August is like the Sunday morning of summertime. It’s still summer, but time starts to wind down really quickly.
Even though summer technically ends on September 22, August is a great month to really dive into some fun Montreal events and things to do.
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From Canada’s biggest hot air balloon festival to music, food, art, and everything in between, here are a bunch of nifty ways to spend August in Montreal.
LASSO
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Featuring the likes of Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, and others, Montreal’s inaugural LASSO music festival will saddle up and kick off at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 12 and 13.
When: August 12 to 13
Time: 1 to 11 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: Ranges from $220 to $9,000
International de montgolfières
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This month, look up at the sky. It’s not a bird, nor a plane, and it’s not even Superman. It’ll be 150 hot-air balloons.
The International Balloon Festival of Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu (officially called “International de montgolfières”) is the largest gathering of balloons in Canada. The week-long event caters to the entire family and is an easy 40-minute drive off the island of Montreal.
In what started off as a balloon festival, the event has grown to host food vendors, bar outlets, live bands, theatre and magic performances, and activities.
When: August 13 to 21
Time: 6 am to 1 am (varies)
Where: 5 Chemin de l’Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Price: Various
Sean Paul
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This legendary Jamaican rapper is one of the ÎleSoniq festival’s headliners this year. His Saturday night set is guaranteed to feature good vibes and a handful of recognizable hits from the glorious 2000s.
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
When: Saturday, August 6
Time: 7:10 pm
Price: Single-day passes start at $135, available here
First Fridays (Les Premiers Vendredis)
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The biggest street food event in Canada is returning to Montreal in August.
Swedish House Mafia
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Since famously splitting up in 2012 this house music supergroup reunited last year. The hitmakers behind “Don’t You Worry Child” will be rocking out at Parc Jean-Drapeau during August’s first Sunday.
When: Sunday, August 7
Time: 9:15 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: Single-day passes start at $135, available here
Montreal Ribfest
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The 7th annual Montreal RibFest is bringing together dozens of vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, and BBQ pitmasters from the states to foodies for a couple of days mid-month.
When: August 12 to 14
Time: TBA
Where: 13665 boulevard de Pierrefonds, Pierrefonds
Price: TBA
Pitbull
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Mr. Worldwide is taking his round-the-world party to Montreal on August 12. The Miami rapper will be joined by none other than Iggy Azalea.
When: Friday, August 12
Where: Bell Centre
Time: 8 pm
Price: Starting at $74, available here
Sunflower field
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How about a little sunflower power this month? A spectacular flower field is ripe for the picking.
In August, La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac will host its annual prized sunflower fields. “Sunflowers are the queen flowers of photoshoots,” says the farm in French. “Our flowering sunflowers is the ideal place to come and strike a solo pose, with baby, children, friends, loved ones and even your four-legged friend — in a multitude of varieties of vibrant sunflowers.”
The sunflower field will host a vast plot of thousands of flowers, in 60 different varieties including yellow, red, orange, and creamy white colours.
The farm also has a food court with several picnic tables, benches, and seats in the shade and also offers professional photographers (for a price) if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line shoot.
When: August 19 to 21, 25 to 28 (and September 2 to 5)
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Where: La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac, (75 Coteau-du-Lac, QC-201)
Price: $6 to $25, depending on bouquet size
A Taste of the Caribbean
TOTC
A slew of celebrity chefs from the Caribbean is coming to Old Montreal this month, offering a massive menu of delectable dishes including jerk chicken, conch fritters, ceviche, and pineapple plates.
When: August 25 to 28
Time: TBA
Where: Quai de l’Horloge
Price: TBA
Greta Van Fleet
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These young rockers will bring their Dreams in Gold tour to the Bell Centre in a few weeks. They’ll be joined by The Pretty Reckless and Hannah Wicklund.
When: Thursday, August 18
Time: 8 pm
Where: Bell Centre
Price: Starting at $58, available here
Festival of Colours
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Inspired by the ancient tradition of India, this music festival will transport you into a “world of joy, happiness, and unique memories,” says the HOLI website. Guests can enjoy Bollywood, indie, house, and reggaeton music performed by DJs and live bands.
And so many colour bombs.
When Saturday, August 13
Time: 12 to 10 pm
Where: Clow Tower Quay
Price: $25.50, available online
Mosaïcultures Québec 2022
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If there’s one excursion to add to this summer’s must-do list, Quebec City’s animal kingdom garden might be the king of the jungle.
From now until October, the Mosaïcultures Québec 2022 at Parc Bois-de-Coulonge in Quebec City is showcasing a dazzling display of more than six million plants and flowers that pay tribute to the “life that vibrates on our planet.”
The summer-long exhibit is marketed as a “hymn to the Earth,” and features works that are “a pleasure for the eyes but also a reminder of the fragility of life.”
