Cap off July in style: 15 awesome things to do in Montreal this weekend
Montreal may not be enjoying a long weekend like the rest of the country, but that doesn’t mean there’s a shortage of events and things to do.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
As Just For Laughs draws to a close, Osheaga ramps up and the city is bustling with its usual selection of food, music, and art.
Here are 15Â things to do in Montreal this weekend as we bid “au revoir” to July.
Osheaga
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The 15th edition of Osheaga officially kicks off this Friday and the festival’s lineup is stacked. Headliners include Machine Gun Kelly Arcade Fire, Future, and Dua Lipa.
One-day tickets along with weekend passes are still available online.
When: July 29 – 31
Time: 2 pm to 11 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price:Â $145 to $375, depending on number of days
Kevin Hart
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Believe it or not, you can still nab last-minute tickets to Kevin Hart’s stand-up show on Friday so go get ’em while you still can.
The actor and comedian’s last global live standup tour was The Irresponsible Tour, which was also released as an original Netflix standup special in April 2019.
When: July 29
Time: 8 pm
Where: Bell Centre
Price: $85 to $264
FestiFleurs
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How about a little sunflower power this weekend? Because a spectacular flower field is ripe for the picking.
A summertime flower festival, FestiFleurs, is kicking off at La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac — a smooth 60 kilometres southwest of Montreal.
The flower festival itself has over 100 varieties of plants, ranging from daisies, lavenders, marigolds, and zinnias, in an assortment of sizes and colours.
When: July 28 31
Time:Â 11 am to 6 pm, nighttime shoot 6:30 to 10 pm (July 23 & 30 only)
Where:Â La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac, (75 Coteau-du-Lac, QC-201)
Price:Â $6 to $21, depending on bouquet size
Le Grand PoutineFest – Vieux-Port de MontrĂ©al
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The eighth annual edition of Le Grand PoutineFest is entering its second weekend. The fest is a travelling celebration of Quebec’s signature food.
Until July 31, foodies at the Old Port’s Clock Tower Beach will have free access to an event site, where more than six street food trucks will be offering over 20 different combinations of fries, sauce, and fresh cheese.
When: From now until July 31
Times: Noon to 9 pm
Where: Clock Tower Beach
The Patton Oswalt Gala
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This gala hosted by actor and comedian Patton Oswalt will feature a variety of supporting acts such as Laurie Kilmartin, Pete Holmes, Vir Das, Randy Feltface, Ola Dada, Rachel Feinstein, Sindhu Vee, and Andrea Jin.
Tickets are still available here.
When:Â July 29
Time: 7 pm
Where: Place Des Arts, Maisonneuve
Price:Â $45 – $115
Fest at the Nest
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If you want to see some comedy this weekend but don’t feel like dishing out a wad of cash, Fest at the Nest is certainly your best bet. You can catch multiple JFL festival favourites like Rhys Nicholson, Yannis Pappas, Preacher Lawson, and more.
Get your tickets here.
When:Â July 29 and 30
Time: 8 pm and 10:30 pm
Where: The Comedy Nest, 3rd floor of Montreal Forum
Price:Â $26.79
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 MosaĂŻcultures QuĂ©bec 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:Â From now until October 10
Time: 10 am to sundown
Where: Parc Bois-de-Coulonge – 1215 Grande Allée O
Price:Â $12.50 to $60, available online
L’Expédition végétale
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A huge flying greenhouse has landed at the site of Montreal’s Jardin Botanique.
Courtesy of a French team, the garden is a “flying plant exhibition” called the Aéroflorale II, a flying greenhouse that travels the world collecting plants.
On each stopover, its team of scientists presents the latest findings in the field of Botanics.
The team and greenhouse, known collectively as L’Expédition végétale, are interested in native plants and their photovoltaic properties (the ability to produce energy) and will be conducting research on-site at the Jardin Botanique for the rest of July.
When:Â From now until July 31
Time:Â 10 am to 10 pm (last access to site at 9 pm)
Where:Â Jardin botanique, 4101 rue Sherbrooke Est
Price: $11 to $22 (access to the entire Jardins Botanique site), available online
Fantasia Film Festival
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The 26th edition of the Fantasia Film Festival opened its curtains two weeks ago, offering moviegoers more than 100 feature films from across the globe.
The film fest is a great place to discover new filmmakers, actors, studios, and yes, monsters. The fest specializes in independent horror flicks but also has a great collection of drama, animation, comedies, and thrillers — a little something for everyone.
When:Â From now until August 3
Time:Â Various times
Where: Concordia Hall and JA de Sève cinemas
Price:Â $14 per film
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:Â PHI Centre
Price: Free, reservations required
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: July 21 to 24
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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July 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:Â July 21 to 31 (no Mondays)
Time:Â 1, 4, 5, and 8 pm
Where: Big Top Tent, Old Montreal
Price:Â From $54, available online
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 July 31
Time:Â 9 am to 9:40 pm
Where:Â OASIS immersion, 301 Saint-Antoine
Price:Â $24 to $32, available online
UplĂĄ
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
Tam-Tams
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Tam-Tams is quintessential Montreal. A bunch of people drinking, dancing, and smoking the funky stuff at the base of our namesake mountain. What more could you want?
The magical weekly outdoor party is back and it’s arguably the best time of year to join the free party. It’s as simple as showing up for an afternoon of food, vendors, fun, and music.
An absolute Montreal summer must-do.
When: Every Sunday in July
Time: Noon until sunset
Where:Â Sir George-Etienne Cartier Monument