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Montreal High Lights Festival en Lumière 2013

Guide to Montreal High Lights Festival, Le Festival Montreal en Lumière

By , About.com Guide

Montreal high lights festival en lumiere Photo © Evelyn Reid
Every year since 2000, the Montreal High Lights Festival, or Festival Montréal en Lumière, lights up the city around the dreariest part of February. In 2013, Montréal en Lumière runs February 21 to March 3, 2013 and it's arguably the most anticipated winter festival in town.

What Is It?
The Montreal High Lights Festival is essentially ten days -- 11 in 2013 -- of culinary events, live music, performance art, exhibits, light shows and free activities. The final day concludes with the overwhelmingly popular Nuit Blanche, an all-night overdose of free arts, culture, science, food, winter sports and music than runs from 6 p.m. until dawn.

Celebration of Light: Free Events
In addition to Montréal en Lumière's musical and fine dining events is its Celebration of Light, a series of outdoor activities which used to be hosted in the Old Port, just south of Place Jacques-Cartier (map). But for the 2012 edition, the Montreal High Lights Festival's Celebration of Light is conveniently hosted at Place des Festivals (map). Free activities to look out for include:

  • fireworks
  • ice skating
  • circus acts
  • street theatre
  • puppet shows
  • live musical performances
  • DJ sets
  • outdoor dancing
  • ice sliding
  • winter tam tams

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