18 things to do in Montreal this long weekend: October 8 to 11
It’s Thanksgiving weekend in Montreal, which means it’s time to soak up the full glory of fall.
Aside from a turkey dinner and some much-needed family time, the brisk air and crunchy leaves await you. Seize it while you can, since winter will be here before you know it.
Lucky for us, meteorologists are calling for a warm next few days.
So if you’re staying in the city this we’ve got you covered with plenty of things to do this long weekend.
From free concerts to haunted tours, here is what’s worth checking out across Montreal this weekend.
Festival Mondial de la Bière
festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/
The 27th edition of this festival has partnered up with Éduc’alcool and Tourisme Montréal to bring participants four days of tasting over 120 local and international beers.
The outdoor tasting will also feature snacks for guests along with a mini brunch offered on Saturday at 10 am and on Sunday at the 10 am and 1:30 p.m. sessions
When: October 7 – 10
Where: Rio Tinto Courtyard at the Windsor Station, 1160, avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal
Time: Sessions range from 1:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Price: $30 – $60
Fright Fest
If you’re looking for thrills and frills, look no further than La Ronde’s spook-tacular 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 kicks off on October 2, will feature fan-favourite haunted attractions with some new spooky surprises sprinkled in.
When: October 8 – 11
Where: La Ronde
Time: 1 pm – 10 pm
Price: All-day passes begin at $44.99
Haunted Downtown
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Haunted Montreal has you covered with their series of paranormal tours that you can take part in across the city. Haunted Montreal conducts weekly ghost walks, paranormal investigations, and haunted pub crawls in neighbourhoods like Griffintown and the Old Port.
Among their most popular tours is Haunted Downtown, an event that brings willing participants to haunted bars, abandoned graveyards, and hotels “rife with paranormal activity.”
When: Saturdays until November 6
Time: 8:30 pm to 10 pm
Where: Norman Bethune Square
Price: $24.50
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: 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
Dine at Montreal’s new street art restaurant
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The owners of Le Speakeasy opened up their new restaurant, Vandale, last week.
After inviting 15 graffiti artists to vandalize the inside of the building, they were left with something completely unique.
The gourmet spot is serving up French-inspired dishes and a lively atmosphere. This is not your typical view with dinner.
When: Open this Friday and Saturday
Time: 5 pm to 12 am
Where: 1629 Saint-Catherine St W
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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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
@mchantalg/Instagram
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
Music from the Arab Orient
Centre des musiciens du monde
The duo of Abdul-Wahab Kayyali and Joseph Khoury conveys the
instrumental heritage of the Arab Orient, also known as the Mashriq. The two musicians will present a repertoire featuring pieces from the contemporary musical heritage of the geographical area that includes Egypt, Greater Syria (Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan) and Iraq.
When: Sunday, October 10
Time: 7 pm
Where: Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile End Church,5039 St Dominique St
Price: Free (attendees must reserve their spots online)
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)
Rose
Anthony La Para Santori / Submitted to Daily Hive Montreal
Since opening on September 23, the take-out counter has been dishing out delicious homemade goods in a unique picture-worthy space, which for many food enthusiasts, is the ultimate cafe experience.
When: Every day
Time: 8 am – 8 pm
Where: 26 Rue Gounod (in font of Jarry Park)
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
Enrique Iglesias & Ricky Martin – Bell Centre
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Remember what live concerts at the Bell Centre were like?
Because Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin will be performing together during a show this month.
When: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Centre Bell
Price: Tickets start at $52.70, available online
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 8,9,15, 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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