30 things to do in Montreal this long weekend: September 3 to 6
Good news: We’ve entered the long weekend.
Bad news: It’s the last long weekend of the summer.
While Labour Day unofficially signifies the end of summer, there are still plenty of things to do in Montreal this weekend so you can party like it’s July.
From food festivals to comedy, exhibits, Tam Tams, and rubber ducks, here’s what should be on your radar all long weekend.
- See also:
And if you’re in need of an SAQ (or SQDC) run, be sure to check out what’s open and closed across Montreal on Labour Day.
Le Burger Week
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The nationwide celebration of all things burgers has kicked off.
Burger lovers can head into participating restaurants around Montreal and enjoy special dishes created just for the festival during this time frame.
There’s more info on the ongoing festival right here.
When: From now until September 14
Times: Varies per location
Where: Multiple Locations
Price: Prices vary
First Fridays (Les Premiers Vendredis)
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First Fridays, the flagship event which has been taking place every summer since 2012, is returning to Montreal’s Olympic Park this weekend (and for six days in September and October.)
The festival says with more than 50 food trucks and restaurateurs, it is the largest gathering of its kind in Canada.
When: September 3-5 and October 1-3
Time: Friday, 4 pm – 10 pm; Saturday, 12 pm – 10 pm; Sunday, 12 pm – 9 pm
Where: 4545 Pierre-de Coubertin, Olympic Park
Price: Varies per meal, TBA
Tam Tams
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Anytime Tams takes place before an off-day Monday, it’s going to be busy.
This free festival takes place every Sunday in the summer, near the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier. Tam Tams is a colourful gathering of drummers, dancers, vendors and just happy people.
When: Sunday, September 5
Time: 12 pm
Where: Mount Royal Park
Price: Free
Le Petit Duck Shoppe
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In 2020, Le Petit Duck Shoppe opened its unique novelty store tucked
The store says that “setting foot in the boutique will bring you back to your childhood and is sure to put a smile on your face.”
Their selection of fun little collectibles are separated into categories like Artists, Celebriducks, Animals, Politicians, Holidays, and more.
When: Daily (Closed on Tuesdays)
Times: Monday, Wednesday – Friday, 11 am – 6 pm; Saturday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm
Where: The corner of 398 rue Marie-Morin, Saint-Paul St W
Price: Prices vary
An Ode to the Moon – Gardens of Light
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Montreal’s Botanical Garden will shine bright with hundreds of illuminated lanterns as the Gardens of Light returns to the city this week.
The eight-week festival will offer a “brand new journey,” says the Espace pour la vie website, focusing on this year’s theme, “An ode to the Moon.”
The lantern fest will be devoted to the Moon this fall, the “universal beacon that has guided human beings since the dawn of time.” Espace pour la vie says the Moon will be the light that ushers guests on their path to discover the Gardens of Light.
When: September 3 – October 31
Time: 7 – 10 pm, nightly
Where: 4101 Sherbrooke Est
Price: $8.25 – $16.50
David Pryde – The Comedy Nest
David Pryde is a Just For Laughs vet, a contributing writer to The Onion and This Hour Has 22 Minutes and he lands at the Nest all weekend.
When: September 3 & 4
Time: 8 pm (and 10:30 on Saturday)
Where: Comedy Nest, 2313 Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest (3rd floor)
Price: $6 – $12, available online
KSF (Kayak Sans Frontieres)
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KSF is right at Rapids Park in Lasalle and they offer surfboards, paddleboards, and kayaks as well as all the gear needed to tackle the water.
As the summer winds down, why not enjoy the Lachine Canal and the Saint Lawrence River by standing on top of it?
When: From now until September 18
Time: 9 am – 7 pm
Where: 7770 boulevard Lasalle
Price: Varies per selection
Christian Dior Exhibition
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Fashion fans, Montreal’s McCord Museum is showing a one-of-a-kind Christian Dior exhibition from now until September 26.
The exhibition, presented by Holt Renfrew Ogilvy, is a historical showcase of “creations of the first decade of the haute couture house of Dior, created by the famous French couturier Christian Dior.”
When: From now until September 26
Times: Monday – Friday, 8 am – 9 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm; Saturday, 8 am – 11 pm
Where: McCord Museum, 690 Sherbrooke St W,
Price: Tickets range from $9.50 to $19.00
Éco-Odyssée Water Maze
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The Wanderer is Éco-Odyssée’s unique labyrinth that has been in use since 2008. Participants are given an adventure map and their choice of paddleboat, paddleboard, or canoe.
