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Montreal International Jazz Festival, Quebec
Ten thousand kids a day can't be wrong! That's the number the Montreal International Jazz Festival attracts daily. They come to this family-friendly event to learn, listen, and have fun. Never considered taking your family to a jazz festival? You just might want to reconsider.
Within an 11,000-square-foot musical play area, there's a giant piano, a trumpet slide, a guitar ladder, a clarinet tunnel, a drum blackboard and a xylophone. Then there are the talented face-painters and mask-makers who magically transform eager faces. Clowns, jugglers and acrobats stroll through the crowds, while parents and kids ply the numerous arts-and-crafts tables. The twice-daily concerts are informative, inventive and just plain fun!
Worry-Free Adventure
But that's not all. Parents and children alike will relish the sounds of top-class jazz, blues, gospel, Cajun and world music. The 29th edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival (June 26-July 6, 2008) just may be the best party on the continent.
The festival is well-organized and safe. In fact, all of Montreal- very cosmopolitan and very French- is safe and family friendly. There's plenty of storage for strollers, so taking little ones along is a breeze. Changing tables and children's toilets are conveniently located, so that's not an issue. And there are tents for arts and crafts and face-painting.
Families are a common sight at the ticketed indoor concerts as well. For this year's complete lineup, which changes up till the last minute, check the official website at www.montrealjazzfest.com often for postings. Call for information at 888/515-0515 or 514/523-3378 (in Canada) or reserve tickets at www.ticketpro.com(866/908-9090, 514/905-0070). And many of the concerts are even free!
A Continental Experience & Accoutrements
When it's time for a break, check out the other treasures of Montreal:
The Biodome (514/868-3000) presents a Tropical Forest, Laurentian Forest, St. Lawrence Ecosystem and Polar World under one roof- a discovery for kids and grown-ups alike. Sights, sounds and interpreters bring these complex and colorful ecosystems to life.
There are rides from the young and old atLa Ronde. Call 514/397-2000 for details and a schedule. La Ronde also boasts a lovely amusement park and an artificial lake surrounded by lots of green. A 10-minute walk or shuttle ride takes you to a small sandy beach and another artificial lake on Ile St. Helene. Parks are wonderfully sculptured and offer a chance to picnic, bike or take leisurely walks.
Montreal also has North America's only Insectarium (514/872-1400), with thousands of insects, some of which are astonishingly beautiful, especially in the butterfly house. Fun and educational,a free shuttle bus links the Biodome, Metro and the Insectarium.
*A Museum Pass provides entry to nearly 30 sites for one price, including the Museum of Fine Arts, with its interactive children's displays.Also included is Pointe-a-Calliere, an archeological museum featuring a tour through an actual dig and a lively multimedia show.
Cross the Jacques Cartier Bridge to Ile St. Helene and use your pass at the Biosphere (800/363-7777), a natural-resources museum housed in a geodesic dome. The Biosphere's child-oriented activities and resources, including a supervised crafts room, are topnotch.
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