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Crowd Gathers for a Concert at the Winnipeg Folk Festival1 |
From coast to coast, festivals
across Canada mirror the
multicultural and diverse makeup of a relatively young nation. Whether it be a
musical spectacle on a sweltering summer day or a mid-winter outdoor hullabaloo,
these multifarious celebrations attract festival goers from every corner of the
country and beyond. There are festivals for the young, the old, the music lover,
the outdoor enthusiast and everyone in between.
Standing out from among
the large collection of Canada's finest festivals are a few events that not
only draw a large crowd, but also celebrate the rich history and culture of
this country. These merrymaking festivities proudly promote the traits and talents
unique to Canada and its people.
While there are many exceptional
celebrations throughout the year, there are a number of festivals that can be
considered Canada's best because of their story, popularity and contributions
to Canadian culture. Following are the top ten festivals that the great white
north has to offer.
THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
Touted as the “Greatest
Outdoor Show on Earth,” the Calgary
Stampede is the world's largest outdoor rodeo and a defining event for
the city of Calgary. This
multifaceted celebration attracts over one million attendees annually.
In 1912, the richest rodeo
competition in North America was held for the first time in Calgary. With ample
prize money, the Calgary Stampede drew crowds of hopeful cowboys and adoring
fans. In 1923, the Stampede joined forces with the Calgary Exhibition to create
an event that married the beloved rodeo events with midway entertainment.
Each year the Stampede
Grounds, situated on the southeast corner of downtown, hosts stage shows,
the rodeo,
rides, chuck
wagon races, agricultural competitions, concerts and more. This ten-day
festival in the second week of July is kicked into gear by the Stampede
Parade, a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) route around the city's core, which draws
over 100,000 spectators. Another popular attraction is the Grandstand
Show, which features singing and dancing and a grand finale fireworks
display as the day draws to an end.
From pancake breakfasts
to corporate parties to concerts, the city of Calgary is abuzz with Stampede
fever; cowboys and cowgirls can be found roaming the streets in their country-western
gear any time of the day.
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A
Midway Game at the Calgary Stampede2 |
QUÉBEC WINTER CARNIVAL/
CARNAVAL DE QUÉBEC
Considered the largest winter
carnival in the world, the Québec Winter Carnival or Carnaval de Québec
celebrates Canada's subzero temperatures for 17 days in January/February.
Initially held in 1894,
this festival was originally a Mardi-Gras style celebration, but unfortunately
suffered throughout the years of the Great Depression and the World Wars. As
the country found its footing, the festivities resumed in Québec
City and matured to become a family-friendly event.
Reveling in everything winter,
this carnival features a snowman mascot named Bonhomme Carnavale who is presented
with the keys to the city by the mayor at the opening ceremonies. Bonhomme's
home is an impressive ice castle, which is built each year in the months leading
up to the festival. The first ice castle was constructed in 1955 in Jacques-Cartier
Square. A fresh design each year, these renowned ice structures now sit adjacent
to the Québec
Parliament. From participatory sports to parades to dog sled races,
this carnival features events for the entire family and finds fun in the frigid
temperatures of winter's coldest months.
WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL
Initially held as a one-time
celebration for Winnipeg's
centennial year in 1974, this festival won over the hearts of Manitobans and
eventually became one of the province's favourite annual events.
Luring crowds of 45,000
people, the Winnipeg
Folk Festival begins on a Thursday and carries on through the weekend
to Sunday evening. Over 300 artists from Canada
and around the world gather to thrill audiences with music ranging from
folk to bluegrass to alternative-country and beyond. Past performers have included
Martha Wainwright, Feist and Sarah Harmer.
The festival also features
vendors who flock from all around North America to sell their trinkets and gifts
at the various pavilions. Visitors can purchase everything from jewelry to musical
instruments to soap products. There is also the festival music store, which
provides festival-goers with access to the recorded works of the many performing
artists.
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| Bonhomme
Celebrates Canadian Winter3 |
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JUST FOR LAUGHS/ JUSTE POUR
RIRE
Considered by many as the
preeminent comedy festival of its kind, this month-long event in Montreal
is viewed as the foremost opportunity for up-and-coming artists. Beginning in
1983 as a francophone-only festival, Just
For Laughs eventually introduced the English-speaking section of the
program in 1985. Taking place in the summer, the first half of this month-long
laugh fest is dedicated to French-speaking performers while the second half
promotes English-speaking comedians. Over the years, Just For Laughs has attracted
some of the biggest names in the business, including Jon Stewart, Jerry Seinfeld,
Jason Alexander, Bill Cosby, Ray Romano and more.
In addition to the daily
scheduled events, there are also street performers called New Vaudevillians
who entertain throughout the city streets of Montreal, particularly in the Latin
Quarter.
