World City Guide

Special Events

Festival Bleue Blanc Blues, blues music festival (website: www.ski-stoneham.com), mid–Jan, station touristique Stoneham
Carnaval de Québec, winter carnival (website: www.carnaval.qc.ca), early–mid Feb, various locations
Le Rallye de de la Capitale, car rally (website: www.rallyedequebec.com), late Feb–early Mar, throughout the region
Quebec International Pee-wee Hockey Tournament, an important ice hockey tournament for 12 and 13-year-olds from Canada, the US and Europe (website: www.tournoipee-wee.qc.ca), mid–late Feb, Colisée Pepsi
Festiglace – The North Face of Quebec, ice-climbing festival and competition (website: www.festiglace.com), late Feb–early Mar, Jacques-Cartier River
Festival Images du Nouveau Monde (Images of the New World), pan-American film festival (website: www.festival-inm.com), early Apr, various cinemas
Salon international du livre de Québec, French-language book fair (website: www.silq.org), mid–Apr, Centre des Congrès
Festival de la gastronomie de Québec, celebration of regional gastronomy (website: www.parcoursgourmand.com), late Apr, Centre de Foires, Expocité
Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec, biennial theatre festival (website: www.carrefourtheatre.qc.ca), mid–late May (next 2004)
Transat Québec/St-Malo, sailboats and catamarans compete in the quadrennial Quebec City to St Malo, France race, Aug (next event 2004)
Le Grand Rire Bleue, comedy festival (website: www.grandrirebleue.com), early–mid Jun, various venues
Tissot-UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (website: www.mont-sainte-anne.com), late Jun, Mont Sainte-Anne
Fête Nationale du Québec, parade and celebrations (website: www.cfn.org), weekend of 25 Jun, throughout the city
Le Tour de L’Ile d’Orléans, 77km (48-mile) swimming marathon, late Jun–early Jul, Ile d’Orléans
La Fête du Faubourg, local street fair, early Jul, rue St-Jean
Festival d’été de Québec (Quebec Summer Festival), outdoor concerts of popular music from opera to techno (website: www.infofestival.com), early–mid Jul, various stages throughout Old Quebec
Les Grands Feux Loto-Québec, fireworks festival (website: www.lesgrandsfeux.com), late Jul–early Aug, Montmorency Falls
Les Fétes de la Nouvelle-France (New France Celebration Days), festival celebrating the early days of the city, with storytellers, musicians, singers dancers and street performers (website: www.nouvellefrance.qc.ca), early Aug, Lower Town
Festival des Journées d’Afrique – Danses et Rythmes du Monde, world music festival (website: www.festivaljourneedafrique.com), mid–Aug, various locations in the St-Roch neighbourhood
Plein Art, outdoor art exhibition (website: www.metiers-d-art.qc.ca), early–mid Aug, Parc de la Francophonie (Pigeonnier)
Expo Québec, agricultural exhibition and fun fair (website: www.expocite.com), mid–late Aug, ExpoCité
Festival International de Musiques Militaires de Québec (Quebec City International Festival of Military Bands), military music festival (website: www.fimmq.com), late Aug, various locations
Marathon des Deux Rives (website: www.marathonquebec.com), late Aug, Lévis to Quebec
Quebec International Film Festival (website: www.telegraphe.com/fifq), late Aug–early Sep, various locations
Fête Arc-en-ciel, gay pride festival, early Sep, various locations
Festival des couleurs Mont-Sainte-Anne, music, outdoor activities and a craft fair (website: www.mont-sainte-anne.com), mid Sep–mid Oct, Mont-Ste-Anne
Le Parcous Gourmand, celebration of regional gastronomy (website: www.parcoursgourmand.com), early Oct, various venues
Snow Goose Festival, activities to coincide with snow goose migration mid Oct, St-Joachim, Beaupré Coast
Festival des Haut-Parleurs, spoken word festival (website: www.mcq.org), late Oct, Musée de la Civilisation and Musée de l’Amérique française
Festival des Musiques Sacrées de Québec (website: www.festivalmusiquesacree.ca), late Oct–early Nov, various venues in the St-Roch neighbourhood
Skate Canada International, figure skating competition (website: www.skatecanada.ca), late Oct–early Nov, Colisée Pepsi
Un Noël Victorien (A Victorian Christmas), Christmas celebrations (website: www.parkscanada.gc.ca), early Dec, Parc de l’Artillerie
Christmas Market, 1–24 Dec, Marché du Vieux-Port
Snowboard FIS World Cup (website: www.fis-ski.com), mid Dec, Mont-Ste-Anne