16 things to do in Montreal this weekend: October 15 to 17
Because of the short work week, it’s already Friday. And we could not be happier.
It’s also still surprisingly warm out, which is another major plus.
So, in celebration of the nice weekend ahead, we’ve found a bunch of things to do in the city from now until October 17.
The fact that we’re exactly halfway through October is mind-boggling, but we’ll worry about that on Sunday.
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Until then, here are a few things that should keep you busy in and around Montreal.
Ballet – Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Les Grands Ballets
There is never a bad time to hear Vivaldi’s wonderful Four Seasons! This triple bill will mark two great returns for Les Grands Ballets, that of Mauro Bigonzetti’s ballet The Four Seasons, set to Vivaldi’s iconic score of the same name, and also a new collaboration with Quebec choreographer Edouard Lock. Be sure to catch a live rendition of this while you can.
When: From now until October 23
Where: Salle Wilfred Pelletier, Place des Arts
Time: 8 pm
Price: Tickets begin at $39
Pumpkinferno at Upper Canada Village
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How about more than 7,000 pumpkins in one place?
Pumpkinferno, the one-kilometre walk with a backdrop of the picturesque 19th-century setting, is only 148 kilometres from Montreal.
Fright Fest
If you’re looking for thrills and frills, look no further than La Ronde’s spooktacular Halloween events calendar.
After a one-year hiatus, La Ronde is bringing Fright Fest back throughout the month of October.
This year’s edition, which kicked off on October 2, features fan-favourite haunted attractions with some new spooky surprises sprinkled in.
When: From now until October 31
Where: La Ronde
Time: 1 pm – 10 pm
Price: All-day passes begin at $44.99
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
RECHARGER/Unwind – Oasis Immersion
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Housed inside the Palais des Congrès, RECHARGER/Unwind is a stunning new digital world that aims to reenergize guests at Oasis immersion, Canada’s biggest indoor immersive attraction.
The walkthrough experience of ten works by some of Quebec’s (and the world’s) most prominent digital artists, offers a stimulating and soothing sensory walkthrough experience.
When: From now until January 30, 2022
Time: 10:20 am – 8:20 pm
Where: Palais des congrès de Montréal, 1001 Pl. Jean-Paul-Riopelle
Price: From $19 to $25, available online
An Ode to the Moon – Gardens of Light
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Montreal’s Botanical Garden will shine bright with hundreds of illuminated lanterns thanks to the Gardens of Light.
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: From now until October 31
Time: 7 – 10 pm, nightly
Where: 4101 Sherbrooke Est
Price: $8.25 – $16.50
Ferme Marineau – Pumpkin patch
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This farm has an impressive selection of fall-based activities on-site, including pumpkin tic-tac-toe, pumpkin bowling (which is exactly what it sounds like), a giant pumpkin house, corn maze, a petting zoo, tractor rides, and of course, food and drink.
When: Weekends from now until the end of October
Time: 9 am – 6 pm
Where: 4356 Boulevard Dagenais Ouest, Laval
Price: $4
Iontkahthóhtha – Indigenous art show
Scott Berwick/Submitted
An Indigenous art show will take place at the Riverside Inn in Kahnawake from now until October 24.
Iontkahthohtha will showcase artwork by Onkwehón: we artists from Tuesday to Saturday every week for the rest of the month.
When: From now until October 24
Time: Tuesday – Thursday, 1 – 6 pm; Friday & Saturday, 1 -8 pm
Where: The Riverside Inn
Gospel brunch with Imani singers
Quartier des Spectacles
Treat yourself to a generous and delectable brunch while the Imani Gospel Singers choir, accompanied by piano, performs live music for a truly unique entertainment experience.
The Montreal-based group, formed in 1993, will sing gospel favourites in a way that is bound to make you feel blessed.
When: Saturday, October 16
Time: 10 am
Where: Le Balcon, 463, Sainte-Catherine W
Price: $35
Find the Key – Escape Room
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‘Tis the season of good frights and cheap thrills, and what better way to celebrate that than going to one of Montreal’s premier escape rooms?
Find the Key is the perfect spot for a one-of-a-kind group activity and can be found in the downtown area. The facility contains four unique escape rooms and experiences that you and your group can participate in.
When: Daily
Time: Tuesday – Thursday, 4 pm – 9 pm; Friday, 2:30 – 10:30 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 10:30 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 9 pm
Where: 1000 Atateken #101
Price: $20 – $25
Pop-up arcade at Time Out Market
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Retro arcade games at the biggest food court in Montreal, what more could you want?
When: Every day
Time: 12 pm to 8 pm
Where: Eaton Centre, 705 Saint-Catherine Street W
Price: $1 per token
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 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
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
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)
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
AURA
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October is the last month to take in AURA, one of the Old Port’s most popular and beautiful events.
Moment Factory presents the immersive light show at the timeless Notre Dame Basilica.
It’s seriously breathtaking.
When: October 15 and 16
Time: 6, 7, 8 and 9 pm
Where: Notre-Dame Basilica, 110 Notre-Dame St Ouest
Price: Ranges from $21 to $32, available online
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