Are you looking for some bragging rights and a little extra warmth this winter? The 35th annual Festival du Voyageur beard growing contest kicks off Saturday.
“We were doing beards before they were cool,” Julien Desaulniers, the artistic director with Festival du Voyageur said. “It’s an important part of the festival lore and we just love doing it. It gets people together.”
How it works is participants get a straight edge shave on Saturday. After that they have ten weeks to grow the best beard they can with judging on February 16 at Festival du Voyageur.
It is also for a good cause. People registered are raising money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
It is free to enter, however, participants will have to pay to enter Festival du Voyageur the day of the judging, unless they raise $100, then they get a free day pass worth $25.
To enter you have to call Waltz On In Barber Shop at (204) 999-0417 to arrange a free straight edge shave on Saturday between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m.
You must arrive unshaven to the business at 68 Sherbrook St.
If you cannot grow a beard, don’t worry. There are a few other categories you can enter.
Open Category:
All participants have to do is show their originality and create their own beard. The person with the most creative one wins.
Voyageur Beard Category:
Contestants must naturally grow their beard, as long and as thick as they can, without help from chemicals or drugs. No colouring or extensions are allowed.
Novelty Category:
You can be as creative as you want to use hairstyling product to craft your beard or moustache in the most imaginative way possible. No colouring or extensions are allowed.
In all categories, participants must raise money for the Heart & Stroke Foundation.
Festival du Voyageur runs February 16-25, 2018.