Holiday break | Winter trip to the National Capital

Have you toured the (cultural) garden of the metropolis and want a change of scenery? Stop by Quebec during the holidays! Here are some suggestions for fun activities and outings that will surprise you.

Tales to pass the time at the Premier Acte Theater

It is a bit the equivalent of Urban tales Montrealer. A festive evening where six actors take turns to tell us their stories (preferably absurd), on the theme of luck (this year). “The one we have and the one we missed. The one that we miss or that we were able to grasp. » For this 13^e version, we are promised a diverse fresco of the Old Capital. “Quebec in the snow, Quebec in the sun, Quebec on Christmas Eve. » We will see the actors parade on stage: Valérie Boutin, Frédéric Brunet, Gaïa Cherrat Naghshi, Danielle Le Saux-Farmer, Denis Marchand and Maxime Robin, who also directs these Tales to pass the time.

From December 18 to 30 in the vaults of Maison Chevalier

See the night at the MNBAQ

The concept of See the night is both simple and brilliant (no pun intended): wander through the darkness of the rooms to discover around sixty works, objects and installations from the permanent collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec (from ancient to current art), which conceal small nuggets of gold when underexposed to light. A conclusive experience, which creates a climate of intimacy. With two small downsides. First, the titles of the works are not indicated (so as not to harm our immersion, except that we often ask ourselves the question); and then, for some obscure reason (scuse it), one of the rooms is completely lit! Otherwise, this is a very nice activity to do alone, as a couple or as a family.

Until March 17 at MNBAQ. The museum is closed on Monday December 25.

Diamond circus machine

The Quebec circus collective returns during the holidays to its first homonymous show created in the summer of 2015 at the Montréal Complètement cirque festival. Founded by brothers Vincent and Raphaël Dubé, Yohann Trépanier, and their friends Maxim Laurin and Ugo Dario – a formidable Korean board duo –, Machine de cirque also features multi-instrumentalist Frédéric Lebrasseur. The acrobatic piece has since been performed more than 700 times in North America, Europe and Asia. For this revival, five new performers are part of the cast, proof that the company survives its founders, who now oversee the writing and staging of their productions.

From December 27 to 30 at Le Diamant

Truthsby Luc Langevin, at the Grand Théâtre de Québec

Launched in Montreal a little over a year ago, Quebec illusionist Luc Langevin is causing a real misfortune (or happiness, it depends) with his most recent show, Truths, directed by Hugo Bélanger. A show that he performs all over Quebec and that he will continue to present next year. Death Truths which contain a dozen tables, our colleague Stéphanie Morin wrote: “Luc Langevin often peppers his numbers with scientific explanations, but here, certain tables become more dreamlike, less talkative. And this is very well so. […] In Truths, he pushes the limits of the impossible. » A show that can be seen in Quebec, then almost everywhere in Quebec in 2024.

December 22 at the Grand Théâtre de Québec, then on tour throughout Quebec

Brrrr!by Flip Fabrique

The circus company once again offers an outdoor route (good weather, bad weather), every weekend in December (there are still two dates left!). Through four acrobatic scenes, they tell us how they “prevented the Grumpy Girl from stealing Christmas”. Juggling, soft wire, trampomur, balancing, hand to hand, Flip’s acrobats will guide you through the mazes of Petit Champlain, to Place Royale, to tell you this story in four parts “of a group of valiant inhabitants who , thanks to impeccable planning and exemplary execution, have succeeded in turning Christmas upside down like a snow globe and bringing back the values ​​as we know them today.

December 23 and 30. Departures at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. from the Petit Champlain terrace.

Hate at the Albert-Rousseau room

The musical created last summer by Serge Denoncourt is coming to Quebec for a series of 13 performances. This show born on Broadway in 1968 (thanks to James Rado and Gerome Ragni) tells the story of a group of hippies in the midst of the sexual revolution, who oppose the Vietnam War. Following the Montreal premiere, our colleague Silvia Galipeau spoke of a “big party”, despite the length of the show (2 hours 30 minutes) and a slightly “disjointed” story. “ Hate is experienced as a festive evening, relentlessly combining songs and choreographies, often saucy, and above all meticulously rehearsed,” she wrote. You can also see Milos Forman’s impeccable film, released in 1979, and which has become a classic.

At the Albert-Rousseau room from December 19 to January 7, 2024

The Quebec Christmas market

The German Christmas market in Quebec has been well established in Old Quebec since the end of November. You therefore have a few days left to discover the approximately 90 open-air kiosks (and their exhibitors) scattered in five locations: the Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, the gardens of the Hôtel-de-Ville, rue Sainte -Anne, Place d’Armes and Place D’Youville. Crafts, jewelry, soaps, decorations, alpaca wool socks, fine products, alcohol and sweets of all kinds, to consume on site or to give as gifts, there is no shortage of choices. A ten-minute walk from Place d’Armes or Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, stroll through the galleries of Rue Saint-Paul and stop at the Le Portal gallery. You will discover the works of singer Diane Dufresne. Frankly astonishing lithographs and paintings.

The Le Portal art gallery, in Old Quebec, at 97, rue Saint-Paul

The German Christmas market in Quebec, until December 23 inclusive.