Mount Royal

Alternate uses: Mount Royal (disambiguation)

Mount Royal's Tam-Tams

The Mount Royal hosts a unique activity in summer time: the Sunday Tam-Tams. Every sunny and warm Sunday of the summer, hundreds of Montrealers and visitors alike come to the east slope of the mount and gather around the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier to play tam-tams. People also practice other activities there, like: playing footbag, frisbee, sunbathing, dancing, playing guitar, reading, sparring with plastic-foam swords, selling hand-made bracelets, necklaces and other artistic objects and, of course, playing tam-tams (hand drums).

Related Topics:
Footbag - Frisbee - Sunbathing - Dancing - Guitar - Reading - Sparring - Sword - Bracelet - Necklace - Hand drum

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Over time, it has become the symbol of Montreal's diversity, since all type of people of various backgrounds, from college students to old hippies, spontaneously gather there. It is the place to be to relax and enjoy a leisurely moment under the sun.

Related Topics:
Montreal - Diversity

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Anybody can join the tam-tam mob, although it is better to come early to get a good spot. Sometimes, dozens of tam-tam players perform their art at the same time, thus creating a very energetic dancing mood.

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Nobody really knows when this spontaneous gathering began. It is not regulated by any authority, although policemen and first aid technicians are present to ensure the people's safety. The city also restricts commercial activity. Vendors may only sell items from approximately forty spaces around the central statue, they are not permitted to erect any kind of table or display, and vendors must register each week. While a few vendors work for nearby stores, many are simply local artists.

Related Topics:
Authority - Policemen - First aid

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The Tam-tam spot on Mount Royal is also a place favored by clubbers getting out of one of Montreal's four main after-hours clubs: Aria, Stereo, Gravity and Circus.

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