Sainte-Rose en bleu: a family festival of music, art, poetry, prose, and fireworks – all for free, in the heart of Laval

The annual festival will also once again showcase the biggest blue fireworks in North America, with a minimum of 20% blue content, compared with the usual 2% characteristic of most pyrotechnic displays throughout the world.

"The best blue fireworks are in Italy, but ours exceeds the best fireworks the continent has to offer. We want to contribute to the feeling of pride in Laval, so once again this year we invite everyone to dress Sainte-Rose Boulevard in blue," said Guy Cyr, founder and president of Sainte-Rose en bleu.

Last year, the festival drew 45,000 visitors to its site. The organizers are expecting a similar turnout this year, despite the massive road repair work going on in the district.

On August 7,8,9 children's activities include a drawing contest with a theme of Un zoo bleu, a treasure hunt with very interesting prizes, workshops on masks, sculptures, puppetry and, of course, the always very popular little train ride.

Next day, Saturday, August 8, three concerts take to the stage in front of Sainte-Rose de Lima Church, including Harmonie Laval and the Cap Show company.

This latter concert, entitled Blue Suede Shoes, will invite the audience to relive the great hits of popular music, from the 1950s to the present.

"This year, in the current economic situation, we made every effort to streamline the program we launched last year. In the long run, in the next few years, Laval's business-industrial-commercial community has to increase its participation in the beautiful events that take place in Laval and also contribute more significantly to the prestige of these events, and we're not just referring to Sainte-Rose en bleu," summed up festival founder and organizer Guy Cyr.

The gala concerts and fireworks will have free admission sections, with some V.I.P. seating available for a price.