Quebecers are taking full advantage of the long weekend, celebrating the province’s Fête nationale — formerly known as St-Jean Baptiste Day.
Thousands took part in the annual parade which kicked off Saturday at 1 p.m. at the corner of Boucher and St-Denis streets.
READ MORE: St-Jean-Baptiste celebrations kick off in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
This year’s theme, Once Upon a Time, aims to highlight the different personalities that have left their mark on the city, throughout its 375-year history.
The parade, made up of 15 different tableaus and 1,600 participants, made its way down a 2.4-km stretch of St-Denis Street, with Quebec singer Annie Villeneuve opening the show.
READ MORE: What’s open and closed in Montreal this Fête nationale weekend
Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly, as well as Parti Québécois Leader Jean-François Lisée made a point of attending the event.
“It’s just a day where we say ‘gee it’s great to be here, it’s great to be here together,'” Lisée said.
“The idea is that every Quebecer has the right to celebrate Fête nationale,” Joly said. “It is a very inclusive, beautiful day.”
The end of the parade signaled the beginning of neighbourhood festivities, with get-togethers planned around the island.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and wife Sophie Grégoire attended Fête nationale celebrations in Villeray.
READ MORE: Special St-Jean-Baptiste events celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary
Quebecers have been celebrating June 24, in one way or another, for over 180 years.
The first St-Jean Baptiste Day harks back to 1834 and featured a banquet attended by Ludger Duvernay, founder of the event, and other dignitaries. The soirée was held to celebrate French Canadians.
In 1977, the Quebec government, then headed by René Lesvesque, declared June 24 a national holiday for all Quebecers and the statutory holiday became known as la Fête nationale des Québécois.
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