GP weekend is best enjoyed from a distance

It’s a great party, but I’d rather be elsewhere

Montreal has started its engines, and this weekend the city is off to the races — the Grand Prix, of course. With tourists flying in from all around the world for 72 hours of races, parties and good times, Montreal is precisely where it’s at. For some.

If you’re into fancy, over-priced cars, then the Grand Prix will most certainly not disappoint. It offers a premium opportunity to gawk at insanely expensive vehicles, get some Instagram-worthy pictures and party with the international jet set.

Those coming to town for a good time can rest assured they will be well taken care of. The gatherings, special events, sidewalk sales and the overall atmosphere are great. Montreal in the summer really knows how to throw a party.

Still, for Montrealers, feelings about Grand Prix weekend tend to be divided. You either love the festivities and are there drinking the Kool-Aid and on the lookout for celebrities; or, like me, you want to escape town, or failing that, stay indoors all weekend long.

As a Montrealer born and raised, I love following the excitement of the Grand Prix weekend — but I prefer to do that from a distance.

I will admit, there’s something magical about walking around downtown on a sunny day, checking out sidewalk sales, grabbing a bite on

If you’re into fancy, over-priced cars, then the Grand Prix will most certainly not disappoint.

a terrasse and being in the thick of the party. It’s the getting there, battling the massive crowds and dealing with the noise that I can’t stand.

This significant annual event can prove to be an obstacle course, particularly if you’re looking to arrive by car.

Does anyone else see the irony in a festival centred on motor vehicles prompting street closures that, added to our usual construction headaches, serve to discourage anyone from driving into town for the events? For those who do want to join the crowds, taking public transit this weekend can save a great deal of time and frustration — as well, of course, as being good for the environment.

As for the race itself, I’m even less interested. I’ll admit that to me it’s about a bunch of very expensive cars making obnoxiously loud circuits around a racetrack. I couldn’t name more than one or two of the drivers, and couldn’t care less who wins or what kind of car they are driving.

I have friends and family, however, who are all about the races, the parties and the ambience. They don’t want to miss a second of it. Diehard fans will go so far as planning their vacations around the Grand Prix, booking their hotel months in advance and mapping out which parties to attend.

It wasn’t until family from out of town would phone me up to visit that weekend (read: crash at our place and attend the races) that I even became fully aware that the Grand Prix was going on.

But it’s a major Canadian event, and if that’s your thing, one not to be missed. And it certainly benefits downtown merchants all set to experience sales that may be triple what they might be on any other summer weekend, and the hotels and restaurants. The influx of tourist cash flowing through the city is great for our economy.

It’s just not everyone’s cup of tea — or flute of Champagne.

In previous years, I have tried to plan to leave town just before the Grand Prix and return once it’s over. I love my city; I don’t love contending with the additional tens of thousands of visitors.

So you won’t find me downtown this weekend. I’ll be somewhere a lot calmer and quieter.

But I’ll resurface once the proverbial racetrack dust has settled.

Fariha Naqvi-Mohamed is the founder and editor in chief of CanadianMomEh.com, a lifestyle blog. twitter.com/canadianmomeh