There were cowboy hats per square meter for the unveiling of the 54 programe Western Festival of Saint-Tite which will be held from September 9 to 18. Under the theme “Awaken the cowboy in you”, the organization presented with undisguised pride the key pieces that will thrill the public of the now classic end-of-season event under the honorary presidency of Nadia Moreau.
Posted at 5:00 p.m.
This year will mark the return of vendors, street food trucks, various activities, enough to reunite with the western atmosphere so appreciated by more than 600,000 festival-goers.
“When we opened the box office for this weekend’s summer rodeos, the excitement was palpable for these free activities, tickets sold out within hours. The general manager made a point of recalling the economic aspect and the international visibility for the city provided by the festival, elements that are welcome after two rather quiet years.
The winning formula is kept with the essentials and the addition of a few new features will satisfy festival-goers. Ten professional rodeos will be presented at the Main Grandstands Coors Original including a mini chuckwagon competition and a special presentation by Manu Lataste, resident of Saint-Tite and winner of the Go Big Show show.
For the musical portion, more than 130 shows are planned, including those presented at the Country Club Desjardins, with, among other things, a posthumous tribute to the queen and faithful of the Festival, Renée Martel, on September 10. Artists Patrick Norman and Irvin Blais are also part of the program, as well as “Jolene and the Gambler, the country of our idols”, presented by singers Annie Blanchard and Maxime Landry. The group Lendemain deveille will also take the stage on September 15 under the Coors Town marquee.
For the Mountain Daisies group, this is a 14e participation in the event. On September 9, they will take advantage of their presence at La Forge Loto-Québec du Festival to present their new mini-album recorded in Nashville. “We love the effervescence of Saint-Tite and its public. We grew up as artists at the Festival, we are real lovers of the event,” says Ariane Ouellet. His sidekick Carl Prévost clarifies with a laugh that the cowboy in them has never really been asleep. “We are really happy to come and present our material, six new songs here in Saint-Tite. We know we’re going to trip! »
Several dance classes and events dedicated to this art are also planned and will delight regulars and those new to country dancing. Like every year, the Place de la famille presented by Le Lait will offer shows, inflatable games for young and old, not to mention make-up workshops and a visit from the Festival mascot, Galop.
“My excitement comes from the fact that everyone has embarked with us on this recovery, both the volunteers, who number 600, and the artists and employees. We are moving forward together and we already see a great success to come, ”supports the president of this 54e edition, Nadia Moreau. Already a regular at the festival, the employee of the MRC de Mékinac recalls beautiful memories at the Grandes Estrades when she was very young. Now at the head of the organization, this new role fills her with great pride. “I want to leave my mark thanks to my team spirit and my sparkling side! But for me, each of the volunteers who contributes to our success leaves their mark”, emphasizes the honorary president.
New this year, the presentation of a theatrical play, “The Stranger”, the musical country à la Far West, makes its debut on September 13th. “It’s a dinner-cabaret formula. We combine the song that has already made us famous with comedy to offer a different proposal to our festival-goers,” says Pascal Lafrenière. He adds that the Canac zone on rue Saint-Pierre with its Ferris wheel, its food truck food court and an atmosphere worthy of the most beautiful Pinterest decor will be a place to discover.
The September 14 Country Gala featuring the next generation of country music in Quebec will be presented as part of the Festival for the first time. This association is a good catch of the organization.
“The Gala has been held in various locations in Quebec for nine years now, but we are happy to be associated with the festival, an event that believes in and promotes country music. So we will see the names of industry pioneers, but we also leave room for the next generation,” says Nadia Houle, President and CEO of Culture Country. Thus, Richard Turcotte, a great music lover, will be at the helm of the Gala during which 14 prizes will be awarded. Beauséjour, Brittany Kennell, Gabrielle Goulet, Ghys Mongeon, Les filles de, Les frères Déraspe, Mack and Ro, Nathalie Lord and René Turgeon will perform during the gala.
Matt Lang’s Honky Tonk will perform two performances on September 16 and 17 with guests. The first show is already sold out and for the second, the artist will be accompanied by Nate Smith, Dan Davidson, Cory Marks and they will present a New Country type show. The first part of this show will be provided by the artist Sara Dufour.
Once again splashed by a civil lawsuit concerning a case of animal cruelty by the organization Communauté Droit animalier Québec, the organization continues to put forward good practices. “We invite people to participate in our activity The hidden face of the rodeo. It’s an opportunity to go behind the scenes of the rodeo, get informed and make up your own mind. Visitors have access behind the scenes and can walk through the environment where the animals are. There is no hiding place,” maintains general manager Pascal Lafrenière.
“In light of this new legal framework for the welfare, safety and protection of animals in Quebec, the DAQ is challenging the practices of the Festival western de Saint-Tite before the Superior Court of Quebec and will provide all the evidence required to carry out this legal action, “said the organization in a press release published at the end of May.
Mr. Lafrenière adds by indicating that the collaboration has always been good with the representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ). “We have never been given any recommendations on this subject or issued a fine. We are convinced that we are doing things well and we will continue to do so. We are pioneers in North America when it comes to rodeos. »
Already targeted by a lawsuit in 2017, the Western Festival says it is still waiting for a report from MAPAQ that would analyze certain data on practices during rodeos. As for the next steps regarding the ongoing civil lawsuit, Mr. Lafrenière said that a legal team is on the case.
Big family celebration on June 3 and 4
The Festival Western de St-Tite organization is offering the public a weekend of free activities including summer rodeos on June 3 and 4 at the Grandes Estrades Coors Original. This event is made possible thanks to a grant of $486,000 from Heritage Canada awarded under the Commemorate Canada – Reopening Fund program. Note that the rodeos are already sold out.
Inflatable games for children, dance lessons with Guylaine Bourdages and musical performances will be honored to celebrate “this return to normal”. “We are happy to be able to offer this event free of charge thanks to the grant we received from the federal government. We are very grateful for that. It’s our way of giving back to festival-goers, residents of Saint-Tite, staff and volunteers of our organization,” says Pascal Lafrenière.
Tickets for the festival’s various rodeos and shows will be on sale next Saturday, June 4 from 9 a.m. at the Festival’s physical box office and from 10 a.m. for the online box office on the Ovation website.