From Usher performing live at the Bell Center to a serious foodie festival, here are 11 things you need on your social calendar this weekend!

Saturday, September 17

Bal du Mac

Omnivore Food Festival

For the fifth year in a row, the Omnivore Food Festival is coming to Montreal for four full days. Just like 2015, the 2016 edition of the Omnivore Food Festival will feature master classes, unique dinner parties, and the hottest event of the festival, the Omnivorous Party.
When: September 16 to September 19
Where: Society for Arts and Technology, 1201 Boulevard Saint Laurent

The Global Citizen Concert

Support an amazing cause and see Usher (along with several other musicians) perform live at the Bell Centre this month. The Global Citizen Concert series, a concert series dedicated to ending Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, is coming to Canada and will be stopping in Montreal on September 17th. With artists including Usher, Grimes, Metric, Half Moon Run, and Charlotte Cardin, you’re not going to want to miss this incredible night of music.
When: September 17
Where: Centre Bell

Action and Adventure Photo Walk

On September 17, Montreal will be hosting the 4th annual 500px Red Bull Photography Global Photo Walk. The 500px Red Bull Photography Global Photo Walk will have Montrealers out in the city meeting fellow photographers, sharing tips and tricks about photography, and of course, taking a few awe-inspiring images. The theme for this year’s walk is “Action and Adventure,” so whether you’re walking, running, cycling, hiking, or even skateboarding, the goal is just to capture all that energy and motion on camera.
When: Saturday, September 17 from 1 pm to 4:30 pm
Where: Station Metro Mont-Royal

Montreal Flamenco Festival

The 5th Montreal Flamenco Festival is back and taking over Montreal with an incredible and diverse program. With live dance shoes and Flamecno musical artists of high caliber, this should not be missed.
When: Until September 17
Where: Various locations

My Name is Asher Lev

Huffington post called this one of the best shows of the year and now you can see it in Montreal! Based on the book by Chaim Potok, this is a story about
Asher Lev who discovers he has a mystifying artistic talent. But when his passion for painting conflicts with his traditionally religious family, Asher’s gift threatens to divide his entire community.
When: Until October 2
Where: Segal Centre, 5170 Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine

Gardens of Light

Gardens of Light is back by popular demand at the Montreal Botanical Garden. As of September 2nd, the gardens will be lit up at dusk, inviting Montrealers to stroll along the paths guided by stunning multi-coloured lanterns. Inspired by Chinese and Japanese gardens, this year’s Gardens of Light will tell the story of the Son of Heaven, the Chinese Emperor.
When: September 2 to October 31, every day from 9 am to 9 pm
Where: Montreal Botanical Garden, 4101 Rue Sherbrooke Est

Sunday, September 18

Piknic Electronik

There is only one month left of Montreal’s best EDM music extravaganza, Piknic Electronik. Wrapping up on October 2nd, Piknic Electronik is carrying into the fall with a show every Sunday afternoon at Parc Jean Drapeau. If you’re a huge Piknic fan, then be sure to head on over this Labour Day weekend for three back-to-back shows.
When: Every Sunday until October 2
Where: Parc Jean Drapeau

Eleganza: Italian Fashion Since 1945

This extensive exhibition celebrates the work of the most important Italian fashion designers post-WWII. Organized by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London in collaboration with Holt Renfrew, it’s safe to say that this is one of the best art exhibits in Montreal this summer. The exhibit features clothing, accessories, photographs, magazines, drawing, and film clips on a multitude of designers and their creations, and you have three weeks left to see it.
When: Any day of the week, until September 25
Where: McCord Museum, 690 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest

Explosions in the Sky

Austin instrumental rock band Explosions in the Sky return to our city to support their latest release The Wilderness. Seven albums and having been regularly featured in the Friday Night Lights show and movie, Explosions in the Sky’s sound is distinct and recognizable.
When: September 18 at 8 pm
Where: Metropolis, 59 Sainte-Catherine E

Take a tour of a Montreal metro station

In celebration of the Montreal metro’s 50th anniversary, Heritage Montreal’s ArchitecTours is offering a two-hour tour of various metro stations across the city. The tours began on August 27th at the Pie-IX and Viau stations and will finish on September 25th. The tours are meant to emphasize Montreal’s history. According to tour guide Bianca-Desiree Arciero, each tour tries “to emphasize the fact that the Metro stations are representative of the time in which they were built.” Nancy Dunton, head of Montreal’s public activities committee, added, “a Metro station’s size, lighting, materiality, colour and public art are all inextricably linked with Montreal’s history.”
When: August 27 to September 25
Where: Various locations