2023-11-24 18:47:33
Les Plaisirs d’hiver opened the winter ball on Friday noon to once again enliven the streets of the capital for a little over a month. The festive inauguration was held at 6:00 p.m., on the Grand-Place, in the presence of the mayor of the City of Brussels, Philippe Close (PS), the minister-president of the Walloon government Elio Di Rupo (PS), as well as from the Minister of Relations with First Nations and Inuit of Quebec, Ian Lafrenière.
The Grand-Place tree, 22 meters high, was lit up at 6 p.m., marking the start of this 23rd edition of Winter Fun. This was followed by traditional songs and dances from the 11 Indigenous Nations of Quebec, this year’s guest of honor. The sound and light show, produced by the Canadian delegation, then sparkled the historic facades of the Brussels square, under the amazed eyes of the crowd.
“We look forward to seeing our residents come and take advantage of all the activities planned in the city center, as well as in the different neighborhoods,” rejoiced Mr. Close.
Until December 31 (and until January 7 on Places De Brouckère, de la Monnaie and the Grand-Place), millions of visitors will be able to stroll through the streets of the city center to enjoy the event, organized by the City’s events unit, Brussels Major Events (BME).
In addition to essentials such as artisan markets, mulled wine, the ice rink (which this year hosts curling rinks), the Ferris wheel and other rides, “the magic of the 2023 edition will operate this year thanks to its guest of honor that are the eleven indigenous nations of Quebec,” indicates the City of Brussels.
Other new features are also included in the program, namely curling rinks installed on the ice rink, “afterski” with DJ sets on Place De Brouckère (every Thursday) or even “Eloge de l’air” , an artistic installation made of swings, installed at the Mont des Arts.
Image of the Winter Wonders opening ceremony. – BELGA
Image of the Winter Wonders opening ceremony. – BELGA
Image of the Winter Wonders opening ceremony. – BELGA
The guest of honor
If the City of Brussels has already been working with Quebec for several years, the 11 indigenous nations of the province are guests of honor for the first time. Alongside the essential Winter Fun events, “this collaboration will offer spectators a new, unique and immersive program of shows, in a context of openness and inclusiveness”, rejoiced the City.
Among the activities offered, we will find workshops, cultural conferences, screenings of short films and videos on indigenous realities, languages, culture, literature and tourism experiences. A “shaputuan”, a large traditional tent, pitched on rue Orts, will be the central point of the activity carried out by the Tourisme Autochtone Québec association.
The welcome of First Nations and Inuit in the Belgian capital represents a “unique opportunity on the economic, tourist and cultural levels, among others,” according to the City. Their arrival promotes the international influence of Brussels and, moreover, constitutes a formidable showcase for Quebec as a travel destination.
As early as May 2022, a Quebec minister went to Brussels to meet the organizing teams and, last June, the Quebec government officially granted 600,000 Canadian dollars (a little over 400,000 euros) to Tourisme Autochtone Québec to “coordinate this presence » in Brussels and “highlight indigenous tourism”.
The 11 Indigenous Nations of Quebec are the descendants of the populations who populated North America when European settlers arrived. In Quebec, they are divided into 55 communities.
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