26 things to do in Montreal this weekend: August 24 to 26

Aug 23 2018, 10:10 pm

You did it, Montreal. You made it to another weekend. This weekend is special, because August 24 to 26 is the last full weekend of the month. In celebration, the city is offering a bunch of great events to keep you going all weekend long.

There’s plenty of music options, an 18th century re-enactment, a rodeo and tons of free stuff, here’s 26 things to keep on your radar this weekend, Montreal.

Friday, August 24

Cavalia’s Odysseo

Cavalia

Cavalia

Cavalia is a massive Canadian-owned company that specializes in live shows mixing equestrian performances with theatre, acrobatics and stagecraft.

Since 2003, the event has travelled to perform in front of more than 8 million spectators worldwide throughout over 70 destinations throughout regions like North America, Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East.

Renowned for being hosted at the world’s largest big-top tent, the spectacle returns to Rue St. Catherine this weekend, right at the foot of the Jacques Cartier Bridge with over 70 horses.

When: From now until August 26
Time: 2 pm, 7:30 pm and 8 pm (varies per selected show)
Where: At the entrance of the Jacques Cartier Bridge
Price: $49.50 – $289.50

The Montreal World Film Festival

On the heels of the Fantasia Film Festival, the 42nd edition of the Montreal World Film Festival encourages cultural diversity and understanding between nations and fosters cinema of all continents.

The festival features short films, genre pieces and both competitive and non-competitive selections from films all over the world.

The MWFF is spread throughout various outdoor and indoor venues across the city. Check out their website for specific spots showing select films.

When: From now until September 3
Time: Varies according to selected film
Where: Various venues across Montreal
Price: $11 per film

NomadFest Urban Rodeo

Immerse yourself in the wild west in an urban setting as NomadFest brings the city some serious country this weekend.

The outdoor festival features rodeos, bull riding, equestrian competitions, live country music, and gourmet food experiences.

When: August 24 – 27
Time: 4 pm – 12:30 am
Where: Jacques Cartier Pier – Old Port
Price: $39 – $270

Haunted Red Light Ghost Walk

Secret Montreal hosts a haunted guided tour of Montreal’s former Red Light district. Learn about the city’s indecent past and maybe even stumble into a ghost.

When: Friday, August 24
Time: 8:30 pm – 10 pm
Where: 1219 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $26.50, available online

John Jacob Magistery at NDG Arts

John Jacob Magistery/Instagram

Fresh off their set at Osheaga, Montreal’s own, John Jacob Magistery will be performing at the NDG Arts Summer Festival on Friday. If you ever get a chance to listen to their indie vibe and smooth sound for free, you’d better get on it.

When: Friday, August 24
Time: 9:30 pm
Where: Loyola Field – Concordia University
Price: Free

Mutek

Locally renowned DJs will be spinning beats during an immersive digital and audiovisual display located in the historic Quartier des Spectacles.

When: From now until August 26
Time: 5 pm – 11 pm
Where: Place des Festivals
Price: Free

Clerel and Only the Righteous at Honey Martin Pub

Clerel and Only the Righteous are local musicians who know how to bring it. They play a Motown style of music – very unique and mellow vibes. The group will be playing at their usual Friday spot, Honey Martin Pub, the perfect intimate setting for the type of music Clerel and co. bring.

When: Friday, August 24
Time: Honey Martin is open from 3 pm – 3 am, the band starts at 10 pm – 2:30 am
Where: 5916 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Price: Free admission

RU

FREE urban street fair

RU Mont-Royal

RU is a massive street festival in The Plateau.

The renowned end-of-summer event, will play host to a wide range of artists, murals, concerts, DJs, art installations, digital art, contemporary dance and a modern zoo.

The street festival will be highlighted by RU’s ‘Psychozoo’ in which 15 professional artists showcase art and animals like no other. Using sculptures, installations, photographs, digital form and performance pieces, artists will create a massive exhibition to honour the animal kingdom in hundreds of different ways.

