Festival International de Jazz de Montreal

Living in Central Vermont, I'm only a couple hours drive from one of the more unique and captivating Canadian cities, lovely Montreal. St. Louis Square FountainSet alongside the St. Lawrence River, this town forty minutes across the border in the province of Quebec is dominated by a French Canadian heritage evident in the language, the food, and the overall European feel of the city. Filled with sidewalk cafes, bistros, and a large population of people from everywhere, Montreal is a world class melting pot, and the perfect host for the annual summer jazz festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montreal).

The Jazz Festival offers hundreds of different concerts, representing the spectrum of jazz and blues from traditional to Dixieland to Quebecois to Caribbean and African. The majority of shows are free and held in the middle of a large outdoor area of the Latin Quarter (a.k.a. red light district), a four block radius of Ste-Catherine, President-Kennedy, Bleury and St-Urbain streets. Either a blessing or a curse depending on your perspective, officials chase the typical colorful characters of the area away for the duration of the festival, although some of the less conspicuous clubs continue to operate during that time. The remainder of the shows are relatively expensive headliners at some of the larger venues, and lesser known acts at a number of jazz clubs around town.

In the outdoor area, there are four stages set up, all showing different acts simultaneously throughout the day and evening. One would think the sounds would collide and create a real cacophony, but the layout is well designed and one can definitely distinguish the different music as you move from stage to stage. The crowds are reasonable during the day, and it's a great time to chill out and experience the atmosphere. Buy a shot of Grand Marnier in a Dixie cup, and some Poutin and enjoy the bands, most of which will play again later that evening. For those unfamiliar with Poutin, this is a uniquely Jazz Festival SignFrench Canadian dish with French Fries topped traditionally with a brown gravy and whole cheese curds, although it's also possible to find more gourmet and unusual toppings. More and more people file in as the days go on, and by evening, the square and stages are lit up in all colors of neon, and the headliners whip the large crowds into a frenzy with their passionate playing.

Since the outdoor area is free, you can come and go as you please, which is a good thing because the area has tons to explore. We stayed at the clean and cheap Auberge Le Jardin d’Antoine, perfectly located at one of the major intersections of the Latin Quarter, rue Saint-Denis and rue Sherbrooke. Restaurants, shops and bars line rue Saint-Denis and continue North into the quieter neighborhoods of Plateau, Outremont and Mont-Royal or South into Vieux-Montreal (the old town). All the cuisines of the world are represented here, and in good weather, there is plenty of outdoor seating.

Just north of the hotel along Saint-Denis is the quiet and local Square St. Louis, a small park surrounded by beautiful townhouses, with a centerpiece Victorian fountain and benches to watch the world go by. Continuing further north goes through shaded neighborhood Rue St.-Denisstreets with narrow three story houses similar to the Brownstones of downtown Boston or Brooklyn. Cut over ten blocks west and head up Avenue du Parc, with Montreal’s namesake Parc Mont-Royal on your left, and a wonderful variety of ethnic eateries and markets, particularly Greek and Latin American. On any trip to Montreal, it’s vital to get fresh bagels, claimed to be the original bagel (despite the protestations of Manhattanites), and the best place for this is St. Viateur's Bagels. This tiny shop is open 24 hours a day, and there is almost always a short line. The bagels are bagged for you right off the line, and they’re still warm and absolutely perfect. Make sure to check out the Greek bakery around the corner as well (on Rue du Parc and St. Viateur Ouest) for fantastic pastries and coffee.

As many times as I go to Montreal, I continue to find new places to explore. The Jazz Fest is a great free event to build your trip around. See as much free music as you like, and spend the rest of the time getting to know this friendly and diverse city, historic, multicultural, and most assuredly French.