23 things to do in Montreal this weekend: December 3 to 5
As we say bonjour to the first weekend of the last month of 2021, Montreal is bustling with a bunch of fun things to do.
From Christmas trees and markets to free museums, some stand-up, new restaurants, and a glow party, here’s what’s worth checking out across Montreal this weekend.
Free Museum of Fine Arts
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The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is getting into the spirit of giving by allowing the general public free access to its permanent collections and three discovery exhibitions.
The deal is part of the museum’s Gift of the Holidays promotion, available until December 24.
Check out which exhibitions are free to check out right here.
Christmas tree shopping
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Once December comes around, you might want to think about your tree setup, if you haven’t already.
If that’s the case, two of Montreal’s enchanting holiday markets are now selling Falsam, Fraser, and Balsam Firs, ranging between $50 to $80, depending on size.
Both markets have also simultaneously launched Christmas Villages, so you get two fun Christmasy events at one stop.
When: From now until December 25
Time: 8 am – 5 pm
Where: 138 Avenue Atwater & 7070 Henri Julien Avenue
Price: Varies
Illumi
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Laval just got a whole lot brighter.
Illumi, the outdoor light show, has officially deemed it the start of the holiday season and has 25-million LED Christmas lights to prove it.
Check it out on foot or by car.
When: From now until January 3 (closed December 7, 14, & 15)
Time: 5 – 9 pm
Address: 2805 blvd Du Souvenir, Laval
Price: $15.75 – $21.74, free for kids under 4 (available online)
La Nuit Shanghai
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A vibrant new 1920s-inspired cabaret supper club has opened in the South Shore, offering a mix of Chinese and French cuisine, along with burlesque dancers and singers.
It’s the roaring 20s again, old chap.
When: Wednesday – Sunday
Time: 5 pm – 1 am
Where: 9140 boulevard Leduc, Dix30
Montreal Glow Party
When was the last time you let loose, had a few pops, and partied surrounded by glow sticks?
Jet Night Club is hosting a massive glow party on Saturday, just in case you want to ready yourself for New Year’s Eve.
When: Saturday, December 4
Time: 10 pm
Where: Jet Night Club, 2020 Rue Crescent
Price: $15 advanced, $20 at the door
Jess Salomon
As seen on The Tonight Show, Just For Laughs, and her own special on Crave, Jess Salomon handles dark, playful, and political topics with a light, hilarious touch.
She touched down in Montreal and will be headlining the Comedy Nest all weekend alongside local comedians as openers and emcees.
When: December 2, 3, and 4
Time: 8 pm on Thursday, 8 pm & 10:30 pm on Friday & Saturday
Where: Jet Night Club, 2020 Rue Crescent
Price: $12 for student, $15 general admission
Fontaine boréale
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Considering Christmas is usually associated with snow and ice, it might be time for a little element change.
A giant Christmas fountain, known as “Fontaine boréale,” is returning to the Complexe Desjardins for the holiday season, and it splashes off on Saturday.
The immersive multi-sensory experience features the Complexe Desjardin’s Grande-Place water fountain, completely decked out in the Christmas spirit.
When: December 4 – 31
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Complexe Desjardins
Price: Free
Miracle Montreal
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This year, Miracle Montreal has taken over Parliament in the Old Port, bringing a sleigh-full of festive feels to the stone-walled pub.
Christmas-themed cocktails include the Christmapolitan, Christmas Carol Barrel, Snowball Old-Fashioned, Yippie Ki Yay Mother F****r!, Jingle Balls Nog, Nice Shot, and Naughty Shot.
When: From now until December 26
Time: 2 pm – 2 am
Where: 351 Place d’Youville
All I Want For Christmas – Centaur Theatre
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When was the last time you watched a play? Because the timeless Centaur Theatre is showcasing “All I Want For Christmas,” a story about a young elf’s first night on the job in Santa’s mailroom, thrown into chaos just two days before Christmas.
The 80-minute play is written and directed by Calgary-born actor, improviser, and creative artist Rebecca Northan.
When: From now until December 5
Time: Saturday, 2 pm & 8 pm; Sunday, 2 pm
Where: Centaur Theatre, 453 Saint Francois Xavier
Price: Varies, available online
Continuum – Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium
Journey to space and study the infinitely small to the unfathomable large at this exhibition that connects humankind to the rest of the universe.
When: Daily
Times: Sunday – Wednesday, 9 am – 5:30 pm; Thursday – Saturday, 9 am – 8:30 pm; closed Monday
Where: 4801 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue
Price: $17 – $22, available online
Grand Marché de Noël
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It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Montreal.
After taking a hiatus last holiday due to you-know-what, Noël Montréal has announced it is returning to the Quartier des Spectacles, offering cultural, festive, and culinary events downtown.
Along with festive atmospheres, each market will be selling local products from maple syrup to toys, decor, clothes, sweets, food, trees, and drinks (great for gifts). It will host Christmas events and seriously beautiful photo opps.
When: From now until January 2
Time: 11 am – 9 pm
Where: Quartier des Spectacles
Price: Free admission
New Exhibits at Phi Centre
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This fall, the PHI Centre is offering completely free programming.
