There are plenty of outdoor options worth checking out in Montreal today, January 19, as you cap off your weekend in style.
Luminothérapie
Quartier des Spectacles
Place des Festivals is lit.
The Quartier des Spectacles’ public square is hosting the 10th edition of Luminothérapie through Pop!, a celebration of five fantastical creatures that aim to light up the city during the dark days of winter.
Because if anything can lighten up our bleak winter, it’s Luminothérapie, Quebec’s largest temporary public art installation.
When: From now until January 26
Time: 12 to 11 pm
Where: Place des Festivals
Price: Free
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Fête des neiges
Fête des neiges
You’re best off standing up to the snow and the cold instead of shying away from it this weekend. Luckily, Parc Jean Drapeau’s four-weekend-long winter festival is a perfect opportunity to make the most of the wintery season.
The 37th edition of the Fête des neiges takes place every weekend between January 18 and February 8, and it starts this weekend.
Outdoor activities include snow tubing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow archery, an icy pirate ship, ice skating, ice sculptures, ziplining, a Ferris wheel, Tour de Lévis, axe throwing, a penguin village, a Polar Circus, snow scooters, an inflatable bouncy castle, a snow castle competition, and a mini igloo play area.
When: Weekends until February 9
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Espace 67, Parc Jean-Drapeau
Tickets: $8 – $38, available online
Bleu, Blanc et Bouge
@chcfondation/Instagram
The Montreal Canadiens foundation has six outdoor, refrigerated rinks around the island. The professional-level rinks provide the opportunity for hockey players to develop their skating skills on exceptional quality ice.
The program is divided into six sessions of approximately 45 minutes each.
The rink is free to use but has rather strict schedules so the shinny hockey players don’t hit the ice at the same time as the little skaters.
Rinks can be found at the following spots around Montreal:
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- Villeray-St-Michel-Parc-Extension : François-Perrault Park
- Montréal Nord : Carignan Park
- Verdun : Willibrord Park
- LaSalle : Hayward Park
- Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce : Confederation Park
- Ahuntsic-Cartierville : Mésy Park
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: Varies per rink
Where: Various locations around Montreal
Imagine Van Gogh
@fernwehbebe/Instagram
Montreal has been coated with an exhibition of the works of Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous figures in the history of the art world.
The exhibition, Imagine Van Gogh, which opened last week, takes guests through the world of colours and emotions of Van Gogh’s works through gigantic murals and an immersive soundtrack.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art Contemporain
Price: $26 – $36, available online
Atrium Le 1000
@atrium.le1000/Instagram
If the weather is too cold today for outdoor skating, check out an indoor option. Atrium Le 1000, an indoor ice rink located inside Montreal’s tallest building, has a glass ceiling, perfect to be part of the weather without actually being part of it.
Plus, the skating rink plays music so you can glide to some tunes.
You can bring your own skates or rent equipment on site.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: 11:30 am to 9 pm
Where: 1000 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest
Price: $8.26
Snow Tubing on Mont Royal
Shutterstock
Take advantage of the pride of Montreal by snow tubing down it.
Discover the exhilaration of snow tubing down reserved lanes next to the toboggan hill overlooking Beaver Lake.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: 10 am – 4 pm (until 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays)
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: $6 for 4 to 11 year olds, $10 for 12 years old and up
Notre-Dame Basilica
A G Baxter (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: Sunday, January 19
Time: 12:30 to 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free
Rage: Axe Throwing
Rage Axe Throwing
If you feel the need to get some adrenaline pumping post-holidays, head inside to Rage Axe Throwing and toss some axes.
The competition is based on accuracy points but throwing hatches, axes, and Tomahawks is fun enough without needing to tally the scores.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: Fridays and Sundays, 12 pm to 10 pm; Saturdays, 10 am to 11:30 pm
Where: 1436 Rue Amherst
Price: $45 – $55, available online
The Sunday Sunday Improv Show
Montreal Improv/Facebook
If you want to cap off your weekend with some improv comedy, Le P’tit Impro might be your spot on Sunday.
The show’s players take audience suggestions and turn them into hilarious skits, right on the spot.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: 8 to 9 pm
Where: Le P’tit Impro — 3713 blvd St-Laurent #20
Price: $6
Pente à Neige
@andrewbohz/Instagram
No offence Mont Tremblant, but we might hit the slopes a bit closer to home this weekend as La Pente à Neige has constructed a man-made ski hill at Parc Ignace-Bourget.
The third edition of the urban hill is big enough for up to 250 people along with a mini slope that can accommodate up to 50 mini-skiers.
The hill welcomes skiers, snowboarders, tubers, and sledders of any age and features a cozy heated yurt, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and music. Guests can bring their own equipment or it can be rented on site.
The slope is 300 metres long and has professionals on site to teach people proper skiing/snowboarding/falling down techniques.
When: Sunday, January 19
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Parc Ignace-Bourget — 6101 Avenue de Montmagny
Price: Various pricing, details available online
Happening Gourmand
Happening Gourmand
Nine gourmet restaurants in the Old Port are taking part in the 13th edition of Happening Gourmand, a food festival where foodies can knock back some delicious brunch and dinner meals for under $40.
Whether you’re into pizza, steak, eggs- benedict, or burgers, Happening Gourmand offers gourmet meals and a vibrant atmosphere for every food lover. Plus, the meals won’t set you back too much (we’re dreading the post-holiday credit card statements too).
Check out a full list of participating restaurants online.
When: From now until February 9
Time: Varying times per restaurant
Where: Nine participating Old Port locations
Price: $17 brunch, $25-$35 dinner
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