The Montreal Old Port's Grand PoutineFest Is Back This Year With A New Beer Zone

The Montreal Old Port has released its summer 2023 program, a long list of activities, spectacles and events to draw visitors to the sprawling waterside attraction. Among them, and starting this Wednesday, July 19, is the return of the Grand PoutineFest, a roving troop of food trucks offering unique takes on the beloved Quebec folk dish.

New this year is a beer zone, so attendees can wash down their mountains of fries, cheese, gravy and sure-to-be-wild toppings with local brews.

The Old Port of Montréal Corporation, which manages the area, is also teasing a "special edition" of Les Premier Vendredis food trucks festival. That event, the largest food truck gathering in Canada, usually takes place on the Olympic Stadium Esplanade. But the corporation suggests it's coming back to the Old Port and will either coincide with or follow PoutineFest.

The result, the organization says, will be "the city's biggest and brightest pop-up [terrasse] filled with food and drink." A similar event featuring over 30 restaurants took place in 2022.

The Grand PoutineFest is set to hit the Old Port between Wednesday, July 19, and Sunday, July 30. Past menu items have included a butter chicken poutine, general tao poutine, mac n' cheese poutine, pulled pork poutine, and Tex-Mex poutine, among others.

PoutineFest is already underway this year, passing through Anjou, Joliette, Terrebonne, and Gatineau in May. In addition to the Montreal Old Port, it's scheduled to pop up in Rosemère, Laval, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Châteauguay, Quebec City, Lévis, Longueuil, Brossard, Vaudreuil, Saint-Hyacinthe, Trois-Rivières, Beauce, Granby and Mirabel this summer.

Other foodie events returning to the Old Port this summer include A Taste of the Caribbean and Taco Fest.