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It's a great time of year to ...
FESTIVALS
Party season
DRESSED FROM head to toe in red,
white and blue Acadian colours, locals
and visitors parade down the streets of
Caraquet, N.B., making as much noise as
possible with whatever they can find —
pots, pans, horns, whistles and shakers.
Known as Tintamarre (loud racket), the
one-hour event draws about 25,000. It
takes place every Aug. 15 (the Acadian national
holiday) as one of the main attractions
of the Festival acadien de Caraquet, a
10-day nod to the region's French roots.
Canada is abuzz with festivals all summer
long. Here's a cross-country itinerary:
SPORTS
Golf by the midnight sun
CALIFORNIA'S PEBBLE BEACH may have stunning views, but you haven't golfed until you've
sunk a putt in the frozen tundra with muskox lingering behind you. At the annual Billy Joss Open
Celebrity Golf Tournament in the community of Ulukhaktok, N.W.T., (formerly Holman)
celebrities, including former Edmonton Oiler Randy Gregg, have teed off specially woven mats
and blasted approach shots from shale fairways in pursuit of glory under the midnight sun.
Named for a Hudson's Bay Company trader who introduced golf to the area in 1969, the fourday
24-hour tournament is held the third week of July and gives some 60 golfers the chance
to play on the world's most northerly golf course and to lose themselves in the rich local culture,
where polar bear and beluga whale sightings barely raise an eyebrow.
— I. J. Schecter
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April 11-15, Iqaluit. Toonik Tyme
Celebrating
Inuit culture, the Nunavut festival
offers igloo building, dogsled races and
drum dancing, along with ice golf and
Iqaluit Fear Factor.
May 4-21, Ottawa. Canadian Tulip
Festival
More than three million tulips
paint the Nation's Capital in hues that
have to be seen to be believed. Visitors can
snap stunning shots along a 15-kilometre
route that winds through the city.
May 31 to June 2, Regina. Mosaic 2007
Pavilions throughout the city pay homage
to multiculturalism through food,
arts, crafts and dancing.
June 19-21, Yellowknife. Summer Solstice
Festival
When you've got 24-hour
sunlight, why not flaunt it? More than 120
artists perform day and night to celebrate
diversity, heritage and the solstice.
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June 29 to July 1, Canso, N.S. The Stan
Rogers Folk Festival
Pays tribute to the
folk singer whose music reflects the culture
of Nova Scotia's northeast shore. This music
festival has a spectacular seaside venue.
July 8-14, Summerside, P.E.I. Lobster
Carnival
Pack a bib for this delectable carnival
lauding P.E.I. history. There is a
street parade, kite festival, sink or swim
boat races and, of course, lobster dinners.
July 20-22, Neepawa, Man. World Lily
Festival
More than 2,000 lily varieties
grow around the town. You can tour lily
beds, take in music, parades and other
floral festivities.
Aug. 2-5, Camrose, Alta. Big Valley
Jamboree
Canada's biggest country music
extravaganza has music playing from afternoon
'til night. But give your ears a rest at
the trade show and bull-riding events.
Late August, Northwest River, Labrador.
Sheshatshiu Innu Etiun Summer Festival
Visitors get a glimpse of the lives and traditions
of First Nations peoples. The outdoor
event features all aspects of Innu culture.
August 3-26, Whitehorse. Yukon International
Storytelling Festival
Celebrate
the history of the circumpolar world, as it
has been passed on through generations
of storytellers, who incorporate costume,
dance, theatre and music with their tales.
Aug. 8-12, Sherbrooke, Que. Festival
des Traditions du Monde
Travel around
the world in five days, witnessing the music
and dance traditions from all four corners
of the globe.
Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, Lytton, B.C. Lytton
River Festival
Marks the role of the
Thompson and Fraser rivers in the history
and culture of the Interior Salish First Nation.
Some activities: all day pow-wow, rafting
races, gold panning and kayak rodeo.
— Emily Fobert
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