Festivals and events enable our destination to distinguish itself through a high-quality cultural and tourism offering. The Quebec government is pleased to be associated with the International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, which attracts large numbers of visitors every year to admire the colorful giants of the sky. This event is a major economic driver for the Montérégie region. It has a strong drawing power, and contributes to promoting the know-how of the players in our events industry. Congratulations to the organizing team, who have masterfully orchestrated this festive gathering. Every year, festival-goers can enjoy the music and discover the region's tourist attractions. Enjoy the festival!
Have you ever tried to explain to someone who didn't know Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu where you were from? You've got to admit, throwing the International Hot Air Balloon Festival into the conversation is just about par for the course, isn't it? And most of the time, the answer is: "Oh yes, I know, I've already been there with the family!
Going to hot-air balloons, as we say so well in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, has been part of our DNA for 40 years now. Hot-air balloons hold such an important place in our hearts that they inspired us to create our municipal signature: haut en culture, haut en saveurs, haut en découvertes, haut en festivités. So that's what I'd like to wish us for our 40th anniversary: may it be, once again, an emotional one.
Enjoy the festival!
With just a few weeks to go before our 40th edition kicks off, the excitement is at its peak. The International Balloon Festival is an event that is virtually impossible to put into words. In fact, over the past few weeks, we've had the chance to share this wonder with our neighbors in the Haut-Richelieu MRC, by taking part in several events in neighbouring municipalities. It was an opportunity for us to give the people of the region a taste of the festivities that await us from August 11 to 13 and 17 to 20!
It's a privilege for me to preside over an organization that works hard and creatively to continue to bring unforgettable moments to our festival-goers, for the past forty years and for the next forty. In this vein, I'm proud of the recognition we received at the Gala de l'Excellence. The award, in the Sustainable Development Project category, recognizes our efforts to electrify our site operations. An important step in our efforts to ensure the sustainability of our event.
L'International de montgolfières is a festival rooted in its community, which creates memorable moments and is committed to doing so for a long time to come.
The team and I are very proud and excited to finally present you with what the festival has in store for you in terms of magic and emotion for this 40th year of hot-air ballooning in the city of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. It's going to be two weekends full of color, music, hot-air balloons and unforgettable moments.
Several new features await you, including the Terrasse 40e Fonds de solidarité FTQ, offering a breathtaking view of the performances on the Scène 40e | Loto-Québec. This will feature a spectacular line-up of artists including CeeLo Green, Bebe Rexha, Rick Ross, Ne-Yo, Les Cowboys Fringants, Bleu Jeans Bleu, Patrice Michaud, Roxane Bruneau and many more!
Your musical experience continues with talented emerging artists performing on the Scène Desjardins and the Scène Hydro-Québec.
This year, the skies over Saint-Jean will sparkle with the colors of the 80 hot-air balloons that will be taking to the skies throughout the week. Among all these balloons, there will be 14 special shapes, including 9 that have never before been seen in Saint-Jean.
We look forward to seeing you from August 11 to 13 and 17 to 20. We look forward to seeing you there!