Don’t look now but there are only two weekends left in August. So as we tiptoe closer to September, here are a handful of things worth checking out in Montreal over the next couple of days.
From outdoorsy summer events to cool things to do indoors, keep any of these 17 events on your what-to-do weekend radar.
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POCHA MTL
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A three-day food fest featuring Korean BBQ, kogos, and K-pop is setting up shop in the streets of Griffintown this weekend, and everyone is invited.
From Friday to Saturday, visitors will be treated to both a street food market and a cultural fest. While authentic Korean chefs cook up a storm of fried chicken, Sanchae bibimbap, and Korean tacos on the corner of Peel and Ottawa street, dance troops will perform to catchy tunes and get the party going.
When: August 19 to 21
Time: Friday, 5 to 11 pm; Saturday, noon to 11 pm; Sunday, noon to 8 pm
Where: Les Quartiers du Canal – Griffintown
Price: $3 entry
International de montgolfières
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This weekend, look up at the sky. It’s not a bird, nor a plane, and it’s not even Superman. It’ll be 150 hot-air balloons.
The International Balloon Festival of Saint Jean-sur-Richelieu (officially called “International de montgolfières”) is the largest gathering of balloons in Canada. The event caters to the entire family and is an easy 40-minute drive off the island of Montreal.
The eight-day festival is summing up its run on Sunday.
When: August 19 to 21
Time: 6 am to 1 am (varies)
Where: 5 Chemin de l’Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Price: Various
Sunflower field
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How about a little sunflower power this month? A spectacular flower field is ripe for the picking.
In August, La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac will host its annual prized sunflower fields. “Sunflowers are the queen flowers of photoshoots,” says the farm in French. “Our flowering sunflowers is the ideal place to come and strike a solo pose, with baby, children, friends, loved ones and even your four-legged friend — in a multitude of varieties of vibrant sunflowers.”
The sunflower field will host a vast plot of thousands of flowers, in 60 different varieties including yellow, red, orange, and creamy white colours.
The farm also has a food court with several picnic tables, benches, and seats in the shade and also offers professional photographers (for a price) if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line shoot.
When: August 19 to 21
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Where: La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac, (75 Coteau-du-Lac, QC-201)
Price: $6 to $25, depending on bouquet size
Rammstein
Montreal metalheads, this is your chance to head-bang with the best as one of Germany’s most popular acts come to town on Sunday.
When: Sunday, August 21
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Time: Doors open at 5 pm. Show begins at 7 pm
Tickets: $120, available here
Orientalys
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Dozens of countries are being represented in Old Montreal this weekend, highlighting different music, food, and crafts via free outdoor shows, performances, workshops, and food vendors.
When: From now until August 21
Time: 2:15 to 11 pm
Where: Quai de l’Horloge
Price: Free admission
JACKALOPE
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Montreal’s three-day adrenaline festival returns this weekend, offering a slew of events for skateboarding and bouldering fans.
When: August 19 to 21
Time: Friday, 5 to 11 pm; Saturday, 12 to 11 pm, Sunday, 10 am to 11 pm
Where: Olympic Park
Price: Varies per event
Piknic Électronik
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Piknic Électronik returns this weekend with a rare Saturday scheduling, offering DJs Lilya Mandre, Kora & Wachuma, Cezaire, Silktits, Thomas White, and Nokliché for an outdoor EDM party.
When: Saturday, August 20
Time: 2 to 9 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: $20
Village des Écluses
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If you want to spend the rest of the summer by a beach but don’t feel like making a long trek out of Montreal, Village des Écluses has got you covered.
Located on the picturesque Lac St-Louis on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, the beach resort offers sand between your toes, paddleboarding, kayaking, and surfing — all an easy 40-minute drive from Montreal.
Nicki Minaj said it herself, “let’s go to the beach-each, let’s go get a wave.”
When: Every day until mid-September
Time: Thursday to Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm; Monday to Wednesday, 9 am to 5 pm
Where: 2 Chem. du Canal, Pointe-des-Cascades
Price: Free admission
Mosaïcultures Québec 2022
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If there’s one excursion to add to this summer’s must-do list, Quebec City’s animal kingdom garden might be the king of the jungle.
From now until October, the Mosaïcultures Québec 2022 at Parc Bois-de-Coulonge in Quebec City is showcasing a dazzling display of more than six million plants and flowers that pay tribute to the “life that vibrates on our planet.”
