Ten festivals to enjoy the summer

Festivals, there will be something for everyone in the province, all summer long. Whether it’s to discover a little corner of the country, rediscover the pleasure of getting together or simply change the scenery for a weekend, here are 10 suggestions for events during the summer season.

Laila Maalouf
The Press

For foodies in Sherbrooke

The Sherbrooke Gourmet Festival t’en bouche un coin is renewed this year for its eighth edition, with a new location and a new formula focused on local gastronomy. Twenty of the best chefs in the region as well as local producers will introduce you to the richness of the terroir with appetizers to taste. The festivities will take place for the first time at the Marché de la gare, in the heart of downtown Sherbrooke; 25 tents will be scattered all along the Lac-des-Nations promenade, rather than under a large tent as in previous editions. On the program, an evening under the theme of Quebec beer and cider on Saturday, and a large vegetarian picnic on Sunday. Culinary classes, workshops on local alcohol, BBQ services, wine bars and cocktail parties are also planned.

From June 9 to 12

Dance and drums in Wendake

The Wendake International Pow Wow returns to the heart of Old Wendake for an event that promises to be colorful and fun for the whole family. Dancers and drummers from various First Nations from here and elsewhere will gather there for the long weekend of Canada Day, in particular for the grand entrance of a sacred nature and a performance of drums representing the beating of the heart. of Mother Earth. Visitors will be able to attend traditional dance competitions where the physical endurance, the style of each dancer and the colors of the ceremonial clothes of each nation represented will be highlighted. Artisans, demonstrations of maintaining traditions, game tastings and traditional dishes will also be on the agenda.

From 1^er to July 3

Brewfest in Laval

The Laval Beer Festival will bring together 85 exhibitors for its big country party, which takes place in the heart of summer. Some 40 Quebec microbreweries from all regions of Quebec will be honored to showcase the Quebec brewing industry as well as local products. Quebec cider houses and restaurants will also be on site. Food and beer pairing workshops, tastings, meetings with craftsmen as well as numerous musical and humorous performances are among the planned activities. A play area has even been reserved for children.

July 15 to 17

Live art in Baie-Saint-Paul

The Symposium international d’art contemporain de Baie-Saint-Paul will celebrate its 40^and anniversary by inviting 13 artists from Quebec and elsewhere to take part, for a month, in a live creation experience. Visitors will be able to see them create a work around a theme, but also attend lively exchanges and discussions, conferences, screenings and live painting sessions. Since its beginnings in 1982, the Symposium has welcomed more than 500 artists, including Raymonde April, René Derouin, Marc Séguin and Herménégilde Chiasson. The detailed program and the names of the guest artists will be announced shortly.

From July 29 to August 28

Multicultural festivities in Montreal

Montreal’s Italian Week is changing its name this year to become ItalfestMTL. In addition to brightening up Little Italy, the festival, which returns for its 29^and edition, will be present in other boroughs of the metropolis (Kirkland, LaSalle and Saint-Léonard) as well as in Laval. Activities for the whole family, presentation of Italian films, music shows and even a competition for the best dessert are on the menu. ItalfestMTL will also be on the Quiet esplanade of the Quartier des spectacles for the first time, during its last weekend, with the screening of the film Cinema Paradiso with orchestra and a classical concert by the Canadian trio Lyrico.

August 5 to 21

Tales and legends on the North Shore

A special edition of the Innucadie Storytelling and Legend Festival is being prepared this year in Natashquan, on the North Shore, to welcome Innu and Acadian artists from the North Shore. It will also be an opportunity to inaugurate the Sentier Innucadie, a poetic ambulatory trail with reading corners that will present the poetry of Joséphine Bacon and Gilles Vigneault, both from the region. The elders of the Innu communities are also expected there for a cultural mediation activity orchestrated by the Bolivian painter Javier Escamilla, while a special evening will pay tribute to the great storyteller Simon Gauthier, who passed away this year.

August 11 to 14

Beer, food and music in Lanaudière

Lanaudière will host the first edition of the Festival Bière et Bouffe de Saint-Calixte in the summer. The details of the program have yet to be confirmed, but we already know that Éric Lapointe, Marie-Chantal Toupin, Marc Dupré and Dany Bédar will be performing there; there will also be tributes to Offenbach, Corbeau and Les Colocs, DJs and performances by comedians. Poutine, barbecue and lobster will notably be on the menu during these two weekends accompanied by local, artisanal and popular brand beers to please all tastes, as well as spirits.

From August 12 to 14 and from August 19 to 21

Logging competitions in Chaudière-Appalaches

For 40 years now, the Festival du Bûcheux de Saint-Pamphile has been showcasing the forestry industry through its traditional forestry competitions. The event, which has won the Grand Prix du tourisme de Chaudière-Appalaches on numerous occasions, also provides activities for the whole family (with a large playground for children), crafts, exhibitions of machinery, a factory tour, fireworks and various shows (to be unveiled soon).

August 24 to 28

Street theater in Shawinigan

Les Escales Fantastiques is back in Mauricie this summer after a 15-year absence. Some 125 artists and creators from here and elsewhere will transform Shawinigan’s public space into a huge theatrical amusement park during this street theater festival. Thirty shows will be presented each day, by companies from Quebec and elsewhere. Squares, streets, parks and buildings will thus be transformed into unusual scenes. In particular, the show is planned Lovefrom the French company Bilbobasso, The sheepsToronto’s Corpus, and Waterbombs!, from the New Yorker Acrobuffos. The dozen musicians and dancers from the Urban Science Brass Band as well as Les Sages Fous, from Trois-Rivières, are also expected for this long weekend where theatre, dance, music, circus and performing arts will intersect.

August 18 to 21

All about mushrooms in Bas-Saint-Laurent

This is the perfect opportunity to discover the region’s forest terroir and celebrate Mushroom Month with the Kamouraska Forest Mushroom Festival, which will take place at the very end of summer at the Camp musical Saint-Alexandre site. Local products, mushroom market, conferences, workshops, tastings and gastronomic banquet are among others on the program, with a special menu prepared by the guest chef, whose identity will be revealed shortly. Lodging is also available on site to take advantage of this very last summer weekend.

From September 16 to 18