Fête nationale celebrations underway across Quebec

The Fête nationale parade is underway on St-Denis Street in Montreal, kicking off with Annie Villeneuve singing Gens du pays atop a float depicting Quebec colonial history. 

Big puppets of historical figures and Quebec founders, like Samuel de Champlain, glided through the crowd. The festivities are also highlighting Montreal's 375th anniversary. 

More floats to come in the parade will depict First Nations histories as well as more recent events in the province's past.

While many of the scenes celebrated the province and city, others took cracks at its infrastructure.

...Or highlighted its infrastructure.

Musicians played signature Quebec folkloric music.

Friday night, thousands of people attended the main Fête nationale concert at the Quartier des Spectacles to kick off a weekend of celebrations.

The free event featured a slew of Quebec talent including Patrick Watson, Robert Charlebois and Claude Dubois.

It was just one of many events happening around the province including today's parade on St-Denis Street and a host of borough activities.

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St-Jean-Baptiste Day, officially known in Quebec as the Fête nationale, has a long and storied history that goes far beyond the modern-day parades, parties and concerts.

In 1834, an influential journalist visited the St. Patrick's Day celebration in Montreal and thought French Canadians should have their own patriotic event similar to it. 

He decided to organize St-Jean celebrations for French Canadians. 

St-Jean-Baptiste Day became a provincial holiday in Quebec in 1925 but it was barely celebrated. In the 1960s, it started being viewed more politically. 

Under then-premier René Lévesque, the Parti Québécois declared it the "Fête nationale du Québec" in 1977.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in the province yesterday where he stopped at Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade in the Mauricie and in Trois-Rivières

​He is expected to be in his own riding of  Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension with his wife, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, later today.

Following a series of security incidents internationally these last few weeks, organizers in Montreal say they've stepped up security. 

Police were on site at the concert and monitoring entry points at the Quartier des Spectacles where bags were being searched.

Organizers also added cinder blocks to prevent cars from getting into the pedestrian area.

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