When: From now until August 26
Time: 11 am – 1 am
Where: Avenue Mont-Royal
Price: Free

NDG Off the Wall

16 short-form videos, totalling 100 minutes, all with a connection to NDG through the content, cast or crew will be showcased at Girouard Park on Friday. Narratives, mini-docs, music videos, and animations will show the renowned district of NDG in many different ways.

Guests are urged to bring blankets, chairs and snacks.

When: Friday, August 24
Time: 8 pm – 10 pm
Where: Girouard Park – NDG
Price: Free

Tom Walker at Corona Theatre

Tom Walker is a 26-year-old singer/songwriter from Glasgow, Scotland. His 2017 hit Leave a Light On has received more than 65 million views on YouTube.

His powerful voice can be heard at the comfortable Corona Theatre on Friday.

When: Friday, August 24
Time: Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Corona Theatre – 2490 Notre-Dame Ouest
Price: $23.90

Saturday, August 25

ITU World Triathlon Montreal

The Montreal World Triathlon literally runs this weekend. Though it’s too late to enter, spectators can watch along the course’s sidelines as athletes compete in a 750 m swim, a 5 km run and a 20 km bike scattered around the Old Port.

When: August 24 – 26
Time: 6 pm
Where: Jacques Cartier Quay
Price: Free

Walking Figures

Montreal Museum

Photo © Sébastien Roy

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts just unveiled their newest exhibition as the ‘Walking Figures’ stroll to the museum’s third-floor Path of Peace section.

The three monumental sculptures weigh just under a ton each and stand at 9’3″. They were sculpted by the late Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz and the headless humanoids represent humanity’s desire to survive.

When: Saturday, August 25
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Price: $23 for general museum admission

Yoga on the Pier

Yoga teacher, Érika Gauvin, welcomes yogis to a calm and welcoming setting right on the Old Port Pier. She fosters discovery of the human body’s subtleties and its awakening to breathing and movement, as a way to develop freedom of mind and body. Her background in contemporary dance and yoga encourages her to explore the balance between sthira (effort/strength) and sukha (grace/gentleness).

Participants are asked to bring their own yoga mat. The event goes on rain or shine.

When: Saturday, August 25
Time: 9 am – 1o am
Where: Promenade d’Iberville
Price: Free

18th Century Public Market

Journey back in time and experience what life was like in New France in the 18th century with this massive historical re-enactment.

There’s a military regiment, an Amerindian camp, musicians, artisans, and over a hundred historical figures reproducing period scenes.

They also offer a market with an opportunity to purchase the kind of products available back in the days of New France.

When: August 25 – 26
Time: 10 am – 8 pm (until 6 pm on Sunday)
Where: 350 place Royale, OldPort
Price: Free

Old Port Swing Lessons

Studio 88 Swing is offering four 20-minute sessions to get young and old people swing dancing. Two costumed teachers perform acrobatic swing demonstrations followed by introduction classes.

In case of rain, the event will be cancelled. People sing in the rain, not swing.

When: Saturday, August 25
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Where: Promenade d’Iberville
Price: Free

Princess Mononoke at Cinema du Parc

Cinema du Parc is hosting a morning movie this Saturday as they screen Hayao Miyazaki’s 1997 animated film, Princess Mononoke.

The film follows a confident young warrior, Ashitaka, who protects his village from a rampaging boar-god/demon with the help of a brave princess, Mononoke. From there they must go on a quest to save not just Ashitaka’s village, but also his life.

When: Saturday, August 25
Time: 10 am – 12 pm
Where: Cinema du Parc – 3575 Avenue du Parc
Price: $12.50

Shuttle Bus to Yamaska National Park

Yamaska National Park

@pascalegaucher/Instagram

Parkbus is offering free shuttle services from downtown Montreal to Yamaska National Park on Saturday.

Yamaska is located in La Haute in the Montérégie region of Quebec, northeast of Granby. Its hilly landscape hosts creeks, mountain trails, and breathtaking open spaces. The majority of the land is forested and boasts over 40 tree species including maple, fir, eastern hemlock, grey birch, and basswood. Not to mention a library of wildlife and birds.

The shuttle will depart Saturday from the Montreal Tourism Info Centre on Rue Metcalfe. It leaves twice in the morning with two returns in the afternoon.

