Festivals in Quebec City
Quebecers mastered the art of living well and having fun, whatever the season. In summer, the capital celebrates the Quebec City Summer Festival and the New France Festival.
In February, Quebec City explodes into action with the famed Winter Carnival, the largest winter festival of its kind in the world. St. John the Baptist Day, Quebec's National Holiday (Fete nationale du Quebec) is a statutory public holiday taking place on June 24. The day is celebrated as a festival of French Canadian culture in other Canadian provinces.
The Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Quebec), the biggest winter carnival in the world, starts on the last Friday of January or the first Friday of February and goes on for 17 days. Usually about one million participants join the festival every year. The first large scale Carnival was held in 1894 following the tradition of Mardi Gras festivities.
The Carnival was interrupted by World War I, the Great Depression of 1929, and World War II. The style of the Carnival changed considerably over the last twenty years and now includes showcasing world-class ice sculptures, cultural events, and traditional spectator sports.
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