5 things to do in Montreal today: Thursday, August 15

Aug 15 2019, 12:00 pm

As the month almost reaches its halfway point (already?) here are a few things happening around town today, August 15, as the weekend looms.

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Montreal Pride

Montreal will welcome over 225 artists, 250 activities, and 20 free large-scale productions as the city celebrates Montréal Pride (Fierté Montreal) for 11 days, which started on Thursday.

The festival is the “largest gathering of the sexual and gender diversity (SGD) communities in the Francophone world and in Canada,” reads the festival’s press release.

This year’s fest comes with a little bit more weight as Montréal prepares to compete to host the WorldPride event in 2023, according to event organizers.

The festival’s full program, dates, times, and location can be found on the Fierté Montreal website.

When: From now until August 18
Time: Varies
Where: Montreal’s Gay Village
Price: Varies per selection

Le Grand Ribfest de Montréal

Ribbers from Texas, Alabama, New Mexico, Florida, and Tennessee are coming by Old Montreal today for four days of heavy-duty rib cooking.

When: Thursday, August 15
Time: 12 pm – 1o pm
Where: Quai Jacques-Cartier, Old Montreal
Price: Free admission

Italian Week

Montreal’s well-represented Italian community will be celebrating it’s 26th annual Italian Week, which kicked off this past weekend.

The week-long festival will be celebrated throughout the island, promoting the Italian culture through music, fashion, cars, shops, and obviously, food.

Anchored primarily in Little Italy, the festival also branches out to Montreal-Nord, Laval, Lasalle, NDG, and St-Léonard.

When: From now until August 18
Time: Times vary according to the day, visit the website for exact festival times
Where: Various locations throughout Montreal
Price: Free admission

International Balloon Festival

Look up in the sky today, it won’t be a bird, nor a plane, and it won’t even be Superman. It’ll be dozens of hot air balloons.

The International Balloon Festival of Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu is the largest gathering of balloons in Canada. The week-long event caters to the entire family and is an easy 40-minute drive off the island of Montreal.

In what started off as a balloon festival, has grown to host food vendors, bar outlets, live bands, theatre performances, activities, and has garnered a reputation on an international scale.

This year’s outdoor party will feature hot air balloons from Canada, the United States, France, and Brazil.

When: From now until August 18
Time: Weekdays from 2:30 pm – the end of the show, weekends from 12 pm – the end of the show
Where: 5 Chemin de l’Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Price: $30 – $50, available online

Through the Echoes

The first-of-its-kind pyramid-shaped entertainment venue, PY1, created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté continues its showing all month.

The innovative venue will offer a multi-sensory experience, state-of-the-art technology and “a unique playground” for multimedia entertainment combining high tech with the talent of the greatest digital creators.

The PY1 experience made its worldwide debut with Through the Echoes, a show produced exclusively for the pyramid last month, located near the Clock Tower grounds in the Old Port.

When: Thursday, August 15
Time: Varies
Where: Montreal’s Old Port
Price: $28.50 – $51, available online

DH Montreal StaffDH Montreal Staff

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