Planning your Spring Break in Québec City

Everyone looks forward to it, young and old: spring break in March. In Quebec, the very first spring break was in 1979. Students from back then are parents now, and they’re looking for interesting experiences to have with their own children. For the occasion, the concierge team at Hôtel Château Laurier Québec has decided to offer some great recommendations of indoor and outdoor activities to energize you.

Put On Your Scarf, and Let’s Go Out!

The final days of winter in Quebec are full of surprises, but there are often very nice days with higher temperatures and warm rays of sun.

During the school break, the Aquarium de Québec welcomes families with special programming. There are mascots, karaoke, ecological product-making workshops, music, group murals, inflatable games, maple taffy, aquatic life, magic tricks and science-themed escape games, all available from February 29 to March 8. And of course, many indoor pools are open to admire the tens of thousands of aquatic creatures. For the break, the aquarium is open until 8 p.m. every evening, except on the final day. Consult the programming to find out the schedule for each day.

Le Jardin d’hiver is an outdoor path where you can stroll along and discover works of art, illustrations, sculptures, and poetic installations by six artists, both local and visiting. This artistic journey was specifically designed for children to marvel at, taking you from the Old Port to Old Québec City.

In addition, many parks, walking and cross-country ski trails, sledding hills and outdoor skating rinks are located around Québec City, often within walking distance of Hôtel Château Laurier Québec. Don’t hesitate to ask us for advice!

A Seaside Feeling

Even if this is Québec City, why not escape down south, for just a few hours?

Within 20 minutes to the north of the city, Bora Parc in Village Vacances Valcartier is a gigantic indoor water park. There are a variety of slides, water games, a wave pool, pools, a surf wave, hot tubs, an adventure river, rest areas and a restaurant area. It’s a whole lot of fun for the whole family!

You can also just enjoy the facilities at Hôtel Château Laurier Québec a few minutes – or even seconds – from your room! Put on your swimsuit and come and lounge in our indoor saltwater pool (open every day from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), enjoy the Finnish sauna, our two outdoor spas and our beautiful four-season indoor garden.

Stay Warm

Prefer to stay warm and dry? Not to worry – here are some suggestions for great experiences to have with your family without getting wet or facing late winter weather surprises!

From February 29 to March 8, 2020, the Festival de cinéma en famille de Québec presents feature films and short films, animated movies and documentaries appealing to a wide range of audiences. For the 9th edition, the programming offers dozens of films, workshops and activities, including film-philosophy, a pyjama screening, an introduction to special effects workshop, a film concert, a movie workshop where you create a magic wand, a brunch screening, meetings of young comic book authors – and even an intriguing bicycle movie, where you have to pedal to keep the battery charged to watch the film!

 

Escape rooms are very popular these days. If you’re not familiar with the concept, which is very popular with teens, then spring break is a great opportunity to get started! You are “locked up” in a room you have to escape from in a certain amount of time, using a series of clues. One of the most fun strategies is to play as a team. Some places offer even more: for example, the Stadaconé Distillery created an immersive game that takes us back to the era of New France, where we have to find a medicine to cure a captain suffering from scurvy! The visitors are invited to discover the distillery’s services, as adults taste the alcoholic products, and kids can learn to recognize the different fragrances of flowers, grains and fruits used in the composition of the gins.

Do you have military history buffs in your family? Take advantage of your break in Québec City and discover the Musée Royal 22^e Régiment, at the Citadelle of Quebec. The permanent exhibit “Je me souviens” reveals a wealth of fascinating information on military life in Québec City. The medals room, interactive displays, and the objects on display tell the story of a rich period in history. There’s also a family exhibition where you can discover the many animals (horses, pigeons, dogs and even goats) that accompanied the soldiers on missions abroad and in training!

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As you can see, our beautiful Québec City has a lot to offer! We’ll be happy to offer you more information – for example, great restaurants to visit with family or other museums to attend. We hope that this break in Québec City will bring everyone, young and old, the recharge they need to end the school year in style!

Quebec Winter Carnival: Turning Winter Into a Celebration

In Quebec almost anything can be an opportunity to celebrate – there are over 600 festivals in the province each year! Even so, the Quebec Winter Carnival is a festival unlike any other. After all, the winter here lasts four to six months, making Québec City something of a capital of snow. The Quebec Winter Carnival is the oldest winter festival in Canada. This year, from February 7 to 16, many activities will allow festival goers, both locals and tourists, to fully experience the joys Quebec’s winter has to offer. So, we decided to offer you a brief history of this extraordinary celebration as well as our suggestions for the best ways to take part yourself!

