19 things to do in Montreal this weekend: January 24 to 26

It’s the penultimate weekend of 2020’s first month and the city is oozing with a bunch of great stuff to check out from January 24 to 26.

Friday, January 24

Igloofest

There’s no better way to stick it to Mother Nature’s winter by revelling in the snow and the cold. And, Igloofest is the most entertaining way to do so.

This is the second of four weekend for the outdoor bash where thousands of partiers will flock to the Old Port to brave the cold with wild music, costumes, dancing, and booze.

This weekend’s lineup includes Rezz, I_O, Lunr, Diagraf, VJ Cafrine, Nina Kraviz, Robert Hood, CMD, Baya, Bewoy, and many more.

When: January 24 and 25
Time: 7:30 to 11 pm on Friday, until 12:30 am on Saturday
Where: Quai Jacques Cartier
Price: $20.50 – $89, available online

• See also:
  • Your ultimate guide to surviving Igloofest 2020 in Montreal
  • All North American Carlton Cards and Papyrus stores are closing
  • The world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink is now open for the winter (PHOTOS)

WRG Classic

Hockey tournaments are usually associated with speed, grit, and agility but next month you can add “best dressed” to the good old hockey game.

The sixth edition of the WRG Classic fuses our national pastime with blazers, bow-ties, tweeds, live music, and food trucks for both men and women with 20th century fashion.

Registration for teams is closed but for guests who just want to dress up and soak up some good old fashioned puck, attendance is free.

When: January 24 to 26
Time: 11 am to 7 pm
Where: Parc Vinet, Little Burgundy
Price: Free

Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten

It looks like the Eaton Centre’s Time Out Market has got some tasty competition.

As part of Ville Marie’s $200-million revitalization, the now-closed Place Ville Marie food court has been transformed into a gourmet food and beer garden.

The 35,000-sq-ft space has been rejuvenated as Le Cathcart Restaurants et Biergarten under the glass pavilion of the Place Ville Marie Esplanade.

Open seven days a week, all year round, the biergarten offers seating for more than a thousand people with three full-service restaurants, nine food kiosks, and two cafes, aiming to become the go-to destination for business lunches, happy hour, and festive evenings alike.

Le Catchart opened to the public yesterday and this weekend might be time to check it out.

When: Friday, January 24
Time: 7 am to 11 pm
Where: 1 Place Ville Marie

Happening Gourmand

Whether you’re into pizza, steak, eggs- benedict, or burgers, Happening Gourmand offers gourmet meals and a vibrant atmosphere for every food lover. Plus, the meals won’t set you back too much (we’re dreading the post-holiday credit card statements too).

Check out a full list of participating restaurants online.

When: From now until February 9
Time: Varying times per restaurant
Where: Nine participating Old Port locations
Price: $17 brunch, $25-$35 dinner

Imagine Van Gogh

Montreal has been coated with an exhibition of the works of Vincent Van Gogh, the Dutch post-impressionist painter who is among the most famous figures in the history of the art world.

The exhibition, Imagine Van Gogh, which opened last week, takes guests through the world of colours and emotions of Van Gogh’s works through gigantic murals and an immersive soundtrack.

When: Friday, January 24
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art Contemporain
Price: $26 – $36, available online

Saturday, January 25

Fête des neiges

You’re best off standing up to the snow and the cold instead of shying away from it this weekend. Luckily, Parc Jean Drapeau’s four-weekend-long winter festival is a perfect opportunity to make the most of the wintery season.

The 37th edition of the Fête des neiges takes place every weekend between January 18 and February 8, and it starts this weekend.

Outdoor activities include snow tubing, cross-country skiing, dog sledding, snow archery, an icy pirate ship, ice skating, ice sculptures, ziplining, a Ferris wheel, Tour de Lévis, axe throwing, a penguin village, a Polar Circus, snow scooters, an inflatable bouncy castle, a snow castle competition, and a mini igloo play area.

When: Every weekend from now until February 9
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Espace 67, Parc Jean-Drapeau
Tickets: $8 – $38, available online

Montreal Auto Show

Check out what’s going on in the automobile industry through a display of some of the most expensive and rarest cars in the world.

