17 things to do in Montreal today: Sunday, October 21

Oct 19 2018, 2:00 am

Today may be a bit cold, but the events are hot. From hauntings, to an iconic, comedic duo, and a zoo, there’s plenty to keep you busy in town today, October 21.

Gardens of Light

Gardens of Light festival

@jfsavaria/ Instagram

October means it’s that time of year when Montreal’s botanical gardens light up for the
magical Gardens of Light Festival. The festival started last month but coupled with the fall foliage, now is the perfect time to go.

The lantern festival includes a lighted path through the Botanical Garden’s three cultural gardens, The Chinese, Japanese and First Nations Gardens, all looking at nature from a different perspective.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time:
 6 pm – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)
Where: Montreal’s Botanical Gardens
Price: $10.25 – $20.50

Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget

The legendary, comedic duo of Steve Martin and Martin Short will be recalling their iconic careers, creative influences and memorable encounters presented in a blend of stand-up comedy, musical sets and conversations about their lives in show business.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 8 pm
Where: Place des Arts, 175 rue Ste. Catherine
Price: $133.75 – $192.25, available online

Andrea Bocelli at the Bell Centre

Andrea Bocelli

andreabocelliofficial/Instagram

Andrea Bocelli is a worldwide treasure.

He has one of the most recognizable voices in the entire world and his singing ability triggers so much passion and emotion in listeners.

The people of Montreal will have a chance to hear Bocelli live, today, when the legendary opera singer stops by the Bell Centre as part of his Andrea Bocelli In Concert Tour.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Bell Centre – 1909 avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
Price: $154.25 – $414.25

The MTL Grand Open Round 7

The sixth round (of 10) features nine of Montreal’s funniest comedians battling out for their chance to win a $1000 grand prize.

Grand… prize… get it?

Round 7 includes an impressive slate of comedians, hosted by Troy Stark: Michael Friedman, Daniel Carin, Inés P. Anaya, Nazeer Khan, Darragh Mondoux, Tatyana Olal
Dan Kestler- D’Amours, and Travis Cannon.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: Doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Mckibbin’s Irish Pub – 1426 Bishop Street
Price: $5

Voiles en Voiles

pirate ship

Voiles en Voiles/Facebook

Climb aboard life-size replicas of both royal and pirate ships from the 18th century in Montreal’s Old Port (how fitting), before the cold weather hits you. They are over 100 feet in length and range from two feet high for the young pirates to 35 feet for Peter Pan wannabes.

The obstacle course features 61 different activities between the Royal Ship and the Pirate Ship. Activities include zip lining, rock climbing, and bouncy castles.

When: From now until October 26
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Place des Vestiges, Old Port
Price: Online Prices vary depending on selected activities, tickets

Gad Elmaleh: The Dream Tour

Just another big celeb in town today.

Gad Elmaleh is a Moroccan-born French stand-up comedian and actor. He has starred in several feature films, including Coco, Priceless, La Doublure and Midnight in Paris. Elmaleh was last in Montreal in 2016 for a comedy routine with his pal, Jerry Seinfeld.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where: Olympia, 1004 rue Ste. Catherine Est
Price: $65.84 – $89.43, available online

Malefycia’s Zone 4

Malefycia

Malefycia/ Facebook

If Montreal’s old Red Light District doesn’t creep you out enough, check out Zone 4 for some seriously frights. Malefycia’s Zone 4 is a fuse between the traditional haunted house and interactive theatre.

The event uses custom-built scenarios with professional actors, props and settings to bring their guests’ worst nightmares into reality.

This year’s theme is called Zone 4 and it focuses on military experiments gone wrong and the event’s antagonist, as per the Malefycia website, is “the most dangerous of all demons: the man.”

When: October 21, 25-31
Time: 5 pm – 12 am
Where: 2085 rue Drummond
Price: $35 – $55, available online

The Braderie de Québécoise

With Halloween circled at the end of the month, nobody wants to spend even more money on clothes.

That’s where the Braderie comes in handy. The festival promotes high-end fashion for low-end prices.

Kollontai, Stefano, Ca va de soi, Veinage, Furlux, Myco Anna, Message Factory, Creation Encore, and many other familiar names will be offering discounts as well as popuar accessories and jewellery.