The summer-long exhibit is marketed as a “hymn to the Earth,” and features works that are “a pleasure for the eyes but also a reminder of the fragility of life.”
When: From now until October 10
Time: 10 am to sundown
Where: Parc Bois-de-Coulonge – 1215 Grande Allée O
Price: $12.50 to $60, available online
ItalfestMTL
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The 29th edition of ItalfestMTL is concluding this weekend after a three-week run, offering a cultural event full of Italian music, food, and art.
Enjoy concerts, an opera, comedy night, fashion shows, movies, and children activities for all to enjoy.
When: From now until August 20
Time: Little Italy, Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Time: Various
Price: Free admission
Black Icon Series
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Artist Yarn Art Guy will be showcasing an exhibition featuring portraits of Kanye West, Zendaya, Will Smith, Biggie, and other iconic Black artists made entirely out of yarn.
When: Sunday, August 21
Time: 3 to 6 pm
Where: 1950 rue Saint Antoine Ouest
Price: $9.29 – $12.78, available online
La Maison Lavande
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Forget the sights of Quebec in the summer, how about the smells?
A summertime trip to the countryside of St-Eustache should be in the cards this summer as the lavender fields at La Maison Lavande are in full bloom.
The family-run business has been growing lavender for more than 10 years and offers over 1,000 plants, spread out across nearly one kilometre of fields where guests can peacefully stroll to the delightful smell of the popular plant.
When: From now until August 21
Time: Saturday to Wednesday, 10 am to 5 pm; Thursday and Friday, 10 am to 9 pm
Where: 902 Chemin Fresnière, Saint-Eustache
Price: $4 to $12 (depending on age and flower season)
Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe
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In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art is presenting Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe, a new exhibit from acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
The exhibition will introduce visitors to the “spiritual and philosophical depth of the artist’s work,” says the PHI museum, including two striking “infinity mirrored rooms.”
Both mirrored rooms will be filled with hanging light globes that alternate colours before going dark. “The viewer is absorbed into darkness for a moment before the glowing spheres slowly flicker back on, initiating again a cycle akin to life and rebirth,” says PHI.
When: From now until January 15
Time: Wednesday to Friday, noon to 7 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Where: PHI Centre
Price: Free, reservations required
Frida Kahlo – The Life of An Icon
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Montreal has been graced with the life of Frida Kahlo in the form of an immersive and inspiring art exhibit.
The Life of An Icon offers seven different transformational spaces with VR experiences, holographic videos, and 360° projections.
The exhibition presents an arrangement of archival photos, original films, digital environments, art installations, and collectibles to music that aims to “reproduce the most relevant moments of [the artist’s] life,” says the website, offering visitors to discover the incredible story of Frida Kahlo.
When: August 2 to 31 (no Mondays)
Time: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm; Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art – 2020 William Street
Price: $27.58 to $40.23, available online
VAN GOGH – Distorsion
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Have you wondered what it would be like to walk through a masterpiece?
The wonderfully colourful world of Vincent Van Gogh has been brought to life at OASIS, and visitors can walk freely through animated renderings of classic works like Almond Blossoms, Starry Night, and many more.
When: From now until August 31
Time: 9 am to 9:40 pm
Where: OASIS immersion, 301 Saint-Antoine
Price: $24 to $32, available online
Tam-Tams
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Tam-Tams is quintessential Montreal. A bunch of people drinking, dancing, and smoking the funky stuff at the base of our namesake mountain. What more could you want?
The magical weekly outdoor party is back and it’s arguably the best time of year to join the free party. It’s as simple as showing up for an afternoon of food, vendors, fun, and music.
An absolute Montreal summer must-do.
When: Sunday, August 7
Time: Noon until sunset
Where: Sir George-Etienne Cartier Monument
Price: Free
Uplå
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You can take your family adventures to new heights this weekend, thanks to North America’s biggest trampoline park which just opened outside of Montreal.
Uplå is a labyrinth of 20-foot-high suspension bridges and trampolines that connect to a network of unique and colourful treehouses, all of which are suspended in the air at the foot of Mont-Saint-Grégoire.
What’s wild about Uplå is that the park is open year-round, rain, shine, or snow. We’ll have to wait a few months to see what North America’s biggest trampoline park looks like covered in snow.
The park recommends soon-to-be trampoliners to book online to guarantee a spot.
When: Year-round
Time: 8 am to 6:30 pm
Where: 45 Chemin du Sous-Bois, Mont-Saint-Grégoire
Price: $20 to $30