When: January 24 – 26
Time: 10 am – 9 pm
Where: Salon International de l’Auto de Montréal, 201 avenue Viger Ouest

Atrium Le 1000

If the weather is too tricky today but you feel like hitting the ice, check out Atrium Le 1000, an indoor ice rink located inside Montreal’s tallest building.

The Atrium has a glass ceiling, perfect to be part of the weather without actually being part of it.

Plus, the skating rink plays music so you can glide to some tunes.

You can bring your own skates or rent equipment on site.

When: Saturday, January 25
Time: 11:30 am to 9 pm
Where: 1000 Rue de la Gauchetière Ouest
Price: $8.26

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.

The third edition of the urban hill is big enough for up to 250 people along with a mini slope that can accommodate up to 50 mini-skiers.

The hill welcomes skiers, snowboarders, tubers, and sledders of any age and features a cozy heated yurt, mulled wine, hot chocolate, and music. Guests can bring their own equipment or it can be rented on site.

The slope is 300 metres long and has professionals on site to teach people proper skiing/snowboarding/falling down techniques.

When: Saturday, January 25
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: Parc Ignace-Bourget — 6101 Avenue de Montmagny
Price: Various pricing, details available online

Amaze Escape Room

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

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: Saturday, January 25
Time: 2 to 10:30 pm
Where: 3550 Rue St. Jacques
Price: $15-$30 depending on your chosen mission (per person). Make your reservation first online.

The Emile Berliner Museum of Sound

Set in the old factory that used to produce them, the Emile Berliner Museum of Sound is a collection of old televisions, phonographs, and other sound-related machines that honors the history of sound in media.

When; Saturday, January 25
Time: 2 pm – 5 pm
Where: 1001 rue Lenoir
Price: $5

Sunday, January 26

The Phantom of the Opera

The classic musical, from composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, makes its way to the gorgeous Théâtre St-Denis for a French version of the popular play.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Théâtre St-Denis
Price: $40.80 – $134.40, available online

Giant Snowball Fight

Voya-G in partnership with the University of Montreal is organizing a mega snowball fight, a duel between UQAM and UDEM.

(But anyone can show up and get tossing.)

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 3 pm – 6 pm
Where: Lac aux Castors, 2000 Ch Remembrance

Luminothérapie

Place des Festivals is lit.

The Quartier des Spectacles’ public square is hosting the 10th edition of Luminothérapie through Pop!, a celebration of five fantastical creatures that aim to light up the city during the dark days of winter.

Because if anything can lighten up our bleak winter, it’s Luminothérapie, Quebec’s largest temporary public art installation.

The two-month long art display will be taking down after tonight.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 12 to 11 pm
Where: Place des Festivals
Price: Free

Bleu, Blanc et Bouge

The Montreal Canadiens foundation has six outdoor, refrigerated rinks around the island. The professional-level rinks provide the opportunity for hockey players to develop their skating skills on exceptional quality ice.

The program is divided into six sessions of approximately 45 minutes each.

The rink is free to use but has rather strict schedules so the shinny hockey players don’t hit the ice at the same time as the little skaters.

Rinks can be found at the following spots around Montreal:

• Villeray-St-Michel-Parc-Extension : François-Perrault Park
• Montréal Nord : Carignan Park
• Verdun : Willibrord Park
• LaSalle : Hayward Park
• Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce : Confederation Park
• Ahuntsic-Cartierville : Mésy Park

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: Varies per rink
Where: Various locations around Montreal

Retro Expo 2020

Retro Expo/Facebook

From toys, action figures, video games, comics, anime, and cosplay, Montreal’s largest toy convention returns to Montreal on Sunday with over 50 tables of goodies, some of which are available for purchase.

When: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: Hotel Espresso, 1005 Guy Street

Snow Tubing on Mont Royal

Shutterstock

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: Sunday, January 26
Time: 10 am – 4 pm (until 6 pm on Saturdays and Sundays)
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: $6 for 4 – 11 year olds, $10 for 12 years old and up

Notre-Dame Basilica

A G Baxter (Shutterstock)

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: Sunday, January 26
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free