MTL: Piknic Electronik

Off the island of Montreal, next to the famous fun-park “La Ronde,” Piknic Electronik is located in a miniature island-paradise getaway. Piknic Electronik is one of those few summer-long events that puts Montreal on the map. A friend of mine who is a party maniac invited me last summer to join her in this “Piknic” experience. She made it sound like a dream come true: a club atmosphere in the afternoon, with the sun baking on your bare-back (because most people are in their bathing suits) and fruity alcoholic beverages in everyone’s hands- unfortunately, I never had the chance to go. At the time, I figured that she was overexaggerating this phenomenon in the ungodly hour of the afternoon.

When I arrived on its opening day on Sunday, May 24th, I was astonished by how accurate my crazy raver friend was. For a whole year, I thought it was just the hard-alcohol talking- it was unbelievable how true every word she said was.

Starting at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, the subway doors open and an army of party-dressed, pierced and tattooed “Piknicers” stampede towards their long-awaited Sunday home where they are welcomed with open arms, electro music and beautiful people into this island resort.

Photo: Piknic Electronik Archive: 2009

Accessible by bike, metro, car or even boat, Piknic Electronik is the complete opposite of Alcatraz prison- according to the website, it is “unifying, positive and family-oriented.” Not only can people bring food and alcohol with them- as long as their is no glass- but there are wonderful venues for delicious alcoholic beverages. I had an “Amarula Mango”, two of them actually, they were out-of-this world.

According to one of the founders of Piknic Electronik, Nicholas Cournoyer, “Piknic Electronik was created to bring Montrealers’ together on a hot summer day. We wanted to have a place where people could bring food and drinks, enjoy nature and dance to electronic music.” Cournoyer’s goal is to popularize the world of electronic music by having an outdoor showroom for artists to share their talent with the Piknicers.

Photo: MSTRKRFT Piknic Electronik Archive: 2009

The whole event was out-of-this-universe, never before have I seen such large amount of happy people dancing and sweating away in the scorching sun on a church/lazy-Sunday afternoon. People were sprawled out and sitting on towels, on grass and on benches laughing, eating and sharing love among themselves- creating memories that will linger forever in the mind. One person I spoke with told me that during the summer, the only reason she gets through the week is to come relax and vibe at the Piknic.  The atmosphere is so welcoming, making this place such a hot-spot to make new friends, meet people of the opposite sex (and hook up on the dancefloor or in the bushes) or simply just to have a personalized spiritual experience by enjoying nature and dancing until the point of exhaustion.

This area is like a natural-habitat for humans, a small space surrounded by water, plains of grass, forest areas and waterfalls! Yes, Piknic Electronik isn’t only a place to drink, smoke, and enjoy all the eye-candy, but it is a place where one can just become one with nature. I spent a good hour dunking my legs in the water and meditating on a rock inside a small waterfall, greeting the passing people as they came and went.

Maybe it’s the summer talking, but I haven’t realized how many beautiful women lived in Montreal until I came to Piknic. Everyone was half-naked. Woman were walking around in bras or bathing suits and most men were shirtless. Almost everyone had a tattoo and it was so interesting just observing all the different types of designs and art-work on people’s bodies.

Photo: Piknic Electronik Archive: 2009

The partying was intense. People were vibing, shaking to the electro beats, smiling and raving. I was amazed at how a club-like atmosphere in the afternoon is so different from ones at night. For one, the men weren’t “alpha-males” competing with each other over woman and defending their “territories.” Everyone was doing what they wished and acted or dressed in whatever ways they wish- and were accepted my the general tribe of Piknicers.

For Lucie Lebel, this was her first time performing at Piknic Electronik. “I have been coming here for a few years and I am so excited and nervous to play here today.” For Lebel, all she wants to do is excite everyone with her music and get them “dancing and kissing on the Piknic floor.”  Cournoyer believes that the ideal thing to do with friends in the summer would be to sit around, have a few beers, enjoy the beauty of nature and to celebrate life with dance: and that’s what Piknic Electronik is. A place where no matter who you are, how you look, or where you come from, you can unite as one spiritual, sexual, holistic being- just looking to enjoy the world and share it with others.

Words: David Adelman

Piknic electronic is every Sunday until labor Day long Weekend at Metro Parc. Metro stop: Jean Drapeau, $10 to get in. For more info on this summer’s lineup, CLICK HERE.