Spectators can march to the beat of a different drum during the annual International Percussion Festival taking place July 2 to 10. For its 15th edition, this sonic festival will revisit the rhythms of many countries celebrated throughout the years including the sounds of Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, Japan and Australia.

More than 500 artists and entertainers will perform traditional choreographies and musical sequences at several locations throughout Verdun. “Everyone can follow a beat,” says festival founder and president, Gilbert Lucu. “During this festival, you’re not only a spectator but a participant too.”

On July 9, there will be a carnivalesque parade where the performers and artists will collaborate with attendees to create a symphony of sound. Percussion workshops and dance lessons will be open to people of all ages.

The majority of the family-oriented activities will be held during A Place for Family from July 7 to 10 at the Arthur-Therrien Park. It will feature African, Brazilian and Afro-Peruvian percussion sessions.

Children can learn how to make their own environmentally conscious musical instruments using recycled materials. Along with the different instrumental workshops, there will be a free picnic for kids, a bouncy castle and kiosks where artisans sell jewelry, instruments, food and clothes. Although the festival is dedicated to all things musical, fans of visual and urban art can check out the works of painters and graffiti artists.  Admission to the festival is free.

For more information, visit percussions.ca.