THERE’S A FEST FOR EVERYTHING
It has been a long-standing observation that these here parts, on and off the immediate island of Montreal, are continually hopping with a lot of festivals.
Maybe it’s because Quebecers, in general, are so wary of looming winter snowdrifts that they feel behooved to cram their celebrating into the three more accommodating seasons (although last spring’s monsoon can hardly be filed under the category of userfriendly.) I don’t know. What
I do know is that outside of the obvious, like Just for Laughs, the Jazz Fest and the International Film Festival, I cannot keep up with all of the new festivals, much less figure out what some of them are actually about, like Festival Barbegazi. It doesn’t help that I don’t like to leave my Barcalounger after 6 p.m.
If I were to kick-start my very own festival (and it seems that every second person here does), I would definitely use the term “international” like in Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival and Montreal International Musical Competition. Look what international did for that House of Pancakes franchise.
Imagine how far Tim Hortons would go if they promoted “international doughnuts.” Someday, when space travel is like taking a bus, festivals will up their monikers to “inter-cosmic,” I suppose. Anyway, short of the obvious, organizers are pushing the envelope with microcosmic fringe festivals (like the Fringe Festival.) So, what happens when we are jaded with the well-worn themes of music (Montreal International Classical Guitar Festival and the Montreal Reggae Festival), art (Festival Mural), dance (International Tango Festival and Burlesque Festival, film (Cinemania and International Black Film Festival) and, of course, winter (Fête des neiges and Festival Montréal en lumière?) There are still some oddball fêtes out there: St-Jeansur-Richelieu Hot Air Balloon Festival anyone?
By the time we are done filling every day with a festival or a holiday (which is a type of multi-event mini-festival) and the Rogers Cup, and things that are awkwardly technical like the MUTEK digital creativity fest, and books (Salon du Livre) and parades (Santa Claus and St. Patrick’s) and every culture’s event known to humankind (Caribbean), we may be left with something that’s called “We’ve Got Nothing Going on Today Festival.” (Probably a Sunday that we will call The Day of Rest.)
But we are not quite there yet because apparently there is a whole new vista to explore: Food. YUL Eat immediately comes to mind. Judging by the baggage tag, I am guessing that it is held at the airport. What strikes me as incredibly sublime is the specificity of each nosh jubilee: Croissant festival, Le Mondial de la bière/Beer Festival (yes beer; if it is not on the Canada Food Chart it should be), rib fest, soup fest and the recent garlic festival in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue.
And what happens when you run low on food themes? How about French Fry Festival (sponsored by Lafleurs) or Macaroni and Cheese Festival.
When you are all out of ideas, in fact, just go abstract: Sit on the Sidewalk and Stare at People Festival or Longest Ear Hair Festival, and finally, as a last resort — the Festival Celebrating Festivals (whatever that means).