Le Grand Poutinefest, an annual celebration of the staple québécois dish, is launching its 2022 edition with a first stop in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough starting April 28. The festival will feature 17 takes on the traditional pile of fries, gravy and cheese curds — many of them a bit eccentric.

They include a pulled pork poutine, a piri-piri chicken poutine, a double bacon cheeseburger poutine, a General Tao chicken poutine, and a fried dumpling poutine — as well as a classic poutine for the poutine purists.

On the dessert menu are three types of Croquignole donuts: one with sugar and cinnamon; one with strawberry, Nutella and whipped cream; one with raspberry, Nutella and whipped cream; and one with apple, caramel and whipped cream.

Lemonade and Archibald-brand beers will be available to wash it all down.

Poutinefest will make at least four stops in Montreal city-proper between May and September:

• at Place Vertu from April 28 to May 1;
• at the Galeries d'Anjou from May 5 to 8 and 12 to 15;
• at the Old Port's Quai de l'horloge from July 13 to 31;
• and at the Carrefour Angrignon in LaSalle from September 8 to 11.

There will be five other stops in the Montreal area:

• at the CF Promenades St-Bruno from May 19 to 22;
• at the CF Fairview Pointe-Claire from May 26 to 29;
• at the Centre Laval from June 2 to 5;
• in Terrebonne from June 16 to 19;
• and in Châteauguay from June 23 to 26;

as well as stops in Quebec City, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Granby and Trois-Rivières. Four other dates are listed on the Poutinefest website but locations are to be announced.

Get the deets on the first Montreal weekend below.