La Virée Trad festival: showcasing traditional music in Gaspésie for 25 years now

Celebrating its 25th edition this year, the festival has maintained its greatest strength year after year: showcasing and passing down traditional Quebecois music, song and dance, in a Gaspésie town where the sea borders the mountain. You don’t have to know how to dance a jig or follow a caller’s instructions to feel at home here!

Fifty-eight artisans, including two guests travelling from afar

This year, the festival’s stages will welcome the pillars of traditional music as well as the next generation of artists. Les Charbonniers de l’enfer, La Bottine Souriante and Michel Faubert will be performing, as will Nova Scotia’s Morgan Toney and Portuguese quartet Danças Ocultas, proof that traditional Quebecois music enjoys rubbing shoulders with other music traditions. 

Several shows are free of charge, while others are very affordable at between $10 and $45. Between shows, meet 58 food producers and artisans at the public market booths set up around the stages; attend guitar, jig, violin and podorhythmia (foot tapping) workshops; and try the Satourne circus school circuits for families. If you get hungry, the restaurant service showcases regional products, with a vegetarian option offered by Le Comptoir.

The soul of the festival

If you could attend just one La Virée Trad event, make it the traditional dance evening. Some 400 people take to the dance floor at the Gaspésie convention centre each year to dance their heart out during this evening, one of the province’s most popular traditional dance events.

Presented as part of the festival’s program, the evening features musical guest Les Mercenaires du terroir, with Hélène Gaulin as the caller. Try square dance, contra dance and quadrille to the rhythm of live music. Recognized as being part of Quebec’s intangible heritage since 2015, the evening above all continues to bring together experienced dancers and curious first-timers of all ages.

Sleep and eat on-site, between the forests and Baie-des-Chaleurs

Among the accommodations to choose from, Mont St-Joseph regional park has five geodomes on the hillside that feature large windows overlooking Baie-des-Chaleurs and offer all the comforts of a hotel room in the midst of nature. Those who prefer camping or RVing can opt for the Carleton-sur-Mer municipal campground, open until the end of the festival and located on the barachois that was the site of Jacques Cartier’s landing in 1534. 

As for dining, the Le St-Honoré restaurant, located only five minutes from the festival site, pairs flavours from Gaspé with those of the French region of Auvergne, and is popular with festival regulars year after year. 

Several packages and discounts are available for an experience that suits your needs and tastes. All that will be left to do is have a great time!