Rhythm, hospitality and culinary discoveries at the Week-ends du monde 2012

MONTREAL, July 4, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - Week-ends du monde presented by Loto-Québec is back at Parc Jean-Drapeau for an eighth straight year, on the weekends of July 7-8 and 14-15, with the theme The Rhythm of my Culture. This year the popular free event, which celebrates cultural diversity through music, dance and culinary discoveries, is welcoming 62 different cultures.

Veritable trips around the world, Week-ends du monde has enjoyed considerable growth over the past three years, appealing to the Montréal population wanting to know more about the cultural wealth of the various communities which have settled in the area. Attesting to this interest, 187,000 people attended the event in 2011, up substantially from the 85,000 that visited in 2010.

"Our administration positions itself as a leader in the integration of communities from diverse origins, and Week-ends du monde helps immensely in this regard because the event provides a great opportunity to bring the various cultural and artist groups from Montréal communities together in one place, and it does so over two weekends," stated Mary Deros, executive committee member responsible for the City of Montréal's cultural communities. "We are proud to present the 2012 Week-ends du monde event to Montrealers. The cultural activities in which you are invited to participate in great numbers are for people of all ages, and for families as well."

"A proud partner of Week-ends du monde since 2007, Loto-Québec is maintaining its association with this people-gathering event," remarked Lucie Lamoureux, the director of sponsorships and social involvement at Loto-Québec. "For several years, Loto-Québec has  expressed its social involvement, notably with Les rendez-vous Loto-Québec which promote the staging of events that are successful in producing a social and economic impact in the regions of the province of Québec. Along with helping to hold more than 120 festivals across the province, Les rendez-vous Loto-Québec allow thousands of festival-goers to gather together every year to celebrate local talent."

New in 2012

As diversified as ever, the 2012 Week-ends du monde program is full of things to discover and includes many new features. On the first weekend, for instance, the 50^th anniversary of Algeria's independence will be celebrated under the theme Québec-Algérie, la grande fête. Also on the opening weekend, the La R'voyure dance troupe is inviting festival-goers to a highly colourful folkloric evening.

New features on the second weekend include La Piazza de la Petite Italie, as the Italian community invites you to a gastronomic experience. The program also features the Festival mondial de musique des femmes d'ici et d'ailleurs, an all-female artistic gathering of world music with local and international performers. And, in honour of the French National Day, there will be a special evening featuring several artists paying tribute to the French culture. Also, the musical group Montréal en harmonie will celebrate the culture of Trinidad-and-Tobago.                                           

Family Zone

This year a Family Zone will be set up each day on the two weekends, from noon to 7 p.m. The Family Zone will have entertainment, shows and family-related activities. The West Indian culture will be everywhere with the July 8 event, Carifiesta Cooldown, a blend of Caribbean music and culinary specialties. The Family Zone will also play host to the Montréal Scottish Festival on July 14, to the sound of the bagpipes and the rhythm of Scottish dancers.

Much-anticipated returns

Week-ends du monde also marks the return of the shows and festivals that have contributed to the event's success. The list includes the Festival du Monde Arabe, Jamaica Day, EUROfEST, Festival Cambodgien, Festival National de la Colombie, Mexique ici présent, Festival Afro-Monde « Ngondo » Nuits des Pêcheurs, Festival international de steelpan de Montréal and Festival Cubain de Montréal.

On each day of the event the various communities will be sharing the main stages erected on the site, and the public is invited to go from one stage to another at their leisure. There are also satellite stages where performances will be going on throughout the day and booths offering specialty foods with exotic aromas, along with a cultures market where many artisans come to display their works.

Week-ends du monde is produced by the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau in collaboration with the City of  Montréal. The Société du patrimoine d'expression du Québec (SPEQ) serves as collaborator. For all the details on the event, go to parcjeandrapeau.com.

For further information:

François Cartier
Société du parc Jean-Drapeau
514 872-7318
[e-mail]