Think "French artist" and the likes of Renoir, Monet and Cezanne spring to mind.

But there's another whole crowd out there, French-Canadian folk artists such as Joe Fafard, Leon Bouchard and Raymond Massicotte who are as celebrated in their genre as the Impressionists are in theirs.

Their names may not be familiar, but their works are distinctly Canadian -- Adelard Turgeon's rocking chair fiddler, Noe Champagne's country cabin hooked rug and Raymond Beaudin's road grader, made entirely of Labatt 50 bottle caps on wood.

There are 400 works -- antique and contemporary, traditional and nonconformist -- in Heart and Soul: Quebec Folk Art, the current exhibition at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Que. Although it was mounted to celebrate Quebec City's 400th anniversary year, the show will continue into 2009, ending March 22.

Exhibit curator Jean-Francois Blanchette says folk art is not naive or childlike, although that's how people often see it. Folk artists need not only artistic skills but an insight into the complexities of Quebec society and the paradoxical characteristics of the Quebecois.

He doesn't even like the phrase "folk art," preferring to call it "people's art" or "art populaire."

Most of the works in the show are part of the museum's Nettie Covey Sharpe collection. An anglophone born in rural Quebec in 1907, Sharpe started collecting at 27 and became one of the most prolific folk art collectors in Canada. When she died in 2002, she bequeathed her 3,000 pieces of folk art to the museum.

Go to civilization.ca or call 1-800-555-5621 for information on hours, admission and other museum exhibits.

Aloha, frauleins!

Ach du lieber Himmel! There's poi on the pig knuckles, pineapple in the Pilsner and a polka band by the pool.

It must be the Ala Moana Hotel's annual Bavarian-style Oktoberfest. This year, the 38th, the festival runs Oct. 7 to 12.

The Honolulu hotel turns its Hibiscus Ballroom into a mini-Munich, complete with hostesses in dirndls, the Edelweiss Band and about 3,000 pounds of German dishes such as sauerkraut, bratwurst, strudel and the aforementioned swine joints. An estimated 8,000 guests are expected to down about 600 gallons -- 74,689 glasses -- of schnapps and ales.

Achtung: The chicken dance will be played at least 50 times during the week.

An official keg-tapping ceremony will be on Oct. 7 at 6 p.m., and the festivities continue nightly. Tickets are a big $5 on weeknights, $10 on weekends, and are available at the door, Tuesday through Thursday from 6 to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 6 to 12 a.m.; and on Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m. Tickets are also available through the Ala Moana Hotel's catering department starting on Sept. 1.

Call a travel agent for information, visit alamoanahotel.com or call 1-800-OUTRIGGER (688-7444).

Coals to Newcastle?

It seems a bit redundant to bring a gourmet chef aboard a cruise ship, since fabulous food is a big part of what cruises are all about.

But the CAA is packing the Food Network's celebrity chef Anna Olson and her chef husband Michael aboard its 12-day Mediterranean adventure next spring.

The couple will give three exclusive cooking demonstrations in the ship's culinary arts centre, and lead a shore excursion to a local market featuring spices of the region.

The ship, Holland America Line's Oosterdam, sails from Venice to Barcelona, calling in to Dubrovnik, Croatia and the Greek island of Santorini.

Fares start at $4,899 per person double and include roundtrip airfare from Toronto, 12 nights on board, three group shore excursions, transfers, a private group, the cooking demos, group wine tasting and early booking bonuses.

Call 1-800-992-8143, visit caasco.com/travel, go to cruise sale and follow the link to Extraordinary Explorations.

Something fishy

In Hamilton, a carp fair would involve fishing rods and frying pans and three-eyed mutant fish lurking in the water under the High Level Bridge.

But at the Carp Fair, there are monstrous pumpkins, prized rabbits, ferris wheels, a strongman competition, April Wine onstage, Clydesdales in the show ring and fried onions on the midway. It has nothing to do with carp and everything to do with Carp, the town west of Ottawa that is celebrating its 145th edition of their fair on the Sept. 25 to 28 weekend.

Besides the fair, the town is famous as the site of the Diefenbunker, the four-storey, 100,000-square foot underground bunker built during the Cold War to protect government officials in the event of nuclear attack.

Information on tickets, accommodations and getaway packages are available at www.ottawatourism.ca or by calling 1-800-363-4465.

Cape towns

Sunwing Vacations has added another destination to its roster of hot spots.

From Dec. 20 to March 14, the company will offer Saturday flights from Toronto to Los Cabos on the southern tip of the Baja Peninsula on Mexico's Pacific Coast. Los Cabos (The Capes) is made up of the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo and the 30-kilometre stretch of coastline between them.

The area is known for its great sport fishing, golf courses and beaches. Hotel and resort options will be announced soon.

For information, call a travel agent or visit sunwing.ca.

Yes, Virginia

A summer that lasts longer? Where do we sign up?

In Virginia Beach, apparently, where guests who stay for six weeks can stay a seventh for free during Canada Weeks, Sept. 1 to 25.

With sandy beaches, sea kayaking, dolphin watching and seafood sampling, the area promises to make the season just that little bit longer.

To make Canadians feel even more welcome, participating hotels will be flying Canada flags at the front desk, staff will be wearing Maple Leaf lapel pins and Canadian guests will be receiving a beach bag filled with Virginia Beach goodies and a list of participating restaurants, attractions and businesses offering discounts during this special program.

Virginia Beach is about 800 kilometres from Hamilton, approximately a 10-hour drive. It can also be accessed by air through Norfolk International Airport.

For all the details on Canada Weeks in Virginia Beach, located where Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, visit vbfun.com/canadaweeks, or call 1-800-VA-BEACH (822-3224).

mnolan@thespec.com

905-628-5928

Talk back to Mary K. Nolan on her Internet blog by going to the Traveller site and clicking on Roaming: the travel blog