Boston Canada Travel

By Jeanine Buckley

Maybe it’s the 8-month winters in Quebec, or maybe it’s the European tradition of summer festivals. Whatever the reason, Quebec City celebrates summer with a bang. Immediately after Summer Solstice, the festivities start; below is a just a sampling of the most popular events:

Image Mill/Moulin à Image: Thanks to Quebec’s 400^th Birthday celebration, the Image Mill has become a semi-permanent installation.  Enjoy the world’s largest multimedia spectacle, the equivalent of 25 IMAX screens, best viewed from the Café du Monde on the Vieux Port. (6/22-9/6 at 10 pm)

Les Chemin Invisibles/Invisible Paths:  Cirque du Soleil is giving back with street performances exclusively in Quebec City, every night at sundown. Starting at the trendy Saint-Roch Quarter, you can capture the magic from 4 different points in the city. (6/22-9/6 Wed-Sun)

Quebec Summer Festival/ Festival d’Eté:  Canada’s largest outdoor artistic event with over 1.2 million participants, Quebec City will once again host 180+ bands in 300 performances  over an 11-day period. Last year’s legendary performances included Ramon Kelvink, whose 230-meter tightrope walk from Chateau Frontenac attracted headlines as far away as New Zealand.  (7/8-7/18)

First Nations/Première Nations in Wendake: Fifteen minutes north of Quebec City, in the self-governed Wendake territory, step back in time to learn how early Amerindians survived in Quebec. A Huron Longhouse inspired the architecture for the native-owned 4-star hotel. Sample bison steaks or house-smoked salmon served at the award-winning La Traite restaurant.

Fete de la Nouvelle France: The New France Festival celebrates the history of the early French settlers in Quebec. Over five days, experience life in the 17th & 18th century with close to 1000 artistic events.

Expo Quebec: The largest agricultural show in Eastern Canada with performances, amusement rides, an agribusiness pavillion, and family activities. Enjoy old-fashioned country fair fun with rides for the kids, cooking demonstrations and live music at the Scene Belle Geuelle. Peruse the stands where Quebec specialty foods can be sampled and purchased. (8-18-29) $25 entrance fee.

Whatever event you choose, you’re sure to find a unique experience with Quebec’s own French flair. With the Canadian dollar at parity with the US dollar, there’s no need to calculate the exchange rate. Be sure to reserve hotels early as events are very popular and hotels fill up quickly.