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JULY IN LES JARDINS GAMELIN: MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE, PHYSICAL FITNESS AND MUSICAL DELIGHTS

                           _Press release - For immediate release_

Montreal, June 29 2015 – Summer has barely started and Montreal has already grown attached to the Jardins Gamelin. The first major initiative aimed at embellishing and energizing Place Émilie-Gamelin since its inauguration 23 years ago, Les Jardins Gamelin has presented a wide variety of outdoor programming since May. Every day of the week from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., this is the place for enjoying festivities with friends, getting in shape, or relaxing.

July’s activities promise to be as abundant as ever with Montréal Complètement Cirque and the return of Piknic Électronik, musical evenings, yoga, and fitness sessions, as well as urban agriculture workshops for green thumbs. “Attendance has surpassed our expectations. We wanted to create a pleasant and welcoming space where everyone could enjoy from Place Émilie-Gamelin. Groups have cohabitated here wonderfully and Montrealers as well as cultural and community organizations have adopted Les Jardins as their own. It has become a meeting place and a tourist attraction in the metropolis, and we are very proud of that,” Jacques Primeau, President of the Board, Quartier des Spectacles Partnership notes with pleasure.

MONTREAL COMPLÈTEMENT CIRQUE

From July 2 to 12, at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Place Émilie-Gamelin will be transformed into a circus ring for Duels. The Montréal Complètement Cirque festival promises many breathtaking moment with aerial shows, a Chinese pole number, acrobatics unfolding right overhead, and a chorus of adventurous Montrealers. “This is our sixth year, and we are looking forward to being with our warm, enthusiastic audiences again. In our new creation, our audience is the heart of a surprising, touching, and impressive show. We’re inviting everyone to a beautiful circus experience in an inspiring environment!” explains the Director of Montreal Complètement Cirque, Nadine Marchand. Note that Duels will take a break on July 6. On July 5, the public is invited to La cinémathèque sous les étoiles to watch excerpts from Chaplin films accompanied by a solo drum performance by Frédéric Lebrasseur.

THE RETURN OF PIKNIC ÉLECTRONIK

On Thursday, July 16, Piknic Électronik returns to Jardins Gamelin. Close to 6000 people were drawn to the festive vibe of the first event. This time, fans of electronic music as well as the electro-curious will dance to the rhythms of DJs Shaydakiss, A-Rock and Hatchmatik who will be side by side at the turntables all night long. “It’s already been 13 years that Piknic Électronik has invited people to discover its rich musical universe in the pleasant surroundings of Jean-Drapeau Park. Les Jardins Gamelin is another way of reinvesting in the urban space and offering a beautiful showcase for local artists,” stresses Pascal Lefebvre, President of Piknic Électronik. A third Piknic Électronik will take place in August.

WELL-BEING AND FITNESS

Every Monday at 12:15 p.m. and Wednesday at 5:15 p.m., the place will be humming with Cardio FIT, a quick workout for people who are short on time! Tuesdays at noon, Les Jardins invites the public to the Laid-back Lunches for a yoga session. Whatever the weather, good or bad, trainers from Yo-Yoga and Cardio Plein Air will be waiting for you.

URBAN AGRICULTURE

All summer long, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the public is invited to explore the gardens and vegetable plots in Place Émilie-Gamelin and take part in urban agriculture workshops: a must for those curious about new cultivation techniques and the surprising culinary properties of our local produce. Sentier urbain hosts the workshops every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. See the detailed schedule in the appendix.

JULY ACTIVITIES

July will see the return of many popular and reoccurring activities. Mondays at lunchtime, enjoy high-energy dancing with RISE BEAT. On Mondays and Wednesdays at 7 p.m., the Alors on danse series offers swing and salsa courses. On the musical side of things, Andy Williams, the DJ from The Goods Soundsystem continues his Soul Lunch every Thursday at noon. Also on Thursdays, the Soirées à Pelland invites music lovers to plunge into the universe of acclaimed producers, while on Friday Turntable Nights, the public can bring their own records for DJs to spin. Performances by up and coming musical acts are offered on Wednesdays during the Midis de l’Escalier lunchtime concerts and with Samedis de la relève. Every Tuesday from mid-July on, the Soirées oratoires public speaking events will surprise you with slams, improvisations and humorous monologues. The outdoor karaoke will continue to amuse on Sunday afternoons.

On July 17, 18, and 19, les Jardins Gamelin welcomes La Cuvée d’été a festival that invites you to taste micro-brewery beer, cider and spirits in a 1950’s atmosphere. On July 24 and 15, Festival Haïti en folie will present the Twoubadou lunchtime concerts.

Finally, in the evenings Les Jardins takes on that distinctive lighting of the Quartier des Spectacles. The work of Melvin Charney has been illuminated since last year, as is Janet Echelman’s immense suspended netting, 1.26. In Place Dupuis, the architectural projection created by Gabriel Poirier-Galarneau and Vincent Bilodeau, 9 x [MTL] is on view.

All the activities offered at Les Jardins Gamelin are free. The detailed program follows in the appendix. Check in for more information regularly: quartierdesspectacles.com and facebook.com/LesJardinsGamelin.

LE COMPTOIR DES JARDINS GAMELIN

Daily – 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. • Thursday to Sunday – bar service

Le Comptoir continues to cater gourmet appetites until 11 p.m. with chef Marc-André Lavergne’s unique culinary specialties and a friendly open-air terrace. Try out the “bâtons du diable” – a special menu available exclusively during the Complètement Cirque festival.

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montreal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues. The district is the year-round host to countless festival and events, many of which include free outdoor shows and activities.

The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design, immersive environments or interactive digital spaces. It also presents artistic video projections on several building façades, year round. The Quartier des Spectacles is an international showcase for new multimedia technology, making Montreal a leader in the urban exhibition of digital content.

More information: www.quartierdesspectacles.com

Les Jardins Gamelin programming facebook.com/LesJardinsGamelin

#jardinsgamelin

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APPENDIX

JULY PROGRAM FOR LES JARDINS GAMELIN

Reoccurring activities are identified in black, and special events are mark in blue.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 1

HOLIDAY
7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. > LE COMPTOIR DES JARDINS GAMELIN.

THURSDAY, JULY 2

noon-2 p.m. > SOUL LUNCH with ANDY WILLIAMS - THE GOODS SOUNDSYSTEM.
Fantastic beats from funk to techno, hip-hop and soul for a lunch hour with rhythm.

noon-2 p.m. > DISCOVER THE GARDENS with SENTIER URBAIN.
Learn about the different plants in the gardens, how they are cultivated, and their medicinal and culinary properties.

4:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. > LES SOIRÉES À PELLAND with GABRIEL GAGNON.
Hosted by Martin Pelland, the musical director of the Montreal branch of Apollo Studios, these evenings introduce audiences to the world of Montreal’s hottest music producers.