Montreal is relentless. The city just doesn’t give up when it comes to things to do — especially in the summer.
Festival season keeps chugging along, this time with an inaugural country music fest. There’s also some comedy, food, and hundreds of hot-air balloons.
Here are a handful of things to keep on your radar in Montreal throughout the weekend.
LASSO
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Featuring the likes of Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Kelsea Ballerini, and others, Montreal’s inaugural Lasso music festival will saddle up and kick off at Parc Jean-Drapeau on August 12 and 13.
When: August 12 to 13
Time: 1 to 11 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: Ranges from $220 to $9,000
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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 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, the event has grown to host food vendors, bar outlets, live bands, theatre and magic performances, and activities.
When: August 13 to 21
Time: 6 am to 1 am (varies)
Where: 5 Chemin de l’Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Price: Various
Montreal RibFest
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The 7th annual Montreal RibFest is bringing together dozens of vendors, food trucks, a beer garden, and BBQ pitmasters from the US to foodies for a few days of tasty goodness.
When: August 12 to 15
Time: 3 pm to 1 am
Where: 13665 boulevard de Pierrefonds, Pierrefonds
Price: 13665 Pierrefonds Boulevard
Montreal Heels Festival
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The first-ever Heels Festival is coming to Montreal this weekend. Presented by The Canadian Salsa Dance Corp, the weekend fest will mix jazz dance, contemporary, hip-hop, and burlesque styles into workshops, shows, and competitions.
When: August 11 t0 15
Time: 8 to 11 pm
Where: 1255 Jeanne-Mance
Price: $32 – $213, available online
Pitbull
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Mr. Worldwide is taking his round-the-world party to Montreal on August 12. The Miami rapper will be joined by none other than Iggy Azalea.
When: Friday, August 12
Where: Bell Centre
Time: 8 pm
Price: Starting at $74, available here
Festival of Colours
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Inspired by the ancient tradition of India, this music festival will transport you into a “world of joy, happiness, and unique memories,” says the HOLI website. Guests can enjoy Bollywood, indie, house, and reggaeton music performed by DJs and live bands.
And so many colour bombs.
When Saturday, August 13
Time: Noon to 10 pm
Where: Clow Tower Quay
Price: $25.50, available online
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
Nour Hadidi – The Comedy Nest
If you’ve had enough time off from rolling in the aisles laughing now that Just For Laughs is done, why not get back into the chuckle seat by hitting up The Comedy Nest this weekend?
The Nest is hosting headliner Nour Hadidi all weekend, as seen on Kevin Hart’s LOL Network, JFL, and the Winnipeg Comedy Festival.
The comedian has written for CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, The Beaverton, and True Dating Stories on CBC Gem and is an absolute delight.
The shows will also feature the likes of local opening acts and emcees (Elspeth Wright, Walter J. Lyng, Wassim El-Mounzer, Jason Celin, Isabelle Gaumont, and more).
When: August 11 to 13
Time: 8 pm (Thursday), 8 pm and 10:30 pm (Friday & Saturday)
Where: The Comedy Nest
Price: $6 to $17.50, available online
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 has kicked off in Montreal, 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
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 & 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 Life of An Icon website, offering visitors to discover the incredible story of Frida Kahlo.
When: August 2 to 31 (no Mondays)
Time: Wednesday & Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm; Friday & 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