This year marks the 20th anniversary of the New France Festival. The festival celebrates Quebec’s colonial era in the 17th and 18th centuries when it was part of New France. The festival is usually held at the old port but due to construction on that site related to preparations for next year’s 150th anniversary of Canada activities, the 2016 festival was moved to Artillery Park, amidst the Fortifications of Quebec National Historic Site.
Rue Marchande
Looking the part
Sounds of another era
Vittles
Corn eating contest
Fencing lessons
Artillery Park
Artillery Park, where this year’s New France Festival was held, was considered a strategic site by the French who began building defense fortifications here in the early 18th century. The images below show the barracks where French soldiers were housed up until the time of the British conquest in 1760. The British later used it to house some of their regiments
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off the leash 
This looks so interesting and fun!
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Fantastic post. I love festivals 🙂
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Fun photos, Ken. France was an essential partner in the U.S. revolution to win its freedom from Great Britain. A lot of people don’t know the immense role France played in the development of both Canada and the U.S. Nice to be reminded in this festival.
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You could make the case that the US would never had won its war of independence without France. I sometimes think about how different North America would if France had won what we call The French and Indian War. We possibly would all be blogging in French.
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Wow, the barracks look huge. It always amazes me how buildings were made back then and that they are still standing today. Thanks for sharing.
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If I were ever to be in a food eating contest, I would want it to be corn on the cob. I would have not chance of winning, but I’m such a big fan of corn on the cob.. At least I would have fun losing!
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I like a bit of fancy dress!
How much corn can one person eat? They look serious about winning the competition.
I have to say the giant chicken drumsticks on the grill remind me of Fred and Barney eating in The Flinstones!
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Those were turkey legs on the grill and yes they Flintstones style. They were really good.
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Ken liked the snaps, the pictorial journey through the festival. I love eating corn, but won’t definitely win the contest. If i would have visited would like to listen the sounds of the era. Thanks for sharing
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I love corn too, but after watching that corn eating contest it was the last thing I would have wanted.
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looks like a super fun festival, I especially love love the costumes!
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This sounds like a lot of fun. I know Quebec is very France oriented, and glad to see them have a festival to honor this part of their past. It seems like something I will need to make plans for next year. Thanks for sharing.
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I think it’s something you’d enjoy. A little like the medieval fairs you often attend but with a French accent.
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Isn’t Quebec City amazing, Ken? I totally love it, as it is indeed, New France, and SO French in so many ways. For anyone who can’t afford the time or funds associated with a trip to France, visiting Quebec is a terrific option.
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Definitely makes you feel like you’re in Europe.
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The New France Festival looks like a blast. From the food to the dressing up part, such events are always entertaining and informative. Though I must admit the thought of a corn cob eating contest makes one of my favorite foods seem less appealing. Too much of a good thing and all that jazz…
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(1) I trust and hope that the corn-eating contest was much more like the pie-eating contests of yore than like the vile spectacles that competitive eating contests are today.
(2) Can you speak French, Ken? I took a semester of French in middle school way back when but didn’t go any further than that. Spanish is the obvious foreign language choice for an American from a practical standpoint, although I have no doubt that a serious study of French is an enriching experience in its own right.
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I took a couple years of Spanish in high school and a couple years of French in college. So when I try to speak either I get them mixed up.. More than once in Quebec I responded to somebody’s question by saying “si.”
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