We’ve settled in nicely since the craziness of cannabis legalization made for impressive lineups at the shops and now it’s time to enjoy Saturday, October 20.
From hauntings to film festivals and burlesque shows, we’ve got you covered today.
Malefycia’s Zone 4
Malefycia/ Facebook
Forget wimpy haunted houses, this is seriously scary. Malefycia’s Zone 4Â is a fuse between the traditional haunted house and interactive theatre.
The event uses custom-built scenarios with professional actors, props and settings to bring their guests’ worst nightmares into reality.
This year’s theme is called Zone 4 and it focuses on military experiments gone wrong and the event’s antagonist, as per the Malefycia website, is “the most dangerous of all demons: the man.”
When:Â October 20 and 21, 25-31
Time: 5 pm – 12 am
Where:Â 2085 rue Drummond
Price: $35 – $55, available online
The Braderie de Québécoise
With Halloween circled at the end of the month, nobody wants to spend even more money on clothes.
That’s where the Braderie comes in handy. The festival promotes high-end fashion for low-end prices.
Kollontai, Stefano, Ca va de soi, Veinage, Furlux, Myco Anna, Message Factory, Creation Encore, and many other familiar names will be offering discounts as well as popular accessories and jewellery.
When: From now until October 21
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Marché Bonsecours
Price:Â Free admission
Montreal Burlesque Festival
montrealburlesquefest/Instagram
Dancing, music and cabaret flaunting the best of male, female and non-binary performers on stage is taking over the renowned Club Soda stage tonight.
The event will feature sensuality, empowerment, education, fashion and after parties showered with cocktails, champagne and a whole lot of dancing for the city’s 10th annual Burlesque Festival.
When: Saturday, October 20
Time:Â Doors at 7 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Club Soda – 1225 Boulevard St. Laurent
Price: $42 – $179.25
Le Salon du Disque Vinyl Expo
Aux 33 Tours and Disques Beatnick are bringing a massive record convention to Montreal today.
More than 40 stands filled with vinyl, CDs, cassettes, magazines and everything music-related. There will be DJ sets during the convention and entrance is free to all from 10:00 AM.
Guests who want a first crack at the rarest items will be charged $20 from 8 am to 10 am.
When: Saturday, October 20
Time:Â 8 am – 8 pm
Where: 5035 Rue St-Dominique
Price: Free – $20, available at the door
Festival SPASM
Festival SPASM/Facebook
Besides candy and costumes, Halloween is all about scaring people. And what’s a better way to scare people than with a horror movie festival?
Returning for its 17th edition, the SPASM film festival was created to encourage and explore the various horror genre films from Quebec cinema and international French films.
Sure, Hocus Pocus and Casper were scary when you were a kid, but SPASM aims to showcase all films that are gruesome, quirky, terrifying, thrilling and edge-of-your-seat enjoyable.
When: From now until October 27
Time:Â Varying times
Where: 1225 Boulevard Saint Laurent – Club Soda
Price:Â $20.25, available online
IF3 Festival
The International If3 Festival returned to Montreal this week. IF3 is dedicated to screening and rewarding freeskiing and snowboarding movies. Held annually at the end of October in Montreal, IF3 was created in 2007 by FĂ©lix Rioux, Doug Bishop and Jean-Francis Durocher.
When: Saturday, October 20
Time: 10 am – 8 pm (12 pm on Friday)
Where:Â 8931 Avenue Papineau
Price: $4 – $15
Montreal Vegan Festival
Festival végane de Montréal/Facebook
This two-day festival is headlined by Quebec-native Jean-Philippe Cyr, known as “The Buddhist Chef.” Cyr is a classically trained chef who specializes in vegan and cruelty-free recipes and cooking.
Besides offering a variety of vegan-based dishes for purchase, the festival will host a culinary demonstration where guests can witness a collection of renowned, local, chefs cooking up tasty vegan meals.
When:Â October 20 and 21
Time: 10 am – 6 pm (until 5 pm on Sunday)
Where: Palais de congrès
Price:Â Free admission
Quebec Deathfest
Deathfest aims to bring Montreal the best and most extreme bands the underground has to offer. They claim to never conform to trends, or being limited by genre restrictions, Deathfest wants to showcase what extreme music, both old and new is capable of.
Expect to hear a variety of death metal, grindcore, doom trash, hardcore, black metal and experimental bands from all over the world.
It’s going to be really loud.
When: Saturday, October 20
Time: 9 pm – 3 am
Where: Foufounes Electriques and The Katacombes
Price: $20 – $140, available online
Pumpkinferno
Pumpkinferno/Upper Canada Village
Pumpkinferno (besides having a great name) showcases over 7,000 handcrafted pumpkins which are lit up at night along a one-kilometre path set against a 19th-century backdrop. Some are individual pumpkins and some are fused together to make some outstanding art.
When: October 20 and 21 and 25 – 28
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Upper Canada Village – County Road 2
Price: $12 – $16
Haunted Mountain
Haunted Montreal conducts Ghost Walks and carries out research into ghost sightings, paranormal activities, historic hauntings, unexplained mysteries, and strange legends from Mont Royal.
Join a tour conducted by professional actors and storytellers and learn about the mountain’s frightening past.
When:Â Saturday, October 20
Time:Â 8:30 pm
Where: Fletcher’s Field – Jeanne Mance Park
Price:Â $23
La Ronde’s Fright Fest
rubenslimamoraes/Instagram
As if La Ronde’s wild rides aren’t scary enough, they’ve added some ghouls, zombies and witches to the park this month to give thrill-seekers some added jolts at Quebec’s biggest amusement park.
Fright Fest returns for select days in October, it’s a spooky time as costumed monsters take over the park at night.
The park will offer a wide variety of places to get your scare on including new haunted houses, scare zones, frightening mazes and themed rides.
When:Â October 20 and 21
Time: 11 am – 10 pm
Where: La Ronde – 22 Chemin Macdonald
Price:Â Varying prices
The Exorcist Screening
Is it even Halloween without a screening of arguably the scariest movie of all time?
Cinema du Parc will be screening midnight showings of the frightening film that launched a new era of horror films. The 1973 film directed by William Friedkin may be dated but it still holds up. You won’t be able to get the sight of Linda Blair’s backwards head out of your mind.
The film will be screened in English. Screaming will happen in any language.
When:Â Saturday, October 20
Time:Â 11:30 pm
Where:Â Cinema du Parc, 3575 avenue Parc
Price: $13, available online
Pumpkin Picking at Petch Orchards
miraxel31/Instagram
Just 45 minutes from the city, Petch Orchards gives Montrealers the chance to pick pumpkins, pears, and plums at their quaint farm in the gorgeous area of Hemmingford.
In addition to the fruit and veg, the farm produces some of the best apple cider and apple juice in the province. Be warned: Their donuts are as delicious as they are addictive.
When: Saturday, October 20
Where:Â 431 Route 202, Hemmingford
Time:Â 9 am – 6 pm
Price:Â Prices vary
Gardens of Light
October means it’s that time of year when Montreal’s botanical gardens light up for the
magical Gardens of Light Festival. The festival started last month but coupled with the fall foliage, now is the perfect time to go.
The lantern festival includes a lighted path through the Botanical Garden’s three cultural gardens, The Chinese, Japanese and First Nations Gardens, all looking at nature from a different perspective.
When:Â Saturday, October 20
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)
Where: Montreal’s Botanical Gardens
Price: $10.25 – $20.50
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