Gear up for the weekend, Montreal. From stand-up comedy shows to the city’s biggest sidewalk sale, there’s plenty of fun happening from July 13 to 15.
We’ve enjoyed sunny and hot temperatures all week long and it’ll continue through to the end of the weekend. Montreal’s slated to get hit with some rain on Saturday but we’ve included some fun indoor activities to keep you good and dry.
Ste. Catherine Street Celebrates
The Ste. Catherine Street Celebrates is a massive sidewalk sale that calls itself “the largest open sky gathering of merchants in Canada.” Judging by the size of it, it’d be tough to compete.
More than 300,000 visitors ramble onto the street over the three-day event and the famous street is completely closed down to traffic between Rue Guy and Rue Mansfield. More than 250 boutiques, stores, and restaurants set up outlets outside for Montrealers to browse and enjoy. Plus there’s a parade, dancers, inflatable castles, and free samples!
When: July 13-15
Time: Friday, 12 pm – 12 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 10 pm; Sunday, 10 am – 7 pm
Where: Rue Ste. Catherine from Rue Guy to Rue Mansfield
Price: Free admission
Montreal’s International Fireworks Competition
Montreal’s International Fireworks Competition (known as L’International des Feux Loto-Québec) is the largest and most prestigious fireworks festival in the world. The fireworks display is visible from a variety of places around the island. Local hotspots include the Jacques Cartier Bridge, the Old Port Pier, Mont Royal, Place Ville Marie Summit, and Parc Jean-Drapeau. Each showing represents a different theme.
The shows go on rain or shine.
When: Saturday, July 14
Time: 10 pm
Where: Various places around Montreal
Price: Free
Festival International Nuits d’Afrique
The 32nd edition of the festival assembles a massive collection of talent from here to Timbuktu, across great oceans to Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. The 3-week festival hosts both indoor and outdoor shows of dancing and live music. The free admission part of the festival runs during the third week of July.
When: July 10 – 22
Time: Various times through the month
Where: Parterre du Quartier des Spectacles
Fantasia International Film Festival
@fantasiafestival/Instagram
Fantasia works primarily as a film screening festival, showcasing a variety of programming, both independent and commercial, while focusing on the imaginative cinema of Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The genre film festival also welcomes guests from across of the cinema community, including actors, directors, producers, studio reps, and distributors.
Fantasia kicked off on Thursday and will anchor at a variety of screening rooms at Concordia University for two more weeks.
When: From now until August 1
Time: Varies according to screening
Where: Concordia University – 1455 Boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest
Price: Varies according to screening
Bota Bota Classic Movies
Montreal’s waterside spa, Bota Bota, Beaubien Cinema and Cinema du Parc have teamed up to bring guests a relaxing mix – movies at the spa.
The Bota Bota Gardens will have a giant, inflated, water-proof screen showing three movies for three dates this summer.
The screen will be viewable from the Garden’s supplied Adirondack chairs, sun loungers, bean bag chairs, swimming pool, or spa.
When: Sunday, July 15
Time: 8 pm – 10:30 pm
Where: Corner of McGill Street and Rue De la Commune
Price: $45 – $80 based on selected spa service, available online
Kahnawake Pow Wow
The Kahnawake Pow Wow’s 28th annual event is this weekend.
This unique opportunity is a chance to discover Native dancing, music, food and arts and crafts as you celebrate with the Mohawks of Kahnawake and take part in the Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow Wow.
The Pow Wow features tribal and smoke dancing, all-native craft booths, prizes and native cuisine food sampling.
When: July 14, 15
Time: Saturday: 9 am – 10 pm, Sunday: 9 am – 5 pm
Where: Kahnawake Pow Wow Grounds
Price: $8
Festival des Bieres Laval
@tobeerfestival/Instagram
85 bar outlets and 40 microbreweries converge for the 4th annual Laval Beer Festival. Besides the litres of beer, the festival hosts food trucks from local Laval restaurants and a family zone where your kids can get away from you trying way too many beers.
When: July 13-15
Time: 1 pm – 7 pm
Where: Centre de la Nature – 901 Avenue du Parc, Laval
Price: $7.25 admission, $3 drink coupons
Complètement Cirque at the Olympic Stadium and Jardins Gamelin
This is the last weekend to check out the urban circus. They’re summing up the festival at Montreal Olympic Park on Friday and at Jardins Gamelin on Saturday and Sunday.
Check out tightrope walkers, trapeze artists, balancing and trampoline acts, fire art, jugglers, gymnastics, live music, human pyramids, and street performers using the city’s landscape as their stages.
When: July 13 – 15
Time: Friday: 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm, Saturday and Sunday: 7:15 pm – 11:15 pm
Where: Friday: Montreal Olympic Park, Saturday and Sunday: Jardins Gamelin
Price: Free
Flash Day at DFA Tattoos
In honour of Friday the 13th, DFA Tattoos hosts Flash Day, where they offer a library of pre-drawn flash tattoos available to be inked. All tattoos range between $13 to $31.
The parlour stresses that it’s first come, first serve and no appointments can be made.
When: Friday, July 13
Time: 11 am – 11 pm
Where: 328 Rue Ste. Catherine Est
Price: $13 – $31 (tips not included)
Taste of the Caribbean
@kkatherinne/Instagram
The Taste of the Caribbean festival honours the island culture and community. The weekend festival will host a variety of free activities: cooking and mixology demos, concerts, children’s activities, and a themed dance festival.
There will also be tasty genuine Caribbean food available for purchase.