When: Saturday, August 25
Time: 8 am and 6 pm
Where: Montreal Tourism Info Centre
Price: Free

Promenade Fleuve-Montagne

You can experience two of Montreal’s most stunning landmarks in one trek: the St. Lawrence River and Mont Royal Park. Stroll from one to the other on a beautiful 3.8-km promenade that features wide sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks, rest areas, greenery and access to various restaurants along the route. The multimillion-dollar investment from the city’s 375th birthday celebrations is a site to see.

When: Every day in August
Time: The path is open 24/7
Where: Rue de la Commune Ouest and Place Royale to Avenue des Pins and Rue McTavish
Price: Free

Sunday, August 26

Polski Piknik

Polish food festival

Polski Piknik Montreal/Facebook

The Polish Community of Montreal is hosting their ‘Polski Piknik’ which means this Sunday, you’ll have a bevy of authentic Polish cuisine to choose from: pierogies, sausages, potatoes, sauerkraut, ham and fried schnitzels.

The venue will also host genuine dance performances, language workshops, live music and a kid’s corner featuring bouncy castles, face painting and colouring tables.

As if devouring an array of Polish grub wasn’t enough, the one-day festival will also provide refreshing beers native to Poland as well as a selection of Poles’ vodka.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: 11 am – 8 pm
Where: Parc Mederic-Martin, Ville-Marie
Price: Free admission

The Dead Daisies Concert

The Australian-American heavy rock band is at Foufs tonight if you want to end your Sunday with some head banging and possibly some mosh pits.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: 7 pm
Where: Foufounes Electriques
Price: $27

Free BIXI Day

BIXI bike network

@probestagram/Instagram

As Sunday is the last Sunday of the month, BIXI is offering free rides to everybody. You’ll need to swipe your credit card, but you won’t be charged.

Maybe if you’re lucky, you can even nab the new electric-motored BIXI.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: All day
Where: Every station around Montreal
Price: Free

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, August 26
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

Borgore at Beachclub

beachclub

@beachclubmtl/Instagram

Yosef Asaf Borger, known professionally as Borgore, is an Israeli EDM producer, DJ, singer-songwriter and rapper.

He’s spinning tunes at Beachclub on Sunday.

Beachclub is exactly what it sounds like. a club on a beach. It’s the biggest outdoor club in North America and has plenty of booze, food trucks, a massive pool, sandy beaches and wave boarding.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: 12 pm – 7 pm
Where: 701, 38e Rue, Pointe-Calumet
Price: $20

Tam Tams

Sundays in Montreal in the summer is synonymous with Tam Tams. It’s a giant outdoor party with dancers, sports and drummers all gathered around the Sir George-Etienne Cartier monument. If the weather is nice on Sunday (still worth it even if it’s raining) head over to the mountain and enjoy a longstanding Montreal tradition and vibe. It’s 420 friendly.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: Noon
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: Free

Tales and Legends of Seafarers

Local sailors Éric Michaud, Francis Désilets and Yoda Lefebvre tell tales of the watery depths and hidden legends of the sea. Stevedores and captains recount tales of courage, betrayal and lost love during memorable storms and encounters with terrible monsters and mythical sea creatures.

Each performance lasts 30 minutes in French only. The activity takes place inside at the Port Centre in case of rain (not that the sailors mind).

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: 2:30 pm, 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm
Where: In front of the Grand Quay
Price: Free

GoTopless Day

free the nipple

Gotopless.com

On Sunday, August 26, Montreal women are invited to converge and stand up for a woman’s right to go topless in public with the new religious movement, the Raelians.

The meeting spot as per tradition, is at the Monument Sir George Etienne Cartier on Parc Mont Royal.

Montreal’s Go Topless Day will run simultaneously with the constantly packed Tam Tams party, meaning there will be a lot of people there.

The nipples won’t be the only thing free, as the event has no entry cost.

When: Sunday, August 26
Time: 1 pm – 4 pm
Where: Monument Sir George Etienne Cartier – Parc Mont Royal
Price: Free

See also
DH Montreal StaffDH Montreal Staff

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