COMMUNITY CALENDAR of EVENTS   

Friday, Dec. 20 at 8 p.m. – Les Rhapsodes choir, directed by David Rompré, presents De la Messe au réveillon featuring the Grand-Messe composed by Gilles Vigneault and Bruno Fecteau for the 400th anniversary of the Ville de Québec and classic Quebec Christmas music with traditional carols. Soloists Clotilde Moretti (soprano), Luc Vachon (mezzo-soprano), Gabriel Provencher (tenor) and Maxence Lasserre-Engberts (bass) will be accompanied by organist Marc D’Anjou and an instrumental ensemble at the Palais Montcalm. For details and tickets, visit lesrhapsodes.com/concerts-2/saison-2024-2025. 

Dec. 21 to Feb. 16 – Gougoune & Doudoune – L’Espace Quatre Cents on Quai St-André overlooking the Louise Basin is transformed into Bonhomme Carnaval’s winter “beach.” The site will be open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. up to Jan. 5, Saturdays and Sundays only between Jan 11 and Feb. 2, and every day from Feb. 7 to 16, during the Quebec Winter Carnival. The site will be freely accessible but there is a fee to participate in some of the activities. Details at carnaval.qc.ca/gougoune-et-doudoune.

Sunday, Dec. 22 at 11:15 a.m. – A Service of Lessons and Carols will be held at Chalmers-Wesley United Church, 78 Rue Ste-Ursule. All are welcome. 

Sunday, Dec. 22 at 3 p.m. – Les Productions Cont’opéra present two lyric Christmas tales – La petite fille aux allumettes (The Little Matchstick Girl) and Treize à la douzaine: une histoire de biscuits… (Thirteen to the dozen: a cookie story) with soprano Carole-Anne Roussel, contralto Priscilla-Ann Tremblay and bass Marc-André Caron at the Salle Henri-Gagnon of the Pavillon Casault on the Université Laval campus, 1055 Ave. du Séminaire. Tickets $25 for adults, $8 for youth ages six-17, free for children five and under. General admission tickets may be reserved online at lepointdevente.com/billets/zk2241222001. 

Until Dec. 23 – The Marché de Noël allemand / German Christmas Market. A Christmas village designed to recreate the festive atmosphere of European Christmas markets can be found in the heart of Old Quebec City at Place D’Youville, Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, the Jardins de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Rue Sainte-Anne and Place d’Armes. For details, visit mnaq.ca/en.

Dec. 26 to 29 – Cirque du Soleil’s CRYSTAL explores the artistic limits of ice for the first time in the company’s 40-year history. This unique production combines stunning skating and acrobatic feats that defy the imagination at the Videotron Centre. Visit ticketmaster.ca/cirque-du-soleil-crystal-tickets for tickets. 

Dec. 27 to 31 – Festival Kaléidoscopes, a free celebration of traditional music, theatre, local gastronomy, literature and the arts, takes place at the German Christmas Market sites in Old Quebec. 

Dec. 29 to 31 – Welcome the New Year at the Toboggan Festival with outdoor shows on two stages at Place George-V and Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale. Seats in reserved areas are accessible with tickets, but entry to the Toboggan Festival is free for all. For details, visit tobogganfestival.com.  Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. – Hommage to Vienna: New Year’s concert at the Grand Théâtre. Welcome the New Year and celebrate Vienna’s Golden Age with music, colourful costumes and stunning floral decorations. Featuring grandiose arias, romantic duets and joyous overtures from the King of the Waltz, this concert features the Strauss Orchestra of Quebec, dancers from the Austrian Europaballett and international ballroom champions twirling to timeless tunes like “The Blue Danube.” For more information and tickets, visit   grandtheatre.qc.ca/programmation/hommage-vienne-concert-nouvel-an.

Friday, Jan. 3 at 10 a.m. – The Eastern Québec Learning Centre is holding a Piñata Creation Workshop, a fundraiser for the Community Christmas Hamper Campaign. Spark a spirit of giving while creating lasting memories together—plus, you get to take home your colourful creation! Sign up today and make a difference! All materials are included. The $35 fee is for one child per adult. Register online at forms.office.com/r/gCEHw704kh 

Thursday, Jan. 16 at 8 p.m. – The Orchestre symphonique de Québec invites Emanuel Ax, considered one of the world’s best pianists currently performing, to play works by Mozart and Beethoven at a benefit concert at the Palais Montcalm, with a cocktail party in the Chez Madame Belley bar at 7 p.m. For details and tickets, visit osq.org/concerts/emanuel-ax-joue-beethoven.

Visit the Voice of English-speaking Québec website (veq.ca) for information about events for all ages. 

Visit the Morrin Centre website (morrin.org) for information about more literary, artistic and educational activities for everyone.