When: From now until July 15
Time: 12 pm – 11 pm
Where: Clock Tower Beach
Price: Free admission
Comedy At The Art Loft
Gear up for Just for Laughs by checking out Comedy at the Art Loft.
Art Loft is the hottest underground comedy show in Montreal. It’s the city’s only weekly bilingual show and is run out of a private loft on Rue Saint Laurent and always packed with people. It feels like a college party. Every week features a variety of talented acts, hosts and local comics. This week’s headliner is the very funny Dion Owen. There will be a DJ and snacks. BYOB and 420 friendly… very 420 friendly.
When: Every Friday
Time: Doors open at 9 pm, show starts at 10:30 pm
Where: 4152 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $10 at the door (cash only)
Les 4 Chevaliers Softball Game
The popular humour-based softball team ‘Les 4 Chevaliers’ are in Mercier on Friday for a charity softball game. ‘Les 4 Chevaliers’ play with only a pitcher, a catcher, an outfielder and an infielder and guess what, they’re unbelievable. They’re always perfectly placed, they catch everything and hit the ball real hard. They’re basically magicians.
When: Friday, July 13
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where: 8 Rue des Plaines, Mercier
Price: $10
île Soniq en Ville
ilesoniq/ Facebook
In preparation of île Soniq’s August music festival, they’re teasing Montreal with a one night show on Sunday. The EDM party hosts DJs, GRYFFIN, PARTY FAVOR, Grandtheft, and Musik Me Luv.
The party is free and open to everyone.
When: Sunday, July 15
Time: 3 pm – 9 pm
Where: Aire Commune – 5705 Rue de Gaspé
Price: Free admission
Amaze Escape Room
Escape Saturday’s rain and then 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: Amaze is open year round
Time: 2pm – 10:30pm
Where: 3550 Rue St. Jacques
Price: $15-$30 depending on your chosen mission (per person). Make your reservation first online
Shakespeare in the Park
The untraditional rendition of Shakespeare is happening at Hodgson Field this weekend. The long-running outdoor theatre event is celebrating its 30th year and takes on a Shakespearean classic this time around in the form of Romeo & Juliet: Love is Love. It’s a contemporary, gender-bent take on the classic love story.
Guests are urged to bring their own chairs or may rent one on site for $5.
When: Friday, July 13
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Hodgson Field, Montreal-West
Price: Free
Venezuela Festival
The Venezuela Festival pays homage to its community’s food, music, dancing and culture at Parc Jean-Drapeau this weekend. The venue will feature authentic food vendors and souvenirs for purchase.
The event will be canceled in the event of severe thunderstorms but will persist through light rain.
When: Saturday, July 14
Time: 12 pm – 10 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: Free
Some Like It Hot- Film Noir on the Canal
Film Noir au Canal launches its first screening of their 4th annual outdoor movie showcase. Appropriately timed with the weather, the first screening of the season is Billy Wilder’s Some Like It Hot (1959) starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe.
Montreal’s Ukulele Club will perform before the showing as well as a an introduction by Film Noir specialist Helen Faradji.
The movie will be shown in English with French subtitles.
When: Sunday, July 15
Time: 7:30 pm (ukulele club), 8:50 pm (introduction)
Where: Saint Patrick Square
Price: Free
Clerel and Only the Righteous at Honey Martin Pub
Honey Martin/Facebook
Clerel and Only the Righteous are local musicians who know how to bring it. They play a Motown style of music – very unique and mellow vibes. The group will be playing at Honey Martin Pub on Friday, which will be a perfect intimate setting for the type of music Clerel and co. bring.
When: Friday, July 12
When: Honey Martin is open from 3 pm – 3 am, the band starts at 10 pm – 2:30 am
Where: 5916 Sherbrooke Ouest
Price: Free admission
Pablo Picasso Exhibition
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts latest exhibit explores Pablo Picasso’s influences in African art with “From Africa to the Americas: Picasso Face-to-Face, Past and Present.” The major exhibition offers a new perspective and an interesting rereading of modern art history. The exhibition features still life, paintings, portraits and structural pieces. Keep this exhibit in mind if the weather on Saturday and Sunday isn’t in your favour.
When: From now until September 16
Time: 10 am-5 pm
Where: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke
Price: $17, Available at the door and online
WordUp! Battle
Zoofest is a comedy festival that labels themselves as Just for Laughs’ younger sibling. They’re hosting a word battle of four comedians versus four rappers. WordUp! works like a roast where nothing is off-limits and everything goes.
The battle will happen all in French.
When: Saturday, July 14
Time: 10 pm
Where: Katacombes – 1635 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $25
JDM Fest
The JDM Fest is a massive exhibition of Asian cars. The festival features drag racing, a shine and show, and circuit laps of some of the most exotic cars to come out of Asia.
All car makes and models are invited to partake in the festival.
When: Saturday, July 14
Time: 10 am – 9 pm
Where: 1016 Boulevard Arthur Sauvé, Saint-Eustache
Price: $15 admission
Tam Tams
floatingtracy/instagram
Sundays in Montreal in the summer is synonymous with Tam Tams. It’s a giant outdoor party with dancers, sports, and drummers all gathered around the Sir George-Etienne Cartier monument. If the weather is nice on Sunday (still worth it even if it’s raining) head over to the mountain and enjoy a longstanding Montreal tradition and vibe. 420 friendly.
When: Sundays until September 30
Time: Noon
Where: Mont Royal Park
Price: Free
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