Festival! By-Saint-Paul | One of a kind

Marisa Krokuhe
Pres

We are Thursday evening. A group of drenched festival goers wait under a tent for the storm to pass. Although most of the evening’s performances have been canceled due to thunderstorms and rain, the mood is upbeat. It’s 10pm, but rather than going to bed, people are waiting. It’s at the festival!, it’s not over until it’s over. An hour later, the music starts again. The Urban Science Brass Band plays in the square in the center of town. Matthiel finally represents himself at the Carriage du Curé. Surprise: Bran Van 3000 DJing in a backyard. At 1:30 p.m., the festival begins Swing Dad with long legs.

It’s only the first day, and already, it’s festive! Lives up to its reputation. Haunted-Saint-Paul, a weekend-long village where you never sleep, a unique honoring event for music, a reputation unmatched anywhere else.

Before the storm, on this launch Thursday, friends Caroline and Karin were having a good time on the forecourt set up in the center of the municipality. “We come every year and this is our seventh year,” First explains. Landing in Montreal, like many festival-goers, they didn’t want to miss an edition from their first experience — except for one, when COVID-19 hit. “I saw Grimskang here for the first time. I’ve had the chance elsewhere over the years, but I wanted to see them at Festip! Here, the two friends reminisce about a ton of musical memories, from Aleksandra Strelisky’s candlelit performance — “It’s Magic” — to Lisa LeBlanc’s performance, to having fun with a tossed bra on stage. “Festival! It lives up to its name,” says Kareen, who laments that tickets are difficult to get because the demand is so high. “You have to prepare ahead of time,” he said. We coordinate the day they go on sale, with two links, trying to get one we like! »

Special of the festival! It also depends on some details. A to stand Screen printing by Center de Production en Arte Contemporary les Ateliers to mark its T-shirts with the festival logo. A stack of giant poufs to dig into to settle in the foreground. Thursday, a free sushi stand next to a stage to give visibility to a local restaurant. But a little more than many have encountered Pres Raise, festive! The heart of the city, sometimes in unexpected places, hosts surprising performances that give visitors a privileged experience.

“You go to So and So’s or So and So’s garden, and you approach artists in small groups,” says Isabelle Bedard, who met her brother-in-law Richard at the site’s campsite. We see it right here. »

“something in particular”

Walking in Baie-Saint-Paul, we notice that the backyard is occupied by campers in tents. Residents often rent out their land to festival goers. The owners of Les Petits Délices snack bar in Les Éboulements tell us they’ve already rented out their own room and space in their garden.

The community of Baie-Saint-Paul welcomes the community of festival-goers and the meeting seems harmonious. “There’s something special about the atmosphere,” says Isabelle Bédard, who arrived from Quebec in her converted van.

On Thursday, while the indefatigable Pierre Kwenders kept his audience dancing on the main stage, few took time to relax. dj set Radio-Canada host Nicholas Ouellet. Later, Fran von 3000 entertained a small crowd a few paces away, while Les Hodesse d’Hilaire was pleasant to listen to in front of Micropresserie Charlevoix. The next day, Geoffrey presents his performance on a floating canal set up on the Geoffre River. The center of Baie-Saint-Paul turns into a small musical village. Most stages are within walking distance. Shuttles are available for those a little further out.

Also passing through the camp, Mangué Touré notes that the animals are “different from other festivals”. Festif! In, he says, “a lot of people are less likely to put their phone camera in front of everyone”. “That’s not the case anymore funny. The proximity, the people… the atmosphere Cold. » He and his brother are visiting the festival for the second time. “After the premiere, we thought it would become a tradition. It was an expression,” he explains, comfortably installed under a tarpaulin hung in their van to replenish their energy before performing.

Everyone finds their account

During the day, Friday, it will be almost warm. Many water stations are welcome, shaded areas in the foreground, to take a break or even a siesta – it’s seen!

On that day, Arian Roy, Auri, Basia Bulat, Geoffroy, Bon Enfant, Connoisseur DiGaso, Manu Militaire, Les Louanges, Gros Mene and Hubert Lenoir are expected. Among others! With so many programming options out there, sometimes we have to make daunting choices.

Accustomed to festivals “all over Canada,” but attending the Festif for the first time, Astrid Esmeralda considers the event “truly unique.” “It’s a very different experience from corporate festivals like FEQ, for example,” he tells us. In Tadoussac, it looks like it, but it’s more Slowly. Here they know how to keep us on our toes Exaggeration. »

Quebec City resident says “ [trouver] This weekend she plans to attend performances by Safia Nolin, Larry Kidd, Lisa LeBlanc, Petite Bellevue, Connoisseur DiGaso and Manu Military. “My account is at 100%. »

Accommodation expenses for this report were paid by Festif!