Mission and history

The Foire Gourmande of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Northeastern Ontario has been in existence since 2002 and was created by Line Descôteaux and Bernard Flébus, in collaboration with a number of financial partners. Through the years the Foire Gourmande has earned itself an excellent reputation and the number of visitors continues to grow; it is now considered one of the region’s flagship events. The festival is the result of a unique collaboration between two provinces.

The mission of the Foire Gourmande is to develop and promote the agri-food industry of Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Northeastern Ontario. Thanks to a winning formula, it has been a resounding success. By offering an event with free admission, which combines the tasting of regional produce with entertainment, music, live shows (involving both art and cookery), arts and crafts, and activities for children, it has become the perfect showcase for local produce and has contributed a great deal not just to raising awareness, but to earning much-deserved recognition.

In recent years, the primary goal of the Foire Gourmande has been to offer its visitors a unique culinary experience. To offer a few examples: in 2011 guests got the chance to dine at a flying dinner table, as part of the famous ‘Dinner in the Sky’ event. In 2014 we dined in total darkness with l’Expérience dans le noir. In 2015, the Foire travelled throughout the region, showing off regional delicacies in stores, for its blog ‘The Festival on the Road’.

Buying local, respect for the environment, the desire to eat healthy, a platform for local artists, the benefits of collaboration, volunteer involvement, a family-friendly environment… these are just some of the guiding principles of the Foire Gourmande. The event is welcomed by the local population, is widely recognised and environmentally responsible. Not only that, the nature of the event calls for a huge number of people to get involved. No less than 450 volunteers are on hand each year to help get the big celebration underway and to make sure, on the third weekend in August, that the festival is ready to welcome the thousands of visitors expected to attend the event.