14 things to do in Montreal today: Sunday, October 14

Let’s end the weekend in style. Before booting up another workweek, here are 14 eventful things happening in Montreal today, October 14.

La Ronde’s 30-Hour Coffin Challenge

Six coffin dwellers have registered and been chosen to endure a challenge in which participants will spend 30-hours inside a coffin from October 13 to 14.

Participants must stay in the coffin for the entire 30-hours, except for a six-minute break every hour, to use the washroom. People who step outside the coffins for any reason, with the exception of the designated bathroom breaks, will be disqualified.

All players will have to eat their meals inside the coffin as well. No word yet on how strong coffin Wi-Fi is.

Registration is closed but La Ronde patrons are welcome to watch and cheer on the coffin-bound participants as they eye the finish line.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: 12 pm
Where: La Ronde
Price: Varying prices

Festival de Nouveau Cinema

The festival presents daring, one-of-a-kind films from here and abroad, ensuring their success as well as introducing audiences to auteur filmmakers.

Past guests include Atom Egoyan, Marc-André Forcier, Souleymane Cissé, Zacharias Kunuk, Denis Villeneuve, Guy Maddin, Léa Pool, Jim Jarmusch, Jane Campion, Alfonso Cuaron, Wong Kar-wai, Wim Wenders, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Raymond Depardon.

The festival sums up their 2018 campaign today.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Varies per selection
Where: Various locations per selection
Price: $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors, $8 children

Pumpkinferno

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: From now until October 14 (then the 18 – 21 and 25 – 28)
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Upper Canada  Village – County Road 2
Price: $12 – $16

MAPP_MTL Map Festival

Gardens of Light

September brought the magical Gardens of Light Festival back and October brings the beauty.

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: Every day in October
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)
Where: Montreal’s Botanical Gardens
Price: $10.25 – $20.50

La Ronde’s Fright Fest

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, 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: October 14 (then the 20,21, 27 and 28)
Time: 11 am – 10 pm
Where: La Ronde – 22 Chemin Macdonald
Price: TBA

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

Tonga Lumina

Mont-Tremblant trail will be illuminated with light projections and mythical storytelling as giant-seekers must trek through a 1.5-km nocturnal hike to find the slumbering giant.

The adventure starts at the base of Mont-Tremblant. The chairlift transports its investigators to the “Twilight Portal” where a colourful lit path weaves its way through the woods to a series of mysterious checkpoints in pursuit of the giant.

Today is the last day to hunt for giants of the 2018 campaign, you’d best get searching before the giant hibernates for the winter.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Departures at 9 pm, 10 pm and 10:30 pm
Where: Mont Tremblant
Price: $11.99 – $27.99, kids under 5 get in for free

The MTL Grand Open Round 6

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 6 includes an impressive slate of comedians: Amanda McQueen, Alex Handy, Al Babcock, Jacob Meza, Lexa Graham, Glenn Frappier, Collin Sideris, Kayla de Leon-Casalla
and Erica Taddeo

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Mckibbin’s Irish Pub – 1426 Bishop Street
Price: $5

Café Suspendu

Café Suspendu is a one-of-a-kind cafe that dangles off Mont Royal overlooking the entire city. The cafe hosts live music, events and yoga sessions every weekend. (Coffees, teas and food available for purchase).

If the weather holds up today, it could be the perfect spot to relax.

When: Every day until October 31
Time: 12 pm – 9 pm (10 am on Saturdays, closed Monday-Thursday)
Where: Mont Royal

Notre-Dame Basilica

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 14
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

5K Cosplay

Pull out your Halloween costume early and take it for a 5-km jog, run or walk around the iconic Parc La Fontaine (especially if you’re dressing as The Flash). Cash prizes and medals can be won for 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place finished from the 1-km, 2-km, 5-km and 10-km course.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Where: Parc La Fontaine
Price: Varies per age, visit their website for details

Paul’s Annual Pumpkin Giveaway

This is exactly what it sounds like. For the third year in a row, local real estate agent, Paul, is giving away free pumpkins to thank the community he works for.

There will also be free pony rides, face painting, music and guests are urged to bring non-perishable food items to support the West Island Food Bank.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Where: 330 Beaurepaire, Beaconsfield, West Island
Price: Free

Voiles en Voiles

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 is winding down for the 2018 season and 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

See also

• 9 Montreal-themed Halloween costume ideas
• Canada's magical Christmas train confirms it will return to Montreal this year
• The Jacques Cartier Bridge sidewalk will be closed for the winter (again)
• 4.6 million Canadians report consuming cannabis in past 3 months (SURVEY)