MONTREAL — Montreal en Lumiere, Montreal's midwinter bash, serves up some fine dining, performance art and family-style fun.
While the format for this year's 13th edition remains mostly the same — two weeks of outdoor activities, concerts, light shows, gourmet food and special events — perhaps the biggest change is the name. The fest, which runs Feb. 16 through Feb. 26, has officially dropped its English Montreal High Lights moniker and has opted to embrace Montreal's Francophone flair.
Here are some "highlights" of this year's Montreal en Lumiere.
The Food
Fine dining always takes a prominent culinary spot during the festival, and this year boasts some 350 gastronomic events held at restaurants and venues throughout the city. Food events include tastings, workshops, food tours, special lunches and full-course meals — many at special prices. This year's epicurean themes celebrate local, North American and European foodie destinations.
Belgium, known for its beer, chocolate, mussels and waffles, takes top honors with an emphasis on the cuisine of the Francophone regions of Wallonia and Brussels. This year, dozens of guest chefs and chocolate makers temporarily take up residence at favorite Montreal restaurants.
The fest also ventures west. Highlighted are the fine wines of Oregon and Washington, as well as a culinary nod with a "Spotlight on Seattle." A little closer to home, western Quebec and the Outaouais region (think Gatineau, Hull and Ottawa) also get their proper epicurean due. Many Outaouais regional tastes can be sampled and brought home with a bounty of products, including cheeses, chocolates, buffalo meat, microbrews and more, made available at the Jean Talon Market.
Some tasty culinary tours are also offered, including "Tales and Tastes of Atwater Market," "Flavors and Aromas of Old Montreal" and "A Taste of Little Italy." The tours are held on various dates and cost $65.
Reservations are a must for most of these culinary events.
The Fun
The main outdoor events take place at Place des Festivals in the heart of downtown adjacent to the Place des Arts complex.
The outdoor site features free concerts, a family-fun zone, multimedia interactive light shows and a 60-foot indoor sphere where revelers can dance the night away. New this year, food comes to the main outdoor site with the introduction of Escales Gourmandes, gourmet stopovers that offer the tastes of the highlighted Wallonia-Brussels region.
The family-fun zone also features a new and improved ice slide that tallies in at 360 feet long, complete with twists, turns and integrated light and sound effects.
The outdoor rides and activities are free. The site is open daily during the fest except for Feb. 20 and 21. Hours vary but are mostly evenings during the week and all day on weekends. Check the website for the complete schedule.
The Performance
Dozens of music, dance, circus and theater performances reign under the Montreal en Lumiere umbrella.
Circa offers a contemporary circus program that features the music of Jacques Brel, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead and Sigur Ros at La Tohu Feb. 15 through 25.
Orchestre Metropolitain celebrates its 30th season with "Youth Spirit," a concert series of young musicians who range in age between 10 and 30 years old, on Feb. 17 at Places des Arts.
Direct from Las Vegas is "The Rat Pack is Back," a musical revue that channels 1960s-era crooners Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and a 12-piece orchestra, on Feb. 18 at Place des Arts.
"Tango Pasion," from the Broadway creators of "Tango Argentino," takes to the Place des Arts stage Feb. 23 through 25.
Nuit Blanche
Closing Montreal en Lumiere is Nuit Blanche, a city-wide evening of midnight museum visits, comedy acts, live concerts, ice skating, movie screenings and theater that promises to keep you up all night long. Many activities are free, and shuttle service is provided. Nuit Blanche begins the evening of Feb. 25 and goes well into the wee hours of the morning.
For more information, venue locations and ticket prices, call (514) 288-9955 or visit www.montrealenlumiere.com.
Steven Howell is the author of Montreal Essential Guide, a Sutro Media iPhone travel app available at iTunes.com.
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