12 things to do in Montreal today: Sunday, December 16

Dec 15 2018, 3:41 am

From some outdoor skating, some musical dominos and Christmas carols, Montreal is offering a slew of great events today, December 16.

End that weekend of yours in style before heading back to the workweek trek.

Natrel Skating Rink

montreal old port skating rink

Old Port Skating rink

A skating rink with Montreal’s Old Port as the backdrop – talk about picturesque.

Known for its outstanding quality of ice, excellent facilities, and breathtaking views of the city and the Saint Lawrence River, this is the place to go skating in Montreal.

There’s no better way to stick it to winter than bundling up and hitting the ice.

The chilled 2,500 square metre rink features a cozy village right in front of the ice and is a puck’s throw away from Bistro Bonsecours for a little post-game refresher.

Natrel’s Skating Rink plays rock, classical and jazz music on large outdoor speakers to add to your soundtrack of whizzing down the ice.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 10 am – 10 pm
Where: Natrel Skating Rink, Bonsecours Basin
Price: $6.95 general admission, $4.90 kids aged six to 12, free for children under six

Carols by Candlelight

Carols by Candlelight is a highlight of the Christmas season at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul. This traditional service of Lessons & Carols takes place in near-darkness, creating a sense of great beauty and peace. Go check out your favourite Christmas carols in a gorgeous setting.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 7 pm – 9 pm
Where: Musique à St.Andrew & St.Paul Sacred Music, 3415 rue Redpath
Price: Free

Luminothérapie

Place des Festivals

Quartier des Spectacles

Place des Festivals is fusing dominos, music and lights in bringing Montreal the holiday cheer.

The 9th edition of Luminothérapie, Quebec’s largest temporary public art installation, is called “Effet domino” by Ingrid Ingrid. The installation will feature 120 giant dominos spread out across several different stations. The public is invited to play with them, each creating different music and luminous effects in the process.

The dominos are all topple-able as a musical orchestra of dominos illuminate in a rainbow of pastel hues and sounds.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 12 pm – 10 pm
Where: Place des Festivals, Jeanne Mance
Price: Free

Hockey History Exhibit

The Hockey Cup History travelling exhibit opens on Friday at the Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage.

Hockey fans can take a look at trophies, rings, hockey sticks, archival footage and over 50 hockey-related artifacts. Visitors are also invited to play a hockey tabletop game as well as a ‘design your own goalie mask’ workshop.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm, Thursday to Sunday
Where: 1850 Lakeshore Drive, Dorval
Price: Free

Ogilvy’s Christmas Display

Ogilvy's Christmas window display

McCord Museum

Ogilvy’s Christmas window display, a holiday fixture at the corner of Ste. Catherine and rue de la Montagne has found a new home.

The annual scenes of stuffed animals interacting in mechanical settings, which has delighted Montrealers since 1947, has been donated to the McCord Museum where they will be on display every day in December.

When: From now until December 31
Time: 24/7
Where: McCord Museum
Price: Free

Santa Claus Parade

A Santa Claus Parade will make its way down the streets of Greenfield Park followed by an old-fashioned Christmas party that includes free hot chocolate, hot soup, roasted marshmallows, pony rides, a petting farm and the Santa Claus himself.

Man, he must be busy this time of year.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 1 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: 195 Empire Street, Longueuil
Price: Free

Notre-Dame Basilica

Easter events Montreal

jiawangkun / Shutterstock

Celebrate Sunday mass at Montreal’s most viewed structure at 11 am and hear a 25-person choir accompanied by the organ. Or, take a walking tour of the basilica which is an absolutely gorgeous spectacle. It is filled with hundreds of wooden carvings, several religious statues, and gigantic stained glass windows.

When: The Notre-Dame Basilica is open year round
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

Victorian Christmas at the Cartier’s

Discover how fashion styles dating back to 1867 are still in vogue 150 years later. The exhibition showcases elegant Victorian decor and styles, hot drinks by the fireplace, a Christmas card workshop, and champagne.

When: From now until December 21
Time: 10 am – 5 pm on weekdays, 9:30 am – 12 pm on weekends
Where: Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site
Price: $7.80

Dream Land

Christmas display

Sami Hajjar’s Christmas Display/Facebook

Once the ‘Christmas Display House’ gets going, it’s officially the holidays. Sami Hajjar of the West Island has continued his ‘Christmas Display’ house again this holiday season, but he’s upping his game.

Compared to last year’s ‘Frozen Land,’  ‘Dream Land’ features 250,000 lights, inflatables and synchronized music to five Disney songs, four times a day.

When: From now until December 25
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (Every hour)
Where: 9035 Jean-Bourdon Avenue, West Island
Price: Free

Puces POP Market

180 local merchants will be on hand boasting a slew of Quebecois products like art, accessories, clothes, ceramics, toys, decorations, candles, soaps, food, drinks and so much more.

When: Sunday, December 16
Time: 11 am – 5 pm
Where: l’Église Saint-Denis, 5075 rue Rivard
Price: Free admission

Fontaine Boréale

Christmas is usually associated with snow and ice so how about a little element change? For the third consecutive year, the Christmas fountain known as “Fontaine boréale” is returning during the holiday season.

The immersive and multi-sensory experience features the Complexe Desjardin’s Grande-Place water fountain, completely decked out in the Christmas spirit.

Every hour, the fountain lights and shoots up to the shopping mall’s ceiling, accompanied by music, lights and special effects.

Or, it could actually be magic.

When: Every day in December
Time: Every hour from 4 pm – 10 pm
Where: Complexe Desjardins, 150 rue Ste. Catherine Ouest
Price: Free

Le Village du Vilain Sapin – Ugly Christmas Tree Village

Ugly Christmas tree

shaunethompsonphotography/Instagram

It’s important to laugh at yourself. And, that’s exactly what this year’s ‘Ugly Christmas Tree Village’ in Whoville Montreal will be doing this holiday season, literally.

The second edition of Le Village du Vilain Sapin features more than just an ugly, Charlie Brown-esque tree as this year’s evergreen is ticklish.

Yes. A ticklish Christmas tree.

Motion detectors and built-in loudspeakers will be incorporated into this year’s Frankentree that will bellow out laughter when guests shake the bottom branches to tickle it.

When: From now until January 2
Time: 5 pm, illumination of the laughing tree at 6 pm
Where: 57 rue Prince Arthur Est
Price: Free

See also

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