22 things to do in Montreal this weekend: January 11 to 13

As we sum up the first official week back at work and/or school, the city dealt with some snow and now we’re slated to get hit with some cold from January 11 to 13.

To help balance out the freeze, Montreal is boasting some pretty hot events to check out all weekend.

If you’re looking to stay inside or you want to challenge Mother Nature, here are 22 things to check out in the city this weekend.

Friday, January 11

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring – in Concert

You shall not pass… on this oppurtunity to see 250 musicians on stage performing the epic soundtrack of The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring.

Experience Howard Shore’s Academy Award®-winning score performed live to the epic motion picture in HD. The musicians on stage from MTL Film Music Orchestra/Choir will transport you to the heart of Middle-Earth in the quest of the Fellowship of the Ring.

Original film will be shown with French subtitles.

When: January 11 and 12
Time: 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm
Where: Place des Arts, 175 rue Ste. Catherine
Price: $115 – $163, available online

Montreal Improv’s Main Event

How about some improv comedy to start off the weekend?

The ultimate improv competition in the city is happening on Friday as two teams collide for their weekly, main event.

Through a series of match-ups and challenges, all initiated through audience suggestions and interaction, only one team will leave Montreal Improv with the title of champion.

When: Friday, January 11
Time: 8:30 pm
Where: Montreal Improv, 3697 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $8

Comedy at the Art Loft – Morgan O’Shea

Art Loft is one the hottest comedy show in town.

The underground show (and party) takes place at loft apartments and host some of the most talented comedians in town.

This week’s show is headlined by Morgan O’Shea, hosted by Quinn McMorrow and features the likes of Jacob Greco, Sin Kara, Coco Belliveau, Pete Makarov, François Touz and Wassim El-Mounzer.

The show starts at 9 pm and guests are welcome (and expected) to stay after and party with the crowd and comedians. It’s BYOB and 420 friendly. Very 420 friendly.

When: Friday, January 11
Time: 9 pm (show starts at 10:30 pm)
Where: 4152 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Price: $10 (cash only)

Coup Sûr Batting Cage

Just because baseball/softball season is a ways away, doesn’t mean you can’t hone your swing for the 2019 season.

Plus, swinging a bat when it’s -20 outside is pretty wild.

Coup Sûr has six pitching machines all throwing at various speeds and each machine throws either baseballs or softballs. They have a closed off radar section too if you want to practice pitching. They supply bats and helmets and boast an impressive Baseball Town store if you’re looking for some gear.

They offer stellar deals at both the pro shop and the batting cages since it’s low-season.

When: Friday, January 11
Time: 9 am – 10 pm
Where: 3835 Boulevard Curé-Labelle, Laval
Price: 1 token (20 pitches): $5.75/ 5 token special (100 pitches): $23.00

SAT Fest

An immersive light, sound and visual art show inside a dome has taken over Montreal’s Society for Arts and Technology (SAT).

To use scientific language to describe the event, we’d say it’s totally trippy.

Trajectories, positions, distances, scales and speed are all interwoven in a show with music, fusing audiovisual and “infinite tridimensional space” in a complex and dynamic ecosystem.

Exactly, trippy.

When: Friday, January 11
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Society for Arts and Technology (SAT), 1201, Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Price: $17.25 – $22.25, available online

Amaze Escape Room

Escape the cold and try to figure your way out of an escape room.

Try your luck at escaping from a prison, a military facility, a lost temple, or a laboratory. Make a reservation, choose your adventure and then you have anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour to get out of any respective room. Each mission is reserved solely for your group and you’re given a walkie-talkie in case you need hints/get scared.

When: Friday, January 11
Time: 2pm – 10:30pm
Where: 3550 Rue St. Jacques
Price: $15-$30 depending on your chosen mission (per person). Make your reservation first online.

Saturday, January 12

POP Yoga Neige

Downward dog-sled, anyone?

Montreal-based fitness company POP Spirit is hosting a series of outdoor snow yoga sessions this winter.

Aptly titled POP Yoga Neige, classes will take place every Saturday and Sunday from January 12 to March 24 at Parc La Fontaine and Parcours Gouin, respectively.

All classes are free to the public and boast top-notch, professional instructors. All you have to do is bring your own mat and dress warmly (and we mean, really warm).