When: From now until October 21
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Marché Bonsecours
Price: Free admission

Festival SPASM

horror movie festival

Festival SPASM/Facebook

Besides candy and costumes, Halloween is all about scaring people. And what’s a better way to scare people than with a horror movie festival?

Returning for its 17th edition, the SPASM film festival was created to encourage and explore the various horror genre films from Quebec cinema and international French films.

Sure, Hocus Pocus and Casper were scary when you were a kid, but SPASM aims to showcase all films that are gruesome, quirky, terrifying, thrilling and edge-of-your-seat enjoyable.

When: From now until October 27
Time: Varying times
Where: 1225 Boulevard Saint Laurent – Club Soda
Price: $20.25, available online

Montreal Vegan Festival

This food fest is headlined by Quebec-native Jean-Philippe Cyr, known as “The Buddhist Chef.” Cyr is a classically trained chef who specializes in vegan and cruelty-free recipes and cooking.

Besides offering a variety of vegan-based dishes for purchase, the festival will host a culinary demonstration where guests can witness a collection of renowned, local, chefs cooking up tasty vegan meals.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: Palais de congrès
Price: Free admission

Pumpkinferno

pumpkin pumpkinferno

Pumpkinferno/Upper Canada Village

Pumpkinferno (besides having a great name) showcases over 7,000 handcrafted pumpkins which are lit up at night along a one-kilometre path set against a 19th-century backdrop. Some are individual pumpkins and some are fused together to make some outstanding art.

When: October 21 and 25 – 28
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Upper Canada  Village – County Road 2
Price: $12 – $16

The Exorcist Screening

Is it even Halloween without a screening of arguably the scariest movie of all time?

Cinema du Parc will be screening the frightening film that launched a new era of horror films. The 1973 film directed by William Friedkin may be dated but it still holds up. You won’t be able to get the sight of Linda Blair’s backwards head out of your mind.

The film will be screened in English. Screaming will happen in any language.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 2:30 pm
Where: Cinema du Parc, 3575 avenue Parc
Price: $13, available online

La Ronde’s Fright Fest

La Ronde's

rubenslimamoraes/Instagram

As if La Ronde’s wild rides aren’t scary enough, they’ve added some ghouls, zombies and witches to the park this month to give thrill-seekers some added jolts at Quebec’s biggest amusement park.

Fright Fest returns for select days in October and today is one of them. It’s a spooky time as costumed monsters take over the park at night.

The park will offer a wide variety of places to get your scare on including new haunted houses, scare zones, frightening mazes and themed rides.

When: Sunday, October  21
Time: 11 am – 10 pm
Where: La Ronde – 22 Chemin Macdonald
Price: Varying prices

Pumpkin Picking at Petch Orchards

apple picking

miraxel31/Instagram

Just 45 minutes from the city, Petch Orchards gives Montrealers the chance to pick pumpkins, pears, and plums at their quaint farm in the gorgeous area of Hemmingford.

In addition to the fruit and veg, the farm produces some of the best apple cider and apple juice in the province. Be warned: Their donuts are as delicious as they are addictive.

When: Sunday, October 21
Where: 431 Route 202, Hemmingford
Time: 9 am – 6 pm
Price: Prices vary

Parc Safari Zoo

Get your animal fix by heading to Parc Safari, an easy 40-minute drive off the island. The park offers an optional Safari Adventure upon entering, you can drive up and see a variety of exotic animals from your car including zebras, ostriches, buffalo, llamas, and camels.

Inside the park, take a walk down the Forest Trail where you have an amazing vantage point view of monkeys, hyenas, and bears. Don’t forget the lions, but we didn’t have to tell you that.

When: Weekends in October
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 280 Rang Roxham, Hemmingford
Price: Prices vary depending on age. Tickets available at the entrance or online

Notre-Dame Basilica

Mozart concert

A G Baxter (Shutterstock)

Celebrate Sunday mass at Montreal’s most viewed structure at 11 am and hear a 25-person choir accompanied by the organ. Or, take a walking tour of the basilica which is an absolutely gorgeous spectacle. It is filled with hundreds of wooden carvings, several religious statues, and gigantic stained glass windows.

When: Sunday, October 21
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

See also
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