What follows is a 2-hour adventure through the wild country of Wakefield, Quebec.
Don’t be surprised if you run into a beaver or white-tailed deer as the park shares its grounds with the local habitat of dozens of creatures.
When: Daily
Times: Sunday – Thursday, 9 am – 4 am; Friday – Saturday, 9 am – 10 pm
Where: 52, Chemin les Sources La Pêche (Wakefield), Qc.
Price: Packages range from $50 to $110
Emile Berliner Musée des Ondes
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Located in the old RCA building in St. Henri, the museum was introduced in 1992 as an homage to Emile Berliner, the inventor of the phonograph record disc. The German pioneer opened the Berliner Gramophone Co. headquarters in the Montreal building back in 1909.
Its impressive collection holds over 30,000 pieces of technology, including gramophones, turntables, televisions, discs, and radios.
When: Daily
Time: Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pm; Saturday – Sunday, 2 pm – 5 pm
Where: 1001 Rue Lenoir,
Price: Tickets range from $5 to $20
Canal Lounge
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Just steps away from the Atwater Market, this patio doesn’t just offer a view of the water, it’s actually ON the water. The floating terrace bills itself as “the perfect spot to get in the nautical spirit for a 5 à 7”.
When: Daily
Times: 3 pm – 11 pm, Closed on Mondays
Where: 22 Atwater Avenue, Montreal
Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue
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Giant puppets are taking over Verdun this weekend.
The 10th edition of the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue celebrates marionettes, street theatre, magic shows, stop motion animation, and human-sized puppets.
And the shows are free (you just need to register your spot, right here.)
When: Fridays and Saturdays until September 11
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Where: Promenade Wellington
Price: Free
THE INFINITE
THE INFINITE is a new, groundbreaking virtual reality multi-sensory exhibition that takes guests on a journey aboard the International Space Station.
Freely explore a life-sized reproduction of the ISS in virtual reality as if you were there. Using several different mediums (VR, augmented reality, and projections), the exhibit offers “exceptional realism in an experience that lasts 60 minutes,” says the Centre PHI.
Go to space without having to leave Earth. Great deal.
When: From now until November 7
Times: Friday to Sunday, 10 am – 8 pm; Tuesday to Thursday, 10 am – 7 pm
Address: Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal – 2020, rue William
Price: $10 – $40 (from Tuesday to Thursday), $12 – $50 (Friday to Sunday)
Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures
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The countdown has begun.
There are just days left to see the nearly 110 paintings, sculptures and works on paper by Jean Paul Riopelle, presented at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA).
The exhibition Riopelle: The Call of Northern Landscapes and Indigenous Cultures sums up its six-month run on September 12.
When: From now until September 12
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 1380 rue Sherbrooke
Price: $16 – $24, available online
AURA
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The Notre-Dame Basilica announced the return of AURA, one of the Old Port’s most popular events. The immersive light show is presented by Moment Factory, and a few new features have been added.
The updated version of the spectacle celebrates the materials and colours of Notre-Dame. The new musical accompaniment has also been added for the purpose of showing off the Basilica’s 7,000 pipe Casavant organ, which has been in operation since 1891.
When: Until September 25
Time: 6 pm and 9 pm
Where: Notre-Dame Basilica, 110 Notre-Dame St Ouest
Price: Ranges from $21 to $32, available online
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 originally constructed to house the United States pavilion during Expo 67. Originally encased in an acrylic bubble, the dome caught on fire back 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: Daily. 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
Barbie Expo
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Montreal is home to the Barbie Expo, the largest permanent collection of Barbie dolls in the world.
Guests have the chance to see and snap pics of over 1,000 one-of-a-kind Barbie dolls, all dressed by the city’s leading fashion designers.
When: Daily
Time: Friday, 10 am to 9 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: 1455 Rue Peel
Price: Free admission
Musee Grevin
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Musee Grevin is Montreal’s very own version of Madame Tussaud’s in London. A wax museum hidden inside Centre Eaton, Musee Grevin, will have you snapping pics of all your favourite celebrities.
The museum has creepily similar figurines of George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson, Charlie Chaplin, and so many more.
With an SQDC location easily walkable, you could turn this excursion into a real trip.
When: Daily
Time: Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday, 11 am – 5 pm
Where: Centre Eaton de Montréal, 705 Rue Sainte-Catherine
Price: $13.60 – $1
Tonga Lumina
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Slumbering giants have awoken at the top of Mont Tremblant, and a mountainside tour will allow you to go search for them.
