On Saturday, August 19 and Sunday, August 20, Saint-Lazare hosted the very first edition of Festi-Ouest, a new festivity replacing the Quebec and Canada Day celebrations. Despite uncertain weather conditions, thousands of people flocked to Parc Bédard to take part. 

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A country invitation with Roch Voisine at Saint-Lazare

On social networks, the day after the weekend, the Town thanked the citizens and visitors who came to take part in the very first edition of this cultural gathering. 

The event was named after the town's geographical location and the fact that the celebrations highlighted its equestrian heritage.

Over the course of the weekend, young and old alike enjoyed games of skill or line-dancing to the sounds of chansonniers. A carnival atmosphere prevailed, with rides on horse-drawn carriages and merry-go-rounds. 

For the musical side of things, the town called on Roch Voisine to entertain the crowd on Saturday evening from 8pm. The singer-songwriter revisited his greatest hits. 

Beauharnois singer-songwriter Andie Therio opened the show at 7pm. 

Here's a message from Ville de Saint-Lazare following the festivities: 

As we take our final counts, we can already confirm that several thousand of you came out to enjoy the rides, activities, music, food, shows and entertainment on offer. A crowd of a size rarely seen in Saint-Lazare!

We've got great pictures and have already received your many positive comments. We'll be sharing them with our teams, who have been working hard to ensure you have a great time.

Now, keep an eye out for our next newsletter, which will contain more details and the happy stories that have made this first edition such a memorable celebration.

In the meantime, we'd also like to thank our employees and service providers for their superb work. You were the spark that made Festi Ouest so colorful and vibrant!