When: January 12 to March 24
Time: 1 pm on Saturdays, 10:30 am on Sundays
Where: Parc La Fontaine and Parcours Gouin
Price: Free

Colorado Avalanche vs Montreal Canadiens

Fresh off a tilt in St.Louis, the Habs return home on Saturday to face off against the Avalanche at the Bell Centre.

This will conclude a pretty busy week for the Canadiens in which they played against Minnesota, Detroit, St.Louis and Colorado.

Expect a pretty vibrant atmosphere as Price as the boys take on Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs.

When: Saturday, January 12
Time: 7 pm
Where: 1909 avenue des Canadiens de Montreal
Price: Various prices

Atrium Le 1000

If the weather doesn’t bode well with you this weekend, lace up the skates and glide to the lively beat of music at the Atrium inside one of the tallest buildings in Montreal.

The rink is covered under an immense glass dome so you can feel like you’re outside without having to deal with the pesky weather. Plus, it’s gorgeously decorated for the winter season.

When: Saturday, January 5
Time: 12:30 pm – 9 pm
Where: 1000 De La Gauchetière
Price: $5 – $7.50 (equipment rentals range from $1 – $7)

Panic! At The Disco

Panic! at the Disco is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, formed in 2004 by childhood friends Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith and Brent Wilson.

The emo rockers will be rockin’ out at Place Bell on Saturday. (You don’t actually have to panic).

When: Saturday, January 12
Time: 7 pm
Where: Place Bell Laval, 1950 Claude Gagné, Laval
Price: $46-$179, available online

Vintage Clothing Pop-Up

There’s a massive vintage clothing sale happening on Prince-Arthur this weekend, with old-school clothes from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and early 2000s up for grabs.

Organizers urge people to show up early as “the good stuff goes quick.”

The pop-up shop accepts both cash and cards.

When: January 12 and 13
Time: 12 pm – 6 pm
Where: 115 rue Prince-Arthur Est
Price: Free

Snow Tubing on Mont Royal

Take advantage of the pride of Montreal by snow tubing down it.

Discover the exhilaration of snow tubing down reserved lanes next to the toboggan hill overlooking Beaver Lake.

When: Saturday, January 12
Time: 10 am – 4 pm (until 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays)
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: $5 for 4 – 11-year-olds, $9 for 12 years old and up

Musée Grévin Montreal

Sneak away from the winter cold and spend a few hours in a warm room while staring at wax celebrity figures.

Check out your favourite actors, athletes, and artists in wax form. The figurines are displayed beautifully through the four-floor museum that also features optical illusions and interactive displays. It’s admittedly pretty creepy staring into Elvis’ eyes, especially if he starts blinking.

When: Sunday, January 12
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: 705 Rue Saint Catherine (4th floor of the Eaton Centre)
Price: $19.50 for adult, $13.50 for children, $15.50 for youth and students and $18 for seniors

Station 16 Art Gallery

Station 16 Gallery is a contemporary urban art gallery that features an international roster of artists who are influenced primarily by street art and graffiti.

The gallery constantly reinvents itself and breathes life into the Montreal art scene, exhibiting works of art that challenge the traditional white cube gallery space.

It’ll be toasty alternative to that frigid outdoor temperature.

When: Saturday, January 12
Time: 12 pm – 5 pm
Where: 3523 Boulevard Saint-Laurent
Price: Free admission

Sunday, January 13

No Pants Subway Ride

All bets pants are off this weekend as the annual  ‘No Pants Subway Ride‘ returns to Montreal for the 2019 edition (except we call it ‘Metro Ride’).

Guests are asked to meet at the Sherbrooke Station (with pants) and after passing the turnstiles, ditch the slacks.

The No Pants Subway Ride is an annual global event started by Improv Everywhere in New York in 2002.

When: Sunday, January 13
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Where: Sherbrooke Station – Orange Line
Price: Free

iSaute Kirkland

Take your kids to iSaute Kirkland and pretend it’s for them when it’s really for you. iSaute is a massive venue that has over 30 giant trampolines, trampoline basketball, wall climbing and a trampoline jungle gym. You pay by the hour, there’s a lot to do and it’s actually a fantastic workout. Fun for all ages!

