A feast of festivals this summer
National Post Published: Friday, June 27, 2008
From west to east, here's a roundup of some of this year's biggest fetes:
BRITISH COLUMBIA• The summer-long Bard on the Beach festival in Vancouver (through Sept. 21, bardonthebeach.org) stages waterfront productions of Shakespeare. This year's plays include Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Tempest and Titus Andronicus.
• Festival Vancouver (Aug. 13-17, festivalvancouver.bc.ca) showcases classical, world music and jazz; headliners include the Bill Charlap Trio and Salsa Dura.
• At Tlell, the Queen Charlotte Islands' Edge of the World Music Festival (Aug. 8-10, edgefestival.com) brings performers from across Canada to play a mix of blues, Celtic, folk, rock and world music.
• In the Interior, the Okanagan Summer Wine Festival (Aug. 8-9, owfs.com) in Vernon is a must for oenophiles, with tastings of local wines, food and music.
• On Vancouver Island, the Filberg Festival (Aug. 1-4, filbergfestival.com ) in the Comox Valley is one of the finest arts-and-crafts festivals in the Pacific Northwest, with works by B.C. artists.
• On Vancouver Island, the Filberg Festival (Aug. 1-4, filbergfestival.com ) in the Comox Valley is one of the finest arts-and-crafts festivals in the Pacific Northwest, with works by B.C. artists.
NORTHERN TERRITORIES (
travelyukon.com;
explorenwt.com)
• Part of Dawson City's Discovery Days weekend, the Yukon Riverside Arts Festival (Aug. 15-17, kiac.org/artsfest) is held in parkland adjacent to the Yukon River, with participating artists from across the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
• Act fast: The 30th annual Dawson City Music Festival (July 18-20, dcmf.com) is nearly sold out. This year's edition features the Good Brothers, Ken Whiteley, the Sadies and others.
• Other must-dos: the Yukon Gold Panning Championships (July 1, dawsoncity.ca) and the Great Klondike International Outhouse Race (Aug. 31, dawsoncity.ca), with porta-potties for rent for those who left theirs at home.
• In Yellowknife, Folk on the Rocks (July 18-20, folkontherocks.com) has a "global-fusion" mandate, with music from Northern and Southern traditions.
• Finally, Inuvik hosts the Great Northern Arts Festival (July 11-20, gnaf.org), a celebration of the artistic diversity of the North.
ALBERTA• The annual Wild West hoedown known as the Calgary Stampede (July 4-13, calgarystampede.com) returns with cattle roping, steer rasslin' and pancake breakfasts served up by your favourite politicians.
• At Reggae Fest 5 (Aug. 14-16, calgaryreggaefestival.com), Calgarians trade their Stetsons for dreadlocks as the city mellows out for some jammin'.
• The Blueberry Bluegrass and Country Music Festival (Aug. 1-3, blueberrybluegrass.com) and the Edmonton Folk Festival (Aug. 7-10, edmontonfolkfest.org) offer a double helping of old-time country and roots.
• All summer long, the Fringe Festival works its way westward until it hits Edmonton (Aug. 14-24, fringetheatreadventures.ca), the original Canadian Fringe, and still the best.
• The biennial Leonard Cohen International Festival (July 23-28, festivalcity.ca) pays tribute to Canada's most beloved troubadour with concerts and spoken-word performances by Serena Ryder, Jann Arden and others.
• The Banff Summer Arts Festival (through Aug. 28, banffcentre.ca) features daily programs of classical and jazz concerts, readings and art exhibitions, with skiers always welcome.
SASKATCHEWAN• The Festival of Words (July 17-20, festivalofwords.com) presents a host of Canadian writers, including Elizabeth Hay, Ted Barris and children's author Sheree Fitch, for a series of workshops and readings.
• Rosin the bow for the John Arcand Fiddle Fest (Aug. 7-10, johnarcandfiddlefest.com), a four-day marathon of workshops, competitions and fiddling to rival Nero.
• Moose Jaw attracts visitors from all over the world who come for the heritage buildings, galleries, restaurants and mineral springs. The Prairie Arts Festival (Aug. 14-16, prairieartsfestival.com) showcases all of the above, plus music, dance, art and children's activities.
MANITOBA• Folklorama (Aug. 3-16, folklorama.ca) tips the hat to the city's many ethnic groups with pavilions offering traditional food and displays of costume and dancing.
• Shakespeare in the Ruins (shakespeareintheruins.com) presents productions by the Bard at outdoor locations throughout the city.
• At the National Ukrainian Festival (Aug. 1-3, cnuf.ca) in Dauphin, costumed revellers gather from all over the world for a giant zabava (party).
• Bet you didn't know that Gimli is known as "the heart of New Iceland." This year's Islendingadagurinn, or Icelandic Festival (Aug. 1-4, icelandicfestival.com), celebrates the largest Icelandic community outside the homeland; get there early and take in the Gimli Film Festival (July 25-29, gimlifilmfestival.com).
ONTARIO• For theatre lovers, the Shaw Festival (shawfest.com), in the dollhouse-quaint (some would say twee) Niagara-on-the-Lake, presents works from the classic and modern repertoire. Highlights this year: Mrs. Warren's Profession, A Little Night Music and the detective drama An Inspector Calls.
• Ottawa, meanwhile, presents two sides of the classics with the international Chamber Music Festival (July 25-Aug. 9, chamberfest.com) and Ottawa Bluesfest (July 3-13, ottawabluesfest.ca), featuring Steely Dan, Brian Wilson, Taj Mahal, Jakob Dylan, Cassandra Wilson and more.
• In cottage country, the Festival of the Sound, in Parry Sound (July 18-Aug. 10, festivalofthesound.ca) is celebrating its 29th season with a program of chamber music.
