Black & Blue Festival

<p>The Black & Blue Festival in Montreal isn't just a party; it's a long weekend each October that pulls in 20,000 people from all over North America and Europe. It happens during Canadian Thanksgiving, which means a few extra days off for many attendees.</p>

<p>Since 1991, this festival has been a fundraiser for BGLTQ Montreal (now Action Séro Zéro), raising millions for AIDS/HIV causes. The main event, the Blue Ball, takes over a convention center. Think huge production, big-name international DJs – it’s exactly what you picture when someone says "circuit party."</p>

<p>But it's not just the Blue Ball. The Black & Blue weekend usually packs in a bunch of other parties: a bear event, a leather night, a tea dance. Enough to fill a whole weekend for anyone flying in specifically for it.</p>

<p>Even though it's October in Montreal, and it gets cold, everything's indoors. So the weather doesn't really matter. Black & Blue is still one of the biggest circuit events globally, and it’s a fundraising juggernaut that's changed both Montreal’s gay scene and Canada’s approach to HIV/AIDS.</p>