When: Saturday, January 13
Time: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
Where: 3220 Jean Yves, Kirkland
Price: $16 for the first hour, $10 for the second. Tickets are sold at the door

Parc-Nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques

The City of Montreal wants you to see more of this gorgeous province this winter by checking out the city’s biggest national park – for free.

So, pack a lunch, hop on a shuttle bus and spend the day in the great Canadian outdoors!

Parc-Nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques is offering free shuttle services from downtown Montreal this weekend (and six days afterwards).

With 330 hectares of land, the Parc-Nature du Cap-Saint-Jacques is the largest park in Montreal. It’s bordered by Lac des Deux Montagnes and the Rivière des Prairies, offering magnificent views of icy, snowy, land.

The park is also boarded by ecological farms that include cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, rabbits, ponies and pigs as well as a rustic sugar shack where guest can enjoy locally produced maple syrup.

When: Saturday, January 13
Time: 9 am – 4:15 pm
Where: Shuttle pick up Dorchester Square
Price: Free

Hockey History Exhibit

The Hockey Cup History travelling exhibit opens on Friday at the Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage.

Hockey fans can take a look at trophies, rings, hockey sticks, archival footage and over 50 hockey-related artifacts. Visitors are also invited to play a hockey tabletop game as well as a ‘design your own goalie mask’ workshop.

When: From now until April 17
Time: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm, Thursday to Sunday
Where: 1850 Lakeshore Drive, Dorval
Price: Free

Natrel Skating Rink

From indoor skating to outdoor, we can’t call ourselves true Canadians without offering both.

Known for its outstanding quality of ice, excellent facilities, and breathtaking views of the city and the Saint Lawrence River, this is the place to go outdoor skating in Montreal.

There’s no better way to stick it to winter than bundling up and hitting the ice.

The chilled 2,500-square-metre rink features a cozy village right in front of the ice and is a puck’s throw away from Bistro Bonsecours for a little post-game refresher.

Natrel’s Skating Rink plays rock, classical and jazz music on large outdoor speakers to add to your soundtrack of whizzing down the ice.

When: Sunday, January 13
Time: 10 am – 10 pm
Where: Natrel Skating Rink, Bonsecours Basin
Price: $6.95 general admission, $4.90 kids aged 6 – 12, free for children under 6

Notre-Dame Basilica

Celebrate Sunday mass at Montreal’s most viewed structure at 11 am and hear a 25-person choir accompanied by the organ. Or, take a walking tour of the basilica which is an absolutely gorgeous spectacle. It is filled with hundreds of wooden carvings, several religious statues, and gigantic stained glass windows.

When: The Notre-Dame Basilica is open year round
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

Pente à Neige

No offence, Mont Tremblant, but we might hit the slopes a bit closer to home this weekend as La Pente à Neige has constructed a man-made ski hill at Parc Ignace-Bourget.

If you’re up to braving the cold, the second edition of the urban hill is big enough for up to 250 people and there’s also a mini slope on site to accommodate up to 50 mini-skiers.

The hill welcomes skiers, snowboarders, tubers and sledders of any age and features a cozily heated yurt, mulled wine, hot chocolate and music.

Guests can bring their own equipment or it can be rented on site.

When: Sunday, January 13
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Parc Ignace-Bourget
Price: Free admission

Luminothérapie

Place des Festivals has brought Montreal sights and sounds by fusing dominos, music and lights.

The 9th edition of Luminothérapie, Quebec’s largest temporary public art installation, is called “Effet domino” by Ingrid Ingrid. The installation will feature 120 giant dominos spread out across several different stations. The public is invited to play with them, each creating different music and luminous effects in the process.

The dominos are all topple-able as a musical orchestra of dominos illuminate in a rainbow of pastel hues and sounds. Check out some photos here.

When: From now until January 27
Time: 12 pm – 10 pm
Where: Place des Festivals, Jeanne Mance
Price: Free

See also

• This parkour stuntman didn't get the 'Bird Box Challenge' memo (VIDEO)
• This week's snowfall has turned Montreal into a winter wonderland (PHOTOS)
• Tourisme Montreal just put out the best worst ad we’ve ever seen (VIDEO)
• Joe Rogan says he loves Toronto more than Montreal (VIDEO)