Festivals & Events

Festivals and Events in Canada

From rock concerts and rodeos to polar bear swims and bannock bake-offs, Canada features world famous attractions, festivals and local traditions.

The Calgary Stampede is perhaps one of Canada’s more famous events. Every July, the world’s largest rodeo celebrates the Wild West with parades, concerts, a casino, and a big rodeo. Yet in the same month, the lesser-known Northern Games are held in Nunavut. Not to be confused with the high-profile Arctic Winter Games, the Northern Games celebrate traditional native sports and arts, such as drumming and baking bannock, a type of flatbread.

Travel guides and Web sites will often highlight Canada’s more well-known events, such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Its 500 concerts annually attract about 2 million visitors. Similarly, the Toronto International Film Festival is rated second only to Cannes. And in February, visitors from around the world flock to the Carnaval de Québec in Quebec City.

Local media and city Web sites will often provide a local calendar of events, such as Canada Day celebrations and polar bear swims. The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club is one of the largest and oldest polar bear clubs in the world. In 1920, it took its first annual plunge into the icy water of English Bay on New Year's Day.

This section is about Canadian festivals and events, from the local to the world famous.