Colors of Quebec City - traditions, festivals, mentality and lifestyle

Quebec is a homeland of the largest winter carnival in the world. The festival is held in the beginning of February and attracts hundreds of thousands of curious travelers to the city. In winter the city’s streets are decorated with a huge number of beautiful ice sculptures. You can see them almost everywhere. These complex ice compositions look simply fascinating in the light of the sun. When darkness falls to the city, the sculptures are illuminated by a special lighting. Tourists enjoy looking at these beautiful ice statues and making photos of them both in the daytime and at night.

The entertaining program of the holiday is very diverse, and it includes all possible kinds of funny winter activities. Visitors are offered to try sleigh riding and dog sledding, to take part in various races and even swim in snow. Numerous sports competitions, performances of snowboarders and skaters have long become a tradition during the days of the winter celebration.

Guests of the city are also offered to participate in special tours that cover the most attractive places of the city. It is worth noting that in winter all local attractions look simply unique. Just like any other holiday, the winter carnival is impossible without treats and delicacies. Numerous cafes offer visitors a rich selection of hot drinks, pastries and sweets. The festival is traditionally ended by fireworks. The fireworks show is so large and bright that it can be seen from almost any part of the city. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Fans of music will be interested in visiting the city in July, when the famous Festival d'été music festival takes place. The territory of the old city becomes the primary location of the event. This is where the special open stage for musicians is installed. The festival attracts numerous local music bands and foreign performers. As a rule, Festival d'été lasts for 11 days. Fans of jazz and blues are usually attracted by another event - Festival Edwin-Bélanger Bandstand. This event takes place in summer. Various concerts are held in the city every weekend.

There are many other holidays, which can be interesting for foreign tourists. First of all, it is worth mentioning the Festival of Military Orchestras and the Festival of New France. During various national celebrations the city is always visited by many tourists. Travelers feel very comfortable in the city thanks to welcoming and hospitable attitude of local people.

The beginning of September in Quebec City is marked by holding another interesting festival - Festival Celtique de Québec. As is known, North America is home to by many ethnic groups, including Celts (Irish, Scottish, Bretons, Welsh, Galicians). Therefore, it cannot do without a holiday through which the descendants of the Celts acquaint others with their multifaceted culture. During the festival, Celtic music sounds, visitors can learn how to play Celtic games, and event participants dress up in traditional Celtic costumes. All this can be seen on the central streets of the city.

By the way, Saint Patrick’s Day falling on the middle on March is also widely and loudly celebrated in Quebec City. At this time, the central streets "turn green", colorful parades are held, and it would be hard to imagine the holiday without street parties and festivities. Another interesting festival is devoted to the culture of New France (as Quebec City is often called in Canada) and is accordingly called Les Fêtes de la Nouvelle-France. It is held in early August and includes a gastronomic program, musical concerts, theatrical performances, conferences. And all this happens on the central streets of the city. Festival participants dress up in blue, brown, yellow and red - the region's traditional colors - and others gladly follow their example.

Festi Lumière is held during the winter months when the central streets of Quebec City are beautifully illuminated, creating bizarre shapes. The celebration starts on Christmas Eve and ends in early March. Gourmets will be happy to visit Quebec City in mid-April when such a festival as Québec Exquis! Is held here. The city's most popular restaurants, cafes, hotels are all involved, representing the best dishes from top chefs. Special attention is paid to the wine traditions - at this time, one can taste the best wines from different regions of France and Canada. And, of course, discover the new tastes of superbly cooked dishes.

In early May, Quebec City is shrouded in a magical atmosphere - the thing is that the famous event called Festival de Magie de Québec takes place at this time. Cultural institutions of the city and parks (Theater Petit Champlain, Le Parc des Champs-de-Bataille) hold free events for the whole family with the participation famous illusionists from around the world. By the way, they compete in a magic contest, and on the final, fourth day of the festival, one can take part in a stunning gala concert with the best numbers. For young tourists, another festival in Quebec City will be a pleasant surprise - namely, La Parade des Jouets that falls on the beginning of November - a kind of preparation for Christmas. This is the time of colorful parades, animator shows, toy exhibitions, games, and a fabulous mood. And all this happens on the central streets of the city.

It is simply impossible to stay in a bad mood at ComediHa! Fest. The event is entirely devoted to laughing - stand-up comedians prepare their best jokes and share them with the audience. It can be visited within two months - the event begins in mid-July and ends in mid-November. The venues are cultural institutions, concert halls, bars, and clubs in the central parts of the capital of Quebec. Another interesting festival demonstrates circus art and is celebrated throughout the month, starting in early August and ending in early September. We are talking about the Flip Fabrique Circus Show. By the way, the open-air event can be visited for free at Agora Port de Québec.