La Fête des enfants de Montréal, summer's most popular event for kids and
their parents!

MONTREAL, Aug. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Families are invited to Come and have fun! at the 12^th Fête des enfants de Montréal which will be held at parc Jean-Drapeau on August 13-14-15. More than a hundred activities, shows, workshops and games are scheduled, along with an array of new features and plenty of surprises!

"The Fête des enfants de Montréal is really unique in Canada in terms of its size and the extent of its program," stated Mary Deros, an Executive committee member, responsible for the City of Montréal's cultural communities. "By encouraging the development of youngsters aged 12-and-under through its wide range of free and original activities that fosters sharing and intercultural exchange, this event has become synonymous with summer in Montreal."

An extraordinary program!
"There is something to suit every taste at the Fête des enfants de Montréal", stated Christian Ouellet, Executive Director of Parc Jean-Drapeau. "This year's new features include a synthetic outdoor skating rink, colourful parades, the Quebec Games caravan, a zip-line, fun battles with foam balls and sponge swords, and the building and painting of 300 cardboard houses, to name just a few". Added to this are the traditional inflatable play structures, face-painting workshops, acrobatic trampolines, wall-climbing sessions and the return of stars from Télé-Québec's popular kids' shows: Dora et Diego, Sam Chicotte, Kaboum et Tactik.

Open houses in conjunction with the event
Along with the activities being held at parc Jean-Drapeau, several partners have teamed up with the event and are holding free open houses on Saturday and Sunday, August 14-15. These partners include the McCord Museum, Château Ramezay Museum, the Montréal Nature Museums (Botanical Garden, Biodôme*, Insectarium* and the Planetarium) and the Parc Jean-Drapeau Aquatic Complex. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will be opening its doors on Sunday, August 15, while the Environment Canada Biosphere will be doing so for all three days of the event.

Everything to make life easier…
It's so easy and convenient to get to the Fête des enfants on the subway, especially since the Jean-Drapeau subway station is situated in the heart of the Fête des enfants site. The STM, partner of the event, will be providing free transportation to families on Saturday and Sunday, August 14-15. Passes can be printed out from the STM website at www.stm.info.

Meanwhile, a wide range of services will be available to families on the site: baby rest-stops, bottle warmers, changing tables, stroller parking and even a place to store your cooler.

The organization of La Fête des enfants de Montréal was made possible through the participation of the City of Montréal, the Société de transport de Montréal, Ministry of Tourism, the Commission scolaire de Montréal, the Société du patrimoine d'expression du Québec, Folklore Canada International and the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon. Mark the dates of August 13, 14 and 15 on your calendar. The Fête des enfants de Montréal is a get-together you won't want to miss! For further details about the event, please check the website at www.parcjeandrapeau.com.

The mission of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau is to manage, administrate, develop, preserve and animate Parc Jean-Drapeau. The Société produces La Fête des Neiges de Montréal, Week-ends du Monde, and La Fête des enfants de Montréal.

*Unfortunately, the Insectarium and the Biodôme are CLOSED because of a labour dispute. Also, we urge you to check the Nature Museums' website before you go, to find out whether these two museums are open. Website : www.museumsnature.ca

For further information:

François Cartier
Société du parc Jean-Drapeau
514 872-7318
[email protected]