From February 20 to March 7, 2021, families are invited to take part in free activities as part of Festival Montréal joue 2021, an event organized by libraries in the Bibliothèques de Montréal network. A celebration of games in all their forms, the festival features video games, board games, role-playing games, and fun activities for all ages. Activities and events are offered by 45 libraries and are accessible to everyone.
With the theme “Montréal joue… à la maison” (Montréal plays…at home), the festival’s 9th edition takes place primarily online with virtual activities that can be enjoyed at home. The activities are accessible through the festival’s Facebook page, where participants can enjoy a variety of quizzes, electronic sports, improv shows, household challenges, family bingo games, and much more.
In addition to the online content, themed activity booklets are available to pick up in borough libraries, or digital versions can be downloaded from home at montrealjoue.ca. Inside you’ll find word games, colouring pages, mazes, and other quiet games to play.
There are three booklets to choose from:
- Cahier Enfant et Famille
- Cahier Passion Jeux
- Cahier Personne Aînée
Families and seniors can also borrow board games, video games, and activity kits that include fun items such as a board game, library documents (books, DVDs, CDs, etc.), the activity book, and other surprises from one of the 45 participating libraries.
The festival’s schedule can be found online at montrealjoue.ca/programmation, and events are held in French. Online activities are open to all; you do not need to be a resident of one of the 19 boroughs, however, you will need a valid Montreal library card to borrow from any of the library collections.
Voici l’événement Montréal joue! Les Bibliothèques de Montréal vous invitent à participer en grand nombre pour découvrir…
Posted by Montréal joue on Thursday, February 11, 2021
About the festival
Started in 2013, the Festival Montréal joue aims to bring games to all Montrealers and to celebrate the dynamic games industry in the city. Following a donation in 2009 of 1,590 video games from EA, Eidos and Ubisoft Montreal, the games proved so popular with the public that Montreal libraries now have over 17,000 video games in its collection and over 80 video games consoles.
Board games are also of interest and there are currently 12,500 board games available to the public. The festival also highlights modern Montreal libraries as fun and unifying places where more than a thousand activities are offered each year.
