Travel in Canada is an exciting and often surprising proposition that provides a nice bridge between the out-of-country destination experience and the home vacation. Certain regions notwithstanding, you won't experience the culture shock in Canada that you might experience traveling to Mexico, the United Kingdom, or even Australia. But that isn't to say that traveling to Canada is necessarily like traveling around the United States.
Rather, Canada is a mix of the two. It is a fresh, beautiful country with several remarkable personalities all its own, yet it shares with the U.S. a sense of fun and continental amusement. It is, in other words, a safe getaway. It's a way to get out of the country and experience a new culture while maintaining a sense of ease and security. With rising gas and living costs pinching travel budgets that much tighter nationwide, a little security goes a long way.
Here's the trick: Canada (all of it) peaks during the summer. Unless you have a personal attraction to sub-zero weather, the summer is the time to visit. Thankfully, our neighbors to the north aren't blind to this, and they save up all of their most exciting yearly events for the summertime, giving prospective travelers more options than they know what to do with.
Here are some exciting summer events and festivals in Canada to help you get a little direction of where you'd like to visit.
Ontario
Ontario, Canada is a remarkable blend. Crystal lakes and lush tree-lined mountainsides flecked with snow paint the unmistakable picture of Canada's wintry beauty, yet their events calendar explodes with international fanfare. From traditional Caribbean festivals to highland games celebrations, there's an alluring charm to Ontario's eclectic tastes.
Ontario vacations are certainly never short of choices.
Caribana Festival
July 15 - August 3, 2008
Believe it or not, Toronto, Ontario has hosted North America's largest Caribbean festival since 1967. Caribana Festival, also known as Scotiabank Caribana, is a Masquerade/Carnival-style event best known for the celebration of traditional steel drum music, Calypso music, reggae, and Caribbean cuisine. The raucous event culminates in a massive parade of featured bands, costumed dancers, and floats. Along with general entertainment events, the festival hosts band and dance competitions.
Select from these great Toronto, Ontario hotels.
Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games
August 8-10, 2008
From the bustling streets of Trinidad to the highlands of Scotland, the Fergus Scottish Festival & Highland Games is a cultural experience worthy of the trip. For three days in August in the central Ontario town of Fergus you'll be overwhelmed by hearty Scottish hospitality, music, and food while watching competitions of the most unusual sort. Bagpipe competitions, tug of war, caber throwing, running, highland dancing, all these exciting challenges and more await the courageous competitors.
To visit Fergus, consider one of these Mississauga hotels.
Quebec
Due to a potential language barrier as Quebec is mostly French-speaking, first-time visitors would do well to stick to the major cities of Montreal, Quebec City, and Gatineau, but truth be told: that's just fine! Most of the biggest events center around this area. In Quebec you'll discover several yearly events that aren't far removed from American favorites. Film festivals, concert series, it's the kinds of things you'd recognize, but always with a certain international twist.
Quebec holidays are all about entertainment.
Quebec City Summer Festival
July 3-13, 2008
Festival d'été de Québec if you prefer, the Quebec City Summer Festival is one of the largest music entertainment events in the world, a massive 11-day extravaganza featuring more than 200 bands and over 400 shows across several venues throughout the city. Bizarre and wildly entertaining street performers will fill the streets as music fans of every age and nationality descend hungrily on the buffet of sonic delights. The Festival is impressive not just in size but in variety with headlining performances in genres as diverse as rock, classical, pop, and hip-hop. 2008 headliners include Van Halen, Linkin Park, Wyclef Jean, Joaquin Diaz, and many more.
Click here for affordable hotels in Quebec, Canada
Fantasia Film Festival
July 3-21, 2008
The Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal, Quebec might not yet have the name recognition of festivals like Sundance, but it makes up for by having twice the fun. This unusual festival began as a showcase for Asian filmmaking but has grown into the pivotal stage for genre pictures the world over looking for North American distribution. Every year the festival hosts several North American and even world premieres of films that later find their way into art house and repertory theatres all across the country. Common to many film fests, several movies are in a rough-cut state and are being shown early to generate buzz for the eventual release.
Search here for a list of Montreal, Quebec hotels.
British Columbia
The stunning look of British Columbia combines historic architecture from the mid-1800s with modern marvels for a setting truly like no other place on earth. The cities of Vancouver and Victoria and must visits for any
British Columbia travel, but if you're looking to get in on the local events scene, check these out:
Vancouver International Jazz & Folk Music Festivals
June 20-29, 2008; July 18-20, 2008
A double helping of musical bliss keeps Vancouver, BC jumping all summer long. First, late June brings us the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Over 400 hundred performers and nearly 150 free shows make this the largest Jazz festival and British Columbia and a sure bet for Jazz fans no matter where you're from. Vancouver-native acts star alongside some of the biggest names in Jazz.
A month later, Vancouver's back at it with the annual Folk Music Festival. This celebrated event, enjoying its 31st year in 2008, is most famous for the high caliber of folk and independent artists it attracts yearly, but has also added hip-hop and spoken word stages in recent years. The Folk Music Festival is smaller in size, but not in impact.
HSBC Celebration of Light
July 23-August 2, 2008
The only thing better than fireworks is a fireworks competition! At Vancouver's Celebration of Light, one team from Canada and two to three teams from around the world come to compete in a fireworks showdown of a grand scale. Every other night, each team will perform a 25 minute show set to music ending in a finale on the last day when each team gives a short presentation. A winner is then declared. The event brings up to 1.6 million people every year, so make sure you head out early to find a spot to sit.
You can't do better than these Vancouver hotels.
Atlantic Canada
Whatever you do, don't overlook the four breathtaking provinces of Atlantic Canada. Although the islands are populated with several small villages, you'll discover plenty of cosmopolitan attractions as well, including the following events. From fun Nova Scotia travel to vacations in Moncton, you'll be surprised what you can find.
Charlottetown Festival
June 12-September 27, 2008
Hosted all summer long so you don't have to rush, the Charlottetown Festival is a unique theatre celebration focusing on one of Canada's most popular literary works, Anne of Green Gables. Located in Charlottetown on Prince Edward Island, the festival hosts near-daily performances of the popular musical rendition of the classic work as well as new, commissioned works from esteemed Canadian writers.
A relaxing choice in Charlottetown hotels.
Atlantic Seafood Festival
TBD August, 2008
The old statute of "do what you know" means great food for the attendees of the 8th annual Atlantic Seafood Festival coming to New Brunswick this August. One of the richest seafood communities in the world packs the yearly event with free cooking demos, seminars with celebrity chefs, cooking competitions, and of course plenty of plain and simple eating. When you travel Atlantic Canada there's no excuse to be hungry.
Stay in one of these cozy Moncton, New Brunswick hotels.
And that's just to get you started. Travel Canada and plan to visit one of these fun local festivals and make the familiar exciting all over again.
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