Located in the heart of Baies-des-Chaleurs, the city of Carleton has been hosting numerous summer festivities for several decades. Top of the line tourist area between sea and mountains, its citizens found out long ago the pleasure of holding popular festivals nurturing the community well being, cultural exchanges as well as tourists affluence. We may refer to the 60’s and 70’s Salmon Festival or to the Festivoile of the 80’s, Carleton always applied joie de vivre into welcoming visitors.

Based on this tradition, the local cultural agents discussed for several years the consolidation and development of the gains in the arts world. In 1993, Maximum 90 wishing to widen its mandate well over small venue production, decided to organize a big musical fest: “MAXIMUM BLUES FESTIVAL”.

Even if at that time the Blues was not very present in the Baie-des-Chaleurs, the festival first edition imposed itself as a significant summer event. We presented the best Québécois bluesmen under a big tent holding 1000 spectators. To those we added a variety of local artists giving shows in the city bars, restaurants and cafés.

A new segment of the tourism market added itself to the numerous regulars visiting our neck of the woods: Blues festival goers mainly from Lower St-Lawrence, New-Brunswick and Gaspé Peninsula.

In 1994, Maximum Blues does it again with a gradually more prestigious program. The public’s response, widening to Quebec’s major cities, encourages the organizers to dream of a national class event. Strengthened by the last two editions success, the festival comity present artists from the United States and Europe in the 3rd Edition. Noting an augmentation in attendance the site evolves with the addition of other activities.

While heading to an international program, the organizing committee innovates in 1996 By presenting a Gospel choir in Carleton’s church. The audience reception this kind of event was such that we still present Gosepl today. Even then, we noticed that the enchanting festival site, Carleton municipal beach, is now the summer event par excellence in the Baie-des-chaleurs. The attendance grows at a constant fast pace consistent with all the services offered by the organization to the festival goers: Food vendors, miscellaneous attractions, merchandise kiosks, children activities, etc …

After four years of laudable efforts to implement the festival in Carleton, Maximum 90 disengages itself. A new team of volunteers then involve themselves taking at heart to keep alive the Blues fest which became not only a peaceful and popular get together but also a non negligible addition to economic development for the community.

On the recommendation of diverse local instances (City, Chamber of Commerce, Development Corporation, cultural organizations, etc … ) and for self management reasons, procedures are started to get a legal chart, which will be awarded in Spring 1997.

The composition of a Board of Administrators representative of the community, the implementation of an organizational chart, the integration of social clubs, the renewed enthusiasm showed by the major public and economic partners regarding the new Maximum Blues orientation are all factors which contributed to its development and made it what it is today.

What happened since 1997, the year of the 5th Anniversary? Many realizations came to life in the following 5 years. A steadily fast attendance growth forced the instauration of auxiliary services to fulfill festival goers needs: Bars, food mart, sales kiosks, convenience store, etc … A second stage, an outdoor one, is added to serve at first as a showcase for Gaspésie’s artists, it will evolve thourgh the years to offer shows from all over.

Children activities are offered under a big tent that can accommodate theater, music, story telling and visual arts workshops. The installation of an accommodation camping located on the lagoon side offer 6 000 person-nights during the festival 5 days. Several assets were acquired by the Maximum Blues Corporation, mainly equipment to improve reception facilities. The first of a series of “Maximum Blues Live” album was launch as a nod in the direction of Gaspésie’s blues artists who promote it during a regional tour.

For the 10th Anniversary, a Sistering with Carleton’s Sunflower River Blues and Gospel Festival is organized to facilitate circulation between both communities within the scope of a cultural exchange. It is how in 2002, a 25 people delegation, including 13 artists amongst whom the project spokesperson, Nanette Workman, went to Clarksdale and presented two shows.

In conclusion, an acknowledgement must be made: Maximum Blues is not only a music festival but as much a reflection of the vitality of its community. According to the best experts as well as profanes, unanimity surrounds the festival hereby giving it a certain fame.

Most certainly, each year the first week of Wednesday of August sees the “the village within the village” come to life… blues on the beach. A place where it feels good to be.

During five days, from Wednesday to Sunday, Carleton’s Municipal Beach is enliven by numerous colorful activities: Swimming, canoeing, boat rides, clowns and street artists, volley-ball and basketball tournaments, etc … From the younger to the older, the pleasure and joie de vivre are on the agenda. Everything is wrapped into the Blues music ambiance and enhanced by the numerous services offered such as: bars, terasses, restauration, arts and crafts kiosks, souvenirs, etc … All this deployment, prepared well in advance by people from around for people from everywhere, is not estranged to the quality of the Maximum Blues Corporation organization, nor is it estranged to the numerous partners who believe in the event nor to the Carleton citizens warm welcome.