In Montreal winters, you put a scarf over your face and just trudge to the bar. In the summer? You festival.

Between mid July and mid August, there are eleven BIG festivals that overlap. Some genius decided to market them all together under the umbrella of FESTIMANIA! Because that is exactly what it is.

Their tag line is “Be a cultureholic.” We describe it as the best time to visit Montreal and fun-fun-fun-wahooooooooo!

Are you ready? FESTIVAL ROLL CALL!

Just For Laughs, Circus Festival, International Fireworks Festival, Zoofest (Emerging cool talent in a variety of mediums including magic), Fantasia, Montreal Electronic Music Festival, Osheaga Music and Arts Festival, Nuits D’Afrique African Music Festival, Divers/Cite (celebrating queer sexuality and diversity)First Peoples’ Festival and Festival Mode & Design. Wahhhh, so many festivals at once!!! Which hat will you wear? WEAR THEM ALL! BE A ONE-WOMAN parade! We did.

It sounds overwhelming, and it is, but on the Festimania website, you can easily pull up a calendar that outlines ALL the happenings each day. In town for Just For Laughs? Why not catch a fireworks display? Heading to Osheaga? Cool down with a Fantasia flick at Concordia U.

So, far those of you heading to Osheaga this weekend, check the listings and between sets, catch stand-up at JFL or see the biggest drag show ever – Mascara: La Nuit des Drags- and try your best to grab a seat at La Ronde to take in a spectacular firework display set to The Beatles! Or just wander into the largest group of musicians strumming the ukulele to the same song all at once! (That is actually happening with the goal of setting a world record.)

Need more ideas? Oh, we got ’em! Catch The Flaming Lips at Parc Jean-Drapeau and then Bixi your ass up to Casa Del Popolo for the Brown Bag Allstars! You can even take a tour of Montreal’s old red light district. There is also the Horny House of Horror screening Saturday at midnight OR OR OR grab a seat and be wowed by the best damn female ventriliquist ever! You will learn to love talking puppets! WE PROMISE!

We’ve only listed, like, ten percent of what is happening. And while some events are ticketed the Quartier des Spectacles (Massive area surrounding Place des Arts) is all FREEEE! Guys, this is the best! Go. Experience. Take pics. Laugh. It’s amazing.

Full schedule here here here here here.

#FESTIMANIA! You are one helluva ride.