The Rendez-vous d’howard returns
The Rendez-vous d’howard, Sherbrooke’s annual celebration of local history is back for a 17th year this Fall, this time focusing on the period from 1885 to 1914. Set to take place the weekend of September 7 to 9, the festival will offer a little bit of something for everyone, with activities ranging from live musical performances to a miniature train exhibition.
Sherbrooke’s Deputy Mayor, Paul Gingues, highlighted the era that is in the spotlight this year as being a key time for the development of Sherbrooke
and said that the chance to step back into that period is an opportunity not to be missed.
“Year after year the city supports the Rendez-vous d’howard,” Gingues said, adding that recent work in the park has rendered the site “more magical than ever.”
Chantal L’esperance, President of the event’s organizing committee, explained that the festival, which started as part of the bicentennial celebrations in 2002, was meant as a way of giving the park back to the people of the city.
“Many people thought this was private land when, in fact, it was left to the city in 1962 by Senator Howard,” L’esperance said, adding that the subsequent celebrations of Sherbrooke’s past and present have helped people across the region develop a real attachment to what started out as the Howard family’s hunting and fishing estate, once upon a time.
With a focus on art, nature, and highlighting Sherbrooke’s founding cultures, the annual gathering has a long list of possible activities to explore.
This year access to the site will work a little differently than in years past. Although the general public will still be able to visit the park for free, access to the concerts and activities of the festival will require the purchase of a small tartan square that will serve as an access pass. Priced at $5 (free for children 12 and under) to keep the event accessible to a broad population, the access pass is meant to help keep the festival financed and fully operational for the years to come.
The full programming for the weekend will be distributed in pamphlets throughout the region in the coming days, and will be available on the event’s website, http://www.rendezvousdhoward.com/, shortly. During the weekend, English speaking volunteers will be stationed at the festival’s central information desk for anyone seeking help or directions.