A Festive History

Carnivals are an old European institution, associated with the religious calendar and Mardi Gras. This celebration, however, took on an additional meaning in Québec City – a sort of truce in our battle against the cold! The idea of organizing a festive event in the heart of winter in Québec City roughly dates back to the 17th century, during the New France era. But the first real Carnival was held in 1894.

People gathered in the city streets to have fun, laugh, sing and be entertained, as if to snub the cold! Trumpets were played. It featured elements that, in some cases, would become iconic: the ice palace, snow sculptures, a night-time parade of floats, skating, snowshoeing, sleigh rides, dances and sports competitions – including dog sled races and ice canoe races on the St. Lawrence River.

During the second carnival in 1896, discounted Canadian Pacific Railway fares enabled visitors from New England, Ontario and even Western Canada to visit Québec City and participate in the celebration.

Rise of the Modern Carnival

As a result of the wars and economic crises, the Carnival didn’t originally take place every year. It was organized sporadically until the 1950s. Starting in 1955 the winter festival truly became an annual event, considered a means to promote winter tourism in the city. The event was marked by festivities, sports and games, as well as the night parade. The highly prized Queen’s Ball was held in the ballroom of Château Frontenac. Huge fireworks closed the party.

 

It was also in the mid-1950s that Bonhomme appeared: all white, wearing a red cap, with his waist wrapped in a beautiful sash. He symbolizes the “joie de vivre,” to the delight of the young and old. Days before the Carnival, Bonhomme visits children in daycare centres, the elderly, and prisoners in jail. When he officially enters the city, the mayor of Québec City gives him the keys to the city. Bonhomme then takes part in virtually all Carnival festivities. Throughout the year, he acts as an ambassador for the Quebec Winter Carnival, travelling around the world to promote the event! A life-size model of Bonhomme is installed in the lobby of Hôtel Château Laurier Québec, very close to the concierge office. Don’t forget to take a picture during your stay!

After the 1950s, the Carnival expanded and welcomed an increasing number of visitors. The 1960s and 1970s introduced ice-skate barrel jumping competitions, a Pee-Wee hockey tournament, go-kart and snowmobile races, and even a moustache contest! In 1964, 260,000 people visited Québec City for the Carnival; in 1994, almost a million visitors are present, of whom more than 20% came from outside Quebec – mostly from Europe and the United States.

The Carnival boasts an excellent reputation and a remarkable longevity. It’s become a classic of Québec City, a true trademark recognized on the international scene.

What’s On at the Carnival This Year

Once again this year, the Quebec Winter Carnival offers a variety of activities to tame our wintry northern landscape.

Discover the different spectacles that highlight the fun of winter: the maze, the ice sculpting demonstrations and the impressive ice sculpture route, as well as the unmissable Bonhomme’s Palace! Technological activities are also available, including the Pixel immersive experience, against a backdrop of arcade games from the 80s and 90s.

If you’re feeling a little more energetic, the programming includes Shoot & Putt tournaments (a hybrid between minigolf and field hockey), a friendly axe throwing competition, 4-on-4 hockey games with the Goon’s League, and sledding on the Christie Descent, a 300-foot-long track that includes a bend!

Finally, foodies and gourmets can benefit from wonderful activities that will delight their taste buds. The sugar shack allows you to sample maple products, including the iconic maple taffy on snow. Beaver Tail pastries are also available for your sweet tooth. In short, the food on offer, including mixology and a Carnival “caribou” cocktail recipe, is truly excellent.

Things You Won’t Want to Miss

While most features of the Quebec Winter Carnival programming are ongoing throughout the event, others are more exclusive.

For instance, on Friday, February 7, a Hip-Hop Party will welcome several artists from the current Quebec rap scene, including Alaclair Ensemble. For electronic music lovers, they will be transported by the Electro Frette evening on Friday, February 14, which will feature five young female DJs from cities including Los Angeles, Paris and Kiev. Other musical performances are planned throughout the Carnival, from the blues to folkloric rigodon. So, take the time to check out the programming for the various stages.

On Sunday, February 9, don’t miss the canoe race, which brings together several teams, including one made up of competitors from Hôtel Château Laurier Québec!

And of course, we can’t forget the long-awaited Parade, on February 8 and 15, which is always a highlight of the Carnival. It’s like a moving circus, with dance, music, fabulous characters and energetic performances. The two parades take place on Grande Allée Street, right on our doorstep.

After all the time spent with our cheeks pink from the wind, what a pleasure it is to enter a cafe or a bistro to warm up with a good soup, a hot chocolate or, to be truly Quebecois, a poutine!

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The concierge team at Hôtel Château Laurier Québec is committed and happy to help you with all your wishes: whatever your needs, do not hesitate to contact us. Whether for business, family, girls’ night out or activities for couples, we will ensure your stay in Québec City is a true pleasure.