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In Canada, festivals follow the seasons of the year. Here are some of Culture.ca’s suggestions:
 Autumn
The autumn is traditionally a time for literary festivals and film festivals. Lovers of the written
and spoken word may like the Trois-Rivières’ bilingual
Festival International de la Poésie,
Halifax’s
Atlantic Canada Storytelling Festival,
and Toronto’s
International Festival of Authors.
Film lovers can choose from the
Toronto International Film Festival,
the
Vancouver International Film Festival,
the
Montreal World Film Festival,
the
Atlantic Film Festival,
and
St. John's International Women's Film Festival
in Newfoundland, among many others.
Fall is also a time for families to enjoy the autumn splendour of nature in fall festivals or in
simple activities where one enjoys the beautiful countryside.
Winter
Winter is the time when Canadians and their families take to the slopes and hit the ice at ski
resorts and community hockey rinks across the country. Canada’s world-famous winter festivals
take place in late January and February including
Carnaval de Québec
in Quebec City and
Winterlude/Bal de neige
in Ottawa and Gatineau. There are also winter events that pay homage to Canada’s hardy pioneers
such as the
Festival du Voyageur
in Winnipeg and the
Yukon Sourdough Rendez-vous Festival
set in Whitehorse.
In Calgary, the month of January is devoted to showcasing challenging national and international
theatre, dance, and music in
The High Performance Rodeo,
one of Canada’s leading festivals of new and experimental theatre.
Spring
In some parts of the country, April and May mark the beginning of Canadian music festival season.
Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories celebrates spring with the
Cariblues Festival,
Halifax showcases chamber music with the
Scotia Festival of Music
and Ottawa highlights concerts, flowers and history at the
Canadian Tulip Festival.
Canada is also renowned the world over for its theatre festivals such as
Ontario’s Stratford Festival
and
Shaw Festival,
which begin at this time and continue through to the fall. There are also a number of children’s
festivals including the
Calgary International Children's Festival
and the annual
Saskatchewan International Film Festival for Young People.
Summer
June 21 to July 1 marks
10 days of celebrations in Canada.
The festivities begin on June 21 with National Aboriginal Day and celebrations across the country
continue on June 24 with Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, in honour of the patron saint of French Canadians,
on June 27 with Canadian Multiculturalism Day, and culminate with Canada Day with parties everywhere
on July 1st.
In addition, there are many musical and cultural summer festivals taking place across the country.
Here is just a taste: Yellowknife’s
Summer Solstice Festival,
Calgary’s
Reggaefest,
Winnipeg’s
Folklorama,
Toronto’s
Caribana,
Les Francofolies de Montreal,
New Brunswick’s
Festival acadien de Caraquet
and the
Jazz and Blues Festival
in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Nationally Recognized Days & Events
Special activities and events are also organized across the country during
cultural days
that are recognized internationally and nationally by governments and cultural organizations.
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