Festivals: where lasting memories are made!

A touching show of solidarity for Petite-Vallée’s Festival en chanson

In 2017, the Théâtre de la Vieille Forge was ravaged by fire, taking with it the administrative offices of Petite-Vallée’s Festival en chanson. From Gaspé to Montreal, via Rimouski and Quebec City, artists, promoters and even the public showed immense solidarity by raising funds to rebuild the performance hall. Chanter plus fort que le feu [Sing louder than the flames] was a fundraising campaign that made it possible to rebuild the headquarters of the festival organization. Thanks to this show of solidarity, the event was given a new lease on life, once again affirming its relevance. How moving!

A few drinks in, someone has a crazy idea… and Baie-Saint-Paul’s Le Festif! was born!

In 2009, after a few drinks around a campfire, Clément Turgeon, the current head of Le Festif! in Baie-Saint-Paul, joked that the village was sorely lacking a larger-than-life event. He dreamed of creating an artistic and festive event that would make the small town shine, get people in the streets, and bring residents together to have a big party. Obviously, setting up this kind of event in a town of 7,500 people seemed outlandish at the time, to say the least.

Well, this crazy idea will celebrate its 13th edition this year. It just goes to show that a little drink and a fertile imagination can go a long way!

When you attend a festival, never forget that behind the scenes there are brave organizers and volunteers who are there to make sure you’re happy... but who are also full of memorable stories!