Featuring a night-time walk that’s lit up by Quebec’s Moment Factory, the tree is full of sights and sounds that will transport you to a mythical adventure.
When: From now until October 16
Time: 10 pm
Where: 1000 Chemin des Voyageurs, Mont-Tremblant
Price: Starts at $12.50, available online
Biodôme Montreal
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After being closed for more than two years for renovations (and a pandemic), the Biodôme de Montréal is finally reopened.
Using some elements from Biodôme’s original 1976 design, guests can now observe the birds in the Tropical Rainforest from treetop level, enter a beaver lodge, and really experience what subpolar cold feels like – just like the penguins.
Walk through replicas of four ecosystems found in the Americas without even leaving the island.
When: Daily
Time: 9 am – 6 pm
Where: 4777 Pierre-de Coubertin Avenue
Price: $16.50 – $21.50, available online
Voiles en Voiles
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Ahoy matey!
Channel your inner Jack Sparrow and climb through giant pirate ships in Old Montreal as part of a high-flying obstacle course.
When: Every day until September 20
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Place des Vestiges, Old Montreal
Price: $19 to $54 per person, depending on the type of swashbuckling adventure you choose.
Parc Safari
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Lions, tigers, and bears — oh my!
Parc Safari is up and running for the spring and summer season for anyone looking to get off-island and check out a slew of exotic animals, including zebras, elephants, big cats, hyenas, deer, and more.
They also have live shows and amusement park rides.
When: From now until September 14
Time: 10 am – 6:30 pm
Where: 242, Rang, Roxham Road, Lacolle
Price: $16 to $41, available online
Terrasse Bonsecours
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Boozy brunches and endless nights are among the top attractions at this popular patio that sits on the Saint Lawrence River in Old Port. Incredible views of the Old Port are the cherry on top!
Come for the bistro. Stay for the club.
When: From now until mid-October
Time: 12 pm – 12 am
Where: 364, rue de la Commune E
Oasis Surfing
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This surf spot in the South Shore has an indoor wave pool, so you can surf (and learn to surf) for relatively cheap.
You know, instead of flying to the Caribbean.
Surf’s up, dudes and dudettes!
When: Daily
Time: 11:30 am – 9 pm; Friday, 10 am – 9 pm; Saturday, 10 am. -6 pm; Sunday
Where: 9520 Boulevard Leduc Suite 01, Brossard
Price: $39.99 – $69.99, available online
Tyrolienne MTL Zipline
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Take a zip across Old Montreal.
For a smooth $19.99, zip across the Old Port and take in seriously breathtaking views of the Montreal skyline.
When: Every day until September
Time: 11 am – 9 pm
Where: Hangar 16, 363 Rue de la Commune Est
Price: $19.99
Montreal Comedy Series
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We could all use some laughter these days, and a new comedy festival might do just the trick for Montrealers looking to have a few chuckles.
The Montreal Comedy Series kicked off this past Friday and will keep rolling (maybe even on the floor) until September 4.
The shows are in English and feature a bevy of local comics, including Gino Durante, Amer Rez, Kris Dulgar, Ben Cardilli, Charles Daghlian, Viveth K, Evangelia Alexipoulos, Josh Shapiro, Chantal Desjardins, and 119 more.
Yes, the festival will include 125 comedians spread out across 26 shows. Four of which take place on a rooftop.
Check out the website for more details.
When: from now until September 4
Time: Varies per show
Where: Varies per show
Price: $6-$15
Leonard Cohen: A Crack in Everything
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Maybe you’re not in the mood to go out on the town? If that’s the case, this virtual exhibition of Leonard Cohen might be up your alley.
The online exhibition is divided into four main themes that are omnipresent in Leonard Cohen’s body of work: Poetic Thought, Spirituality & Humility, Love and Loss & Longing.
When: From now until February 2024
Time: 24/7
Where: Online
Price: Free
H2O Adventures – Swan Ride
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Sure, you can take a kayak or canoe, but why not really stand out and tackle the canal in a swan?
Besides being great for the ‘gram, it’s pretty fun to float down the canal in a giant bird.
If the weather bodes well, hop on a swan boat and check out the historic canal. Swan hopefuls need to book online before paying for the event to ensure there’s enough space.
When: Every day
Time: 10 am – 8 pm
Where: 2727B Rue Saint-Patrick
Price: $60, available online
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