New exhibits include an augmented reality tour, a new musical listening room called Living Sound, a multimedia installation on the windows of the PHI Centre featuring Innu poet Josephine Bacon, and a series of new film screenings by Montreal’s emerging Black artists.
When: Daily
Times: Monday – Tuesday, 9 am – 5 pm; Wednesday – Friday, 9 am – 7 pm; Saturday – Sunday, 11 am – 7 pm
Where: 315 Saint-Paul W
Price: Free
Alight at Night
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If you’re looking to take a little family road trip, why not check out Ontario’s largest outdoor light festival, Alight at Night?
Located about 140 km outside of Montreal, Upper Canada Village will be undergoing its winter transformation, as the historic location will be decorated with over one million lights.
When: December 2 – 5, December 9 – 12, December 16 – January 1 (closed December 24 & 25)
Time: 5 pm to 9 pm
Where: Upper Canada Village, 13740 County Rd 2, Morrisburg, ONT
Price: $15, free for kids under 4
Mor Charpentier/MAI
Making Revolution explores the forms of struggle and revolution in the Middle East and North Africa through breathtaking video art and installation. The exhibition — created by Farah Atoui and Viviane Saglier — revisits histories of uprisings through the production and circulation of images.
When: From now until December 11
Time: Tuesday – Saturday, 12 – 6 pm; closed Sunday & Monday
Where: MAI Montréal, arts interculturels, 3680 rue Jeanne-Mance
Price: Free
Echoes – a voice from uncharted waters
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It’s a whale of a time at the Quartier des spectacles throughout December.
A magnificent 55-foot-long illuminated whale structure has breached at Place des Festivals as part of the borough’s 12th edition of Luminothérapie.
The installation is part of artist Mathias Gmachl’s “Echoes – a voice from uncharted waters” project. According to the Quartier des spectacles, the free exhibit is an interacting “sound-and-light work that invites to look and listen closely.”
The installation – a massive, colourful representation of a whale – symbolizes the planet’s flora and fauna. “It asks us to consider the impact of our everyday activities on nature and the environment, making us more aware of their fragility,” says the Quartier. The installation is a meditation on our harmful invasions of Earth’s ecosystems.
When: From now until February 6, 2022
Time: 24/7
Where: Place des Festivals
Price: Free
iSaute
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iSaute is a massive venue that has over 30 giant trampolines, trampoline basketball, wall climbing, and a trampoline jungle gym. You pay by the hour and literally jump around. It’s actually a fantastic workout and a soaring good time for the kids.
It’s fun for all ages.
When: Every day
Time: 9 am – 9 pm, Monday – Thursday, 9 am – 11 pm, Friday and Saturday; 9 am – 8 pm, Sunday
Where: 3220 Jean Yves, Kirkland
Price: $18 – $25, available online and in-person
RECHARGER/Unwind – Oasis Immersion
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Housed inside the Palais des congrès, RECHARGER/Unwind is a stunning new digital world that aims to reenergize guests at Oasis Immersion, Canada’s biggest immersive indoor attraction.
RECHARGER/Unwind is an immersive walkthrough experience composed of 10 works by some of Quebec’s (and the world’s) most prominent digital artists.
When: From now until January 30, 2022
Time: 10:20 am – 8:20 pm
Where: Palais des Congrès de Montréal, 1001 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Price: From $19 to $25, available online
DodgeBow Archery
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Have you ever felt like shooting a friend with a bow and arrow? Because you totally can (completely safely).
DodgeBow, the only one of its kind in Montreal, is exactly what it sounds like — dodgeball fused with bow and arrows. They have a wide variety of activities, including running around with a bow and arrow. Accuracy and agility are put to the test!
When: Daily
Time: 9 am – 9 pm
Where: 4767 Dagenais Street
Price: Starts at $25.95, available online
A/Maze: Montreal Escape Game
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You escaped the workweek. Now try your hand at an escape room.
A/Maze includes four exciting themed escape rooms: Prison Break, Laboratory, Military Facility, and Secrets of the Lachine Canal.
Do you have what it takes?
When: Every day
Time: 2 pm – 10 pm
Where: 3550 rue Saint-Jacques
Price: $13 – $25 per person, varies per adventure
Biosphère
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Montreal’s Biosphère has reopened to the public for the first time since you know what.
The large dome-shaped museum dedicated to the environment was initially constructed to house the United States pavilion during Expo 67. At the time encased in an acrylic bubble, the dome caught fire in 1976, leaving just the steel structure intact. It has remained a unique city icon since then.
When was the last time you checked out the interior of the Biosphère?
When: Open daily, but closed on Mondays
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Where: 160 Chem. du Tour de l’isle, Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: From $8.25 to $21.50
Go Karting – K1 Speed Montreal
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Zip through this speedway in Dorval and feel like you’re actually part of Mario Kart.
When: Open daily
Time: Friday, 11 am – 11 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 12 am; Sunday, 10 am – 9 pm
Where: 2080 Rte Transcanadienne, Dorval
Price: $65, available online