Rigaud ready to welcome 50,000 for Festival des Couleurs
The trees aren’t yet ablaze with autumn colour, thanks to unusually warm weather in September, but leaf-peepers are beginning to spy trees tipped with red and gold in Rigaud’s forests as the town gets ready for its annual Festival des Couleurs.
Festival director Christiane Lévesque said in the past 20 years, the festival has grown from a small local celebration to an iconic three-day event. This year, organizers expect the Oct. 7-9 festival will draw around 50,000 visitors to the small town, which has a population of just 8,000.
According to Lévesque, the event is designed to appeal to families who are looking for something to do together on the Thanksgiving weekend with grandparents, children and extended family.
“They come to breathe some fresh air and have the beautiful scenery up the mountain and take the time to be outdoors before the winter comes,” said Lévesque. “Even when there’s a lot of people there, they’re happy to be there.”
This year, the festival is growing again, from two sites to three, with free shuttles available from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. to transport visitors between Parc Chartier-de Lotbinière, Mont Rigaud and Arbraska Rigaud.
The Marché des Saveurs is one of the main highlights at Parc Chartier-de Lotbinière (5 Pagé St.). Around 40 local agrifood producers will offer tastings of locally produced food and beverages for sale. Other features on this site include the Bearded Path, which is a lumberjack-themed obstacle course honouring Quebec’s famous coureurs de bois, as well as activities like archery, face-painting, pedal go-karts, miniature train rides and more.
On Mont Rigaud (321 Des Érables St.), visitors can enjoy scenic chairlift rides up the mountain to a picnic area with a panoramic view, hike Rigaud’s many trails, ride horses or mountain bikes, take helicopter or balloon tours, and enjoy live music, activities and animation.
For the first time, there will also be activities at the site of Arbraska Rigaud (85 Bourget Way) as well. For $5, festivalgoers can enjoy the Artemania art walk through the forest, the Arbre-en-Ciel children’s adventure playground, or the Grandes-Tyro ziplines.
Parking is available at all three sites, as well as within the village. Access to all sites is free, but fees are charged for some of the activities. For more information on the festival, visit festivaldescouleurs.com.