TORONTO INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
Held in September, the Toronto
International Film Festival (TIFF) runs for 10 days and screens between
300 and 400 films at over 20 theatres in downtown Toronto.
The history of TIFF dates
back to 1976 when the event was hosted for the first time at the Windsor Arms
Hotel, where over 140 films from 30 different countries were shown. Over time
TIFF has garnered international attention and grown into a prized film festival
that is considered to be a starting point for the “Oscar Buzz.”
Throughout its existence,
the festival has featured films and directors from around the world, as well
as talented filmmakers from Canada.
The festival features awards and highlighted categories, such as Perspective
Canada, which was introduced in the 1980s with the intent of promoting the Canadian
film industry.
This film festival attracts
some of the most revered names in the business, as well as up-and-coming artists
and film makers from around the world who are offered an international stage
to showcase their talents.
LES FRANCOFOLIES DE MONTREAL
This ten-day francophone
festival attracts over 500,000 visitors each year and features more than 1,000
French musicians from around the globe. Running from late July to early August,
Les
Francofolies de Montreal began in 1989 attracting 500 people with 15
shows. By 2003 there were 200 performances that lured over 800,000 people; 150
of those performances were free-of-charge.
The idea for this festival
came from Jean-Louis Foulquier who founded Les FrancoFolies de la Rochelle in
France. After four successful years in France,
the festival arrived in Canada with the purpose of promoting French artists
and providing listeners with a large-scale French musical jubilee.
VANCOUVER INTERNATIONAL
CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL
Appealing to children from
the age of three to those in their preteen years, this annual extravaganza features
theatre performances, music, story-telling, puppetry, dance and more. This wonderland
of amazement for children and parents alike draws more than 50,000 people each
year.
Eager to promote children's
theatre in Canada, a few dedicated individuals first created the Vancouver
International Children's Festival in 1978. That first year the British
helped the festival by paying for theatre companies to travel to Vancouver
and participate. Today, this unique and successful event includes stand-up comedy,
clay sculptures, musical jams, face painting and appearances by some of children's
favourite entertainers.
OTTAWA BLUESFEST
This annual outdoor festival
features a series of musical performances that span across 11 days. While focused
on blues, this event has progressively become known for its many mainstream
pop and rock concerts.
In 1994, Major
Hills Park was home to the first Bluesfest,
which had a turnout of more than 5,000 people. By 2007, this musical marvel
attracted over 300,000 attendees and moved to LeBreton Flats Park. The second
largest blues festival in North America and the largest in Canada, this multi-stage
event has showcased musicians such as Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Sting, Black Eyed
Peas, Van Morrison and the White Stripes.
MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL
JAZZ FESTIVAL/FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE JAZZ DE MONTREAL
Known as “Jazz
Fest,” this acclaimed festival draws over two million people from
around the world. Presently the largest jazz festival the world over, there
are hundreds of artists who perform and woo audiences from within four city
blocks of downtown Montreal.
Centred around Place-Des-Arts,
Jazz Fest is held at the beginning of July.
In 1980, the premiere of
this event was made possible by contributions from Alain deGrosbois of CBC stereo
and Télé-Québec. An instant success, the first bill featured
big league names like Ray Charles, Vic Vogel and Chick Corea. Drawing over 120,000
people in its introductory year, the unstoppable momentum of this event has
earned international attention. Over the years jazz greats such as Ella Fitzgerald,
Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis have performed at this jazz festival.
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The
Colourful Pride Parade in Toronto4 |
PRIDE WEEK
Taking over the streets
of downtown Toronto,
this ten-day festival is centred around Church and Wellesley Village and features
a parade, Dyke-March, DJs, street parties and more.
Evolving from a protest
against a Toronto Police raid of four gay bathhouses in 1981, Pride
Week is a celebration of human diversity that is at times considered
to have an underlying political message.
The Pride Parade is one
of the week's main events drawing over a million people in 2004. The parade,
which generally follows a route along Yonge, Gerrard and Bloor streets, was
re-routed in 1994 following a vote against same-sex marriage; that year the
path led the parade's participants past the provincial legislature. Increasingly
seen as one of Toronto's most important cultural events, many politicians and
leaders have marched proudly alongside Canada's lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender
(LGBT) communities in the Pride Parade. In 1995, Barbarba Hall became the first
mayor of Toronto to participate and in 2005 Bill Blair became the premier Toronto
Police Chief to march in the parade.
Throughout Pride Week, downtown
Toronto is animated and alive with celebrations and cultural activities. There
are many non-official events, such as PRISM – a multi-day circuit party.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Wikipedia; Concert at
the Winnipeg Folk Festival; Winnipeg, MB, CAN
- Midway Game at the Calgary
Stampede; Calgary, AB, CAN
- Wikipedia; Bonhomme the
Mascot for the Quebec Winter Carnival; Quebec City, QC, CAN
- Participants in the Pride
Parade; Toronto, ON, CAN