When: From now until October 10
Time: 10 am to sundown
Where: Parc Bois-de-Coulonge – 1215 Grande Allée O
Price: $12.50 to $60, available online
La Maison Lavande
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Forget the sights of Quebec in the summer, how about the smells?
A summertime trip to the countryside of St-Eustache should be in the cards this summer as the lavender fields at La Maison Lavande are in full bloom.
The family-run business has been growing lavender for more than 10 years and offers over 1,000 plants, spread out across nearly one kilometre of fields where guests can peacefully stroll to the delightful smell of the popular plant.
When: From now until August 21
Time: Saturday to Wednesday, 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday & Friday, 10 am to 9 pm
Where: 902 Chemin Fresnière, Saint-Eustache
Price: $4 to $12 (depending on age and flower season)
RuPaul’s Drag Race World Tour
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Join iconic queens like Gottmik, Jaida Essence Hall, Naomi Smalls, Violet Chachki and all finalists from the upcoming 14th Season on a journey through iconic periods of drag history at this one-of-a-kind spectacle.
When: August 22 and 23
Time: 8 pm
Where: (PDA) Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier
Price: Starting at $72.50, available here
Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe
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In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art is presenting Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe, a new exhibit from acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
The exhibition will introduce visitors to the “spiritual and philosophical depth of the artist’s work,” says the PHI museum, including two striking “infinity mirrored rooms.”
Both mirrored rooms will be filled with hanging light globes that alternate colours before going dark. “The viewer is absorbed into darkness for a moment before the glowing spheres slowly flicker back on, initiating again a cycle akin to life and rebirth,” says PHI.
When: From now until January 15
Time: Wednesday to Friday, noon to 7 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Where: PHI Centre
Price: Free, reservations required
Twenty One Pilots
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You can catch the alternative rock duo behind hits like “Stressed Out” and “Ride” at the Bell Centre at the end of the month as part of their ongoing Icy Tour.
When: Friday, August 26
Time: 8 pm
Where: Bell Centre
Tickets: Starting at $52, available here
Frida Kahlo – The Life of An Icon
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Montreal has been graced with the life of Frida Kahlo in the form of an immersive and inspiring art exhibit.
The Life of An Icon offers seven different transformational spaces with VR experiences, holographic videos, and 360° projections.
The exhibition presents an arrangement of archival photos, original films, digital environments, art installations, and collectibles to music that aims to “recreate the most important in the artist’s life,” says The Life of An Icon website, offering visitors to discover the incredible story of Frida Kahlo.
When: August 2 – 31 (no Mondays)
Time: 10 am to 7 pm, Wednesday & Thursday; 10 am to 9 pm, Friday & Saturday; 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art – 2020 William Street
Price: $27.58 to $40.23, available online
KOOZA – Cirque du Soleil
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August in Montreal? Sounds like it’s circus time.
KOOZA is a show that blends subcontinental sounds, stunning lighting, and wild costumes as part of Cirque du Soleil’s world-renowned acrobatic wonder.
When: August 3 to 7 and 10 to 14
Time: 1, 4, 5, and 8 pm
Where: Big Top Tent, Old Montreal
Price: From $54, available online
Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue
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Giant puppets are taking over Verdun at the end of August.
And for three weekends after that.
The 11th edition of the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue celebrates marionettes, street theatre, magic shows, stop motion animation, and human-sized puppets.
When: Fridays and Saturdays from August 26 to September 10
Time: 10 am to 7:30 pm
Where: Promenade Wellington
Price: Free
VAN GOGH – Distorsion
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Have you wondered what it would be like to walk through a masterpiece?
The wonderfully colourful world of Vincent Van Gogh has been brought to life at OASIS, and visitors can walk freely through animated renderings of classic works like Almond Blossoms, Starry Night, and many more.
When: From now until August 31
Time: 9 am to 9:40 pm
Where: OASIS immersion, 301 Saint-Antoine
Price: $24 to $32, available online
Uplå
Maude Lapointe/MCOM accompagnement stratégique
You can take your family adventures to new heights this weekend, thanks to North America’s biggest trampoline park which just opened outside of Montreal.
Uplå is a labyrinth of 20-foot-high suspension bridges and trampolines that connect to a network of unique and colourful treehouses, all of which are suspended in the air at the foot of Mont-Saint-Grégoire.
What’s wild about Uplå is that the park is open year-round, rain, shine, or snow. We’ll have to wait a few months to see what North America’s biggest trampoline park looks like covered in snow.
The park recommends soon-to-be trampoliners to book online to guarantee a spot.
When: Year-round
Time: 8 am to 6:30 pm
Where: 45 Chemin du Sous-Bois, Mont-Saint-Grégoire
Price: $20 to $30
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