who doesn’t love fireworks? The dancing and glittering lights in the sky on a calm summer night, music playing like a live performance and the fireworks dancing to the tunes of the music. Sounds like an evening ofL’International des Feux Loto-Québec, or the Montreal Fireworks Festival. It was previously known as Le Mondial SAQis the world’s largest and most prestigious fireworks festival. It is organised annually in the riverside town of La Ronde.The festival also serves as an international competition among various pyrotechnical companies from around the world, who compete for ‘The Jupiter’, a trophy that goes as follows; Gold for the first-place holder, Silver for second and Bronze for the third. The shows consist of a 30-minute-long firework-music synchronised performance
Gathering:The approximate crowd gathering is 3 million strong, with over 6,000 fireworks lit during the duration of the festival. While the attendees are mostly locals and nearby natives, but the occasion also makes for an excellent camping trip and honeymoon destination!
Venue: Even though the fireworks are lit from La Ronde on Île Sainte-Hélène, they can also be seen from many places in the Montreal area,for example: Île Sainte-Hélène; on the Jacques Cartier Bridge, the Old Port of Montreal; or various other locations along the side or on a boat on the Saint Lawrence River.So, there are marvellous boat rides, beach-side picnics, and even reserved seats at La Ronde which can be bought on site or online with a magnificent view from the lower altitude display.However, many people don’t have to pay for the show, they watch it from various spots around the town. But the best view can only be had from the above-mentioned spots.With the varied demographic of the various attendees, the accommodations available are equally varied. Luxury hotels, camping grounds, riverside resorts, townhouses for rent, hostels and many others. As it is, many options for many different requirements!
Organiser: The main sponsors are Lotto-Quebec. With several other sponsors that pitch in each year.
Timeline:The competition is usually structured as atwo week long fireworks shows usually starting in late June and ending in late July. In 2019, the festival is to be held from 29th June on consecutive Saturdays and Wednesdays till July 27th.
Montreal International Jazz Festival (26th June – 6th July)
Jazz is considered the music of passion and emotion. The only music genre that has embodied all the emotions across the spectrum, from melancholy to romance to excitement. Jazz lovers have been known to have an entire generation of culture that grows deeper and sweeter with time. And the Montreal International Jazz Festival is a pilgrimage to Jazz lovers all over the world. The music attracts fans, jazz lovers, and even novices and people just starting out with a new interest in the Genre. But wait! That s not all. Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, and just about every other genre end up the roster too. Making this, a one of a kind music festival. An interesting fact about this festival, the 2004 festival holds the Guinness Book record for the largest Jazz Festival ever!
Gathering:Each year, the festival features roughly 3,000 artists from some 30 or so countries, more than 650 concerts (which also includes 450 free outdoor performances), and welcomes over 2 million visitors, making it the second most famous festival of Canada. This festival is primarily about music. As such, the greatest number of attendees consists of music lovers. That’s not to say that is all it is, many other attractions are also available for people who might be looking foe something else. There are art exhibitions, food festivals and many other such activities. There is something for everyone!
Venues:This all happens at over 20 different venues including indoor and outdoor arenas, from jazz clubs, to Place des Arts, to terrace gardens to rooftop restaurants. But that is not even the best part, the best part is, about 70% off all performances are free! Those that are not can be booked online for respective venues. The accommodations available are many and variant, from five-star hotels to themed hotels. Most popular theme hotels are the medieval European hotels and African themes hotels. Also available are many rented hostels, rooms and houses.
Organizers:The 2019 festival will be organized by TD Bank Group in partnership with Rio Tinto.
Timeline:The 2019 festival is special in a unique way; It is the 40th anniversary of the Montreal International Jazz Festival. It will be held from 26th June to July 6th. The event will feature performances by several musical legends. The whole itinerary can be found on their website.
Winterlude (February)
Canada is a pace of great natural beauty. Tranquil and clear lakes. Mountains and valleys. And of course, the snow. Being a North Semi sphere country, Canada is no stranger to snow. And as would be the logical choice, the third most popular festival in Canada is based on snow and ice, the Winterlude!
It is an annual festival.As the main highlight of the festival it has the Rideau canal Skyway. An ice rink that is about 5 miles long. The worlds largest ice rink! Also present in the festival is Snowflake Kingdom,the site for which is located in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau. It converted into massive ice slides and snow sculptures. The event also hosts numerous activities for children. The IceHog family, the mascots of the Winterlude festivals also call this place the ‘home away from home’.
Another major attraction is the ice sculpture competition. Along with that, the event also includes the ice lounge and musical concerts, ice skating shows, DJ dance parties and art displays throughout the festival. Also included are the exhibits at Ottawa museums and many other special events at the Byward Market.
Venues:The Venues festival is organized in the national capital region, which comprises of the cities of Ottawa, Ontario, Gatineau, Quebec. The Festivities are hosted on many local landmarks such as Jacques-Cartier park in Gatineau. The Confederation Park also known as the Crystal Garden. Marion Dewar Plaza.
Gathering:The third most popular festival of the country draws a crowd of about 1.5 million people. The crowd even made a record in 2007 with a 1.6 million visitors. Most of the crowd are local families that plan this as a family outing type of trip, but it is also a popular destination of honeymooners! The available accommodations range from top notch luxury hotels to themed resorts, guest houses and many more.
Organizers:The festival is organized by the Department of Canadian Heritage. It was started in 1979 with the primary motive of boosting winter tourism for the country by the government. Needless to say, it has been a resounding success.
Timeline:The festival is usually and most commonly organized in the first week of February, and continues throughout the first three weekends of the month every year. Very few events are organized during the weekdays, so the tourists who have the main interest in skating will find most rinks empty.
Now, there is two things left to do for you. The first thing is to pack your bags, the second thng is to visit the German website from Backpackertrail, where you can find more information on what to expect during your adventures in Canada.
List of other major festivals
January- Winter Festival of Lights, Winterlicious, Ice on Whyte Festival.
February-Quebec City Winter Festival, Winterlude, Montreal High Lights Festival.
March-Celebrate Toronto, St, Patrick’s Day Parade, Canada Blooms.
April- Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, Festival Vues d’Afrique, Soirree en Blanc.
May- Scotiabank Photography Festival, The Tulip Festival, Stratford Festival, Carasauga Festival.
June- Gros Morne Theatre Festival, Banff Summer Arts Festival, The Montreal International Jazz Festival, International Food and Craft Beer Festival.
July- Canada Day, Toronto Fringe festival, Taste of Lawrence, Caribbean Carnival, Honda Indy Toronto, Toronto’s Festival of Beer, Beaches International Jazz Festival.
August- Kempenfest, Harmony Arts festival, Dark Sky Festival.
September- Bard on Beach Shakespeare Festival, Vancouver Fringe Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, The Toronto International Film Festival, Beer Week, The Montreal World Film Festival.
October- Fall Walks Festival, Reelworld Film Festival, Diwali RazzMatazz
November- Winter Festival of Lights, Cavalcade of Lights, Calgary Winterfest.
December- Watson Santa Claus Days, Burlington Festival of Lights, Winter Wonderland, MummersFestival.