Summer (Festivals) in the City

Street festivals

Montreal likes to call it a city of festivals, and some respects it is. The Fringe is on now as is Montreal Baroque . The Jazz Fest begins next week. Then comes what? Just for Laughs? www.hahaha.com/ Or is les Francofolies next?

Whatever, all of them bring together thousands of people, day and night, in an urban setting which is the best kind of city living. Most of the events are held within a few blocks of each other, and all are reachable by public transit. This is the kind of thing that urban density fosters—exciting cultural activity of all sorts designed to please a myriad of tastes.

N.B. Must add, in the interest of full disclosure that my daughter Elin, who plays the viola da gamba, will be in several events at Montreal Baroque, including a barrier-breaking electronic performance were her friend, flutiste Cléo Palacio-Quintin. Called--trilingually, of course--D'autra guiz e d'autra razo
D’une façon autre, sur un sujet autre - In another way, on another subject, they'll be playing a mixture of baroque music, improvisations and new compositions at 11 p.m. Saturday June 23 in Old Montreal at Café à Propos, 300 Notre-Dame Est. Free admission.