Montreal's Haïti En Folie Festival Is Back In Full Swing This Week
Seven days of Caribbean music, food, cinema, visual arts & literature.
Pictures taken during past editions of Haiti en Folie
This year's festival season is off to a good start, helping Montrealers return to some semblance of normality. Haïti en Folie is no exception.
After two years of adapted programming due to the pandemic, this huge celebration of Haitian culture is back with its 16th edition that combines online events with indoor and outdoor shows. "The team is so pleased to be able to welcome and entertain people in person again this year," festival spokesperson Véronique Fecteau told MTL Blog.
From July 25 until July 31, you can take part in various activities, like an online cinema. For $15, you can watch four short films on "being Black in Montreal," as well as a documentary about the life of Michaëlle Jean, who was the first Haitian Canadian and Black person to become Governor General of Canada.
Digital art lovers should pop by the Quartier des Spectacles downtown, where two wall projections will be displayed for free every evening this week starting at 9 p.m..
If you're craving some philosophical conversations, you can participate in free virtual panels, including a talk about Haitian female entrepreneurs, a historical presentation of Haitian gastronomy, and other literary discussions.
If you're just looking for some fun, you can head to Jardins Gamelin, near the Berri-UQAM metro station, on Wednesday and Thursday for groovy 5 à 7 sessions with live DJ sets. There's also the interactive Bingo night comedy show at La Tulipe.
Saturday and Sunday will be particularly festive, with a culinary fair offering many Haitian delicacies, workshops, the "RARA" parade, which showcases a form of ecstatic, boisterous festival music — and of course, lots of concerts.
This year, Haiti en Folie welcomes artists such as BélO, Bell & Quinn, Wesley, Kelly Crow, Raccoon and Yama Laurent. Corneille and his Haitian guests will be closing the festival at 7 p.m. on July 31 at La Fontaine Park. It's an evening you won't want to miss!
Haiti en Folie
When: July 25 to 31