• At Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay, the world's largest fur-trade post celebrates the anniversary of the Great Rendezvous (July 10-14, fwhp.ca), recalliing the days of the voyageurs.
• In lovely Fergus, along the Grand River, thrill to the massed bands, caber tossing and Highland dancing, at the Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games (Aug. 8-10, fergusscottishfestival.com).
• And, of course, Toronto has far too many festivals not to list a few. At Summerworks (Aug. 7-17, summerworks.ca) or the Fringe (July 5-16, fringetoronto.com), the chances of catching a future hit show run high.
• The Beaches Jazz Festival (July 18-27, beachesjazz.com) is celebrating its 20th anniversary with Louisiana blues man Tab Benoit, Canada's Roxane Potvin and dozens of street performances.
• Summerlicious (July 4-20) offers a chance to sample fare at some of the city's finest restaurants, with special prix-fixe menus.
• And Caribana (July 31-Aug. 4, caribanatoronto.com), North America's largest Caribbean festival, gyrates its way along Lake Shore Boulevard with soca bands, spectacular costumes and dancing.
QUEBEC• Joan Rivers, Kathy Griffin and Craig Ferguson are among the headliners at this year's Just for Laughs (July 10-20, hahaha.com) in Montreal, which has been keeping 'em rolling in the aisles for years.
• Hot on the heels of Toronto's gay-pride week is Montreal's Divers/Cité (July 29-Aug. 3, diverscite.org), a week-long celebration that winds up with a spectacular parade.
• With its world-famous music camp, Joliette has long been an important musical centre in Canada; it is also home to the Festivale de Lanaudière (July 5-Aug. 3, lanaudiere.org), a month-long program of orchestras, chamber groups and soloists.
NOVA SCOTIA• The quiet town of Digby wakes up in August for the 33rd annual Digby Scallop Days (Aug. 6-10, digbyscallopdays.com), a weekend of parades, woodsmen competitions and fresh bivalves.
• In Halifax, the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo (July 1-8, nstattoo.ca) is a week-long extravaganza of marching, piping, drumming and miles of tartan featuring more than 2,000 performers from around the world.
• If you missed Pride Week in your city, you can still wave the rainbow flag at the Halifax Pride Week Festival (July 20-27), Atlantic Canada's largest pride celebration, with daily events leading up to the big parade at week's end.
• At Canso, on the Eastern Shore, the Stan Rogers Folk Festival (July 4-6) pays tribute to the singer/songwriter with folk concerts, jazz, Celtic, gospel and bluegrass by the seaside.
• For history buffs, the Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island (pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/Index_e.asp) commemorates the 250th anniversary of the second siege of Louisbourg (July 25-27), a turning point in the Seven Years War, with re-enactments and celebrations.
NEW BRUNSWICK• In Fredericton, the Highland Games and Scottish Festival (July 25-27, highlandgames.ca) marks its 27th anniversary with concerts, ceilidhs and a ceremonial tattoo.
• In Saint John, the Salty Jam (July 10-12, saltyjam.ca) presents jaz• and blues artists at venues around the city, while the Loyalist Heritage Festival (July 14-18, loyalistheritagefestival.ca) celebrates some of the few remaining Loyalists with historic re-enactments, walking tours and traditional Maritime food.
• The Lamèque International Baroque Festival (July 24-27, festivalbaroque.com) is dedicated to music from the period 1600-1760. Highlights this year include a performance by Quebec harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour.
• The Baie-des-Chaleurs Chamber Music Festival (July 10-13, fmcbc.nb.ca) presents concerts by Alain and David Lefèvre, Quartetto Gelato and an intriguing program titled Beethoven Seen Through Science.
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND• This is the big year - the 100th anniversary of the publication of Anne of Green Gables - and Islanders have a summer's worth of activities at the L.M. Montgomery Festival in Cavendish (July 3-Aug. 31, lmmontgomeryfestival.com). Enjoy ice-cream socials, barn dances, stories, music and more wholesome fun.
• Can't get enough Anne? There's always the annual Charlottetown Festival's production of the musical that bears her name (confederationcentre.com).
• You don't need a white sports coat to enjoy a pink crustacean at the Summerside Lobster Carnival (July 5-11, exhibitions-festivalspeiae.com). Grab your bib and crackers and dig into a traditional lobster supper.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR• Every year some 50,000 spectators cram into St. John's for the Royal St. John's Regatta (stjohnsregatta.org), the oldest sporting event in North America. This year's race is on Aug. 6 at Quidi Vidi Lake.
• Also in St. John's, the George Street Festival (July 31-Aug. 5) features live music every night in the heart of the city
• The 14th-annual Sound Symposium (July 3-13, soundsymposium.com) presents an eclectic mix of daily concerts including a must-attend daily Harbour Symphony.
• Join a host of authors including Michael Crummey and Paulette Bourgeois at this year's Winterset in Summer Literary Festival on the Eastport Peninsula (Aug. 8-10, wintersetinsummer.ca).
• Finally, to partake of some traditional Newfoundland Irish music and culture, get your toes tapping to the Avalon Peninsula and the Southern Shore Shamrock Festival (July 26-27, ssfac.com).
Each summer, Paris celebrates the life and works of Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin - the legendary Polish-born composer and pianist who spent 15 years of his life in the city from the 1830s. During the month-long festival, pianists of world-renown play alongside young up and coming musicians in a programme dedicated to Chopin which also includes other great works by such composers as Hummel, Rachmaninov, Moscheles, Ohana and Ligeti. The events take place in the magnificent setting of the Orangerie du Parc de Bagatelle, a fantastic venue at any time of the year that really is magical on a warm summer evening.
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