Montreal is in for a hot one this weekend but that won’t stop the city from hosting a slew of great events and activities worth checking out from July 5 to 7.
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Friday, July 5
The Montreal International Jazz Festival
The Montreal International Jazz Festival was named the largest jazz festival in the world in 2004 according to the Guinness Book of World Records and it’s only gotten bigger since.
The 39th edition of the festival features over 500 artists from all over the world who will perform over 150 shows during a three-week span.
The streets are completely closed off to traffic and the festival is full of music-hungry fans. Some specific shows cost money to enter but the majority of the shows, both indoor and outdoor, are free.
When: From now until July 6
Time: Varying times
Where: Quartier des Specatcles
Price: Free admission to the site
Montreal Comiccon
Join hundreds of artists, celebrities, and actors at the localized genre festival for pictures, autographs, workshops and Q&As. Comiccon is headlined by Harry Potter’s Tom Felton, Elijah Wood, George St-Pierre, William Shatner, Robert Sheehan, and so many more.
When: July 5 – 7
Time: Friday, 1 to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: 1001 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Palais des Congrés
Tickets: Available online, starting at $69 – $229
LA RUE COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE
Some of Montreal’s streets are about to turn into an open-air circus ring.
Entering its first weekend, The Montreal Circus Festival, known as LA RUE COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE, will use the streets, parks, and sidewalks of the Quartier des Spectacles as stages to showcase colourful, high-flying performances.
The festival includes tightrope walkers, trapeze art, balancing and trampoline acts, fire art, jugglers, gymnastics, live music, human pyramids, and participatory activities for all ages as these master street performers use the urban landscape as their stages.
When: From now until July 14
Time: Varying times
Where: Quartier de Spectacles
Price: Free admission
First Fridays
Montreal is about to keep on truckin’ as the third First Friday of 2019 kicks off this weekend.
First Fridays is a special culinary event in which a variety of the city’s food trucks gather at the Olympic Stadium allowing Montrealers to gobble up dishes from dozens of local spots.
The festival, which calls itself “the largest street food fest in Canada,” is known to dish off everything from tacos and churros, to mac and cheese, burgers, and lobster rolls from over 40 participating eateries around Quebec.
Check out a list of participating spots right here.
When: Friday, July 5
Time: 4:30 pm – 11 pm
Where: Olympic Stadium
Haunted Red Light Ghost Walk
Local tour company, Secret Montreal, is giving guests a chance to learn about the city’s indecent past.
Who knows, you might even see a ghost.
The tour is led by a professional actor and storyteller and the path leads to tales about the dark and lewd history of Montreal’s old Red Light District. Many of the sites are even said to be haunted.
The tour takes place at what is currently known as the Quartier des Spectacles, known for its festivals and entertainment. But Secret Montreal takes its guests on a historical journey of another form of entertainment.
When: Friday, July 5
Time: 8:30 pm – 10 pm
Where: 1219 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $26.50, available online
Saturday, July 6
Festival of India
The two-day event will feature all sorts of festivities, including a parade down Saint Laurent Boulevard (starting at Rue Milton), restaurant outlets, live music, dancing, yoga workshops, kid’s games, and a souvenir shop.
When: July 6 – 7
Time: 12 pm – 7 pm
Where: Parc Jeanne Mance
Price: Free admission
Carifiesta
Like it has every year in Montreal since 1975, Carifiesta returns this weekend to honour its Caribbean community in the city.
The festival’s main attraction is the parade. The parade features vibrant colours and exciting costumes dancing to the sounds of Caribbean music.
The parade will close off Rene-Levesque to motorists and cyclists and allow for only pedestrians. The parade features a bevy of Caribbean floats, all representing a different aspect or location within the Caribbean community.
When: Saturday, July 6
Time: 10 am – 4 pm
Where: Rene Levesque, from rue du Fort to rue Bleury
Price: Free
Montreal Beachclub
Located in Pointe-Calumet, an easy 45-minute drive from Montreal, Beachclub is exactly what its name implies — a club on the beach.
The outdoor beach site can host up to 10,000 guests at a time, making it the largest outdoor club in North America.
When: Saturday, July 6
Time: 12 pm – 7 pm
Where: 701 38e Rue, Pointe-Calumet
Price: Varying prices
L’International des Feux Loto-Québec
The world’s largest fireworks festival returned to La belle province last weekend for its 35th edition and the International Fireworks Competition, known officially as L’International des Feux Loto-Québec, will keep the skyline lit this weekend as well.
When: Saturday, July 6
Time: 10 pm
Where: Old Montreal
Price: Free
Cirque Du Soleil: Alegria
Sunday, July 7
Tam-Tams
Tam-Tams returned to the city last month and the iconic party keeps up its weekly trek on Sunday.
Tams, the weekly outdoor party at the base of the mountain, is a perfect summary of Montreal, open to both locals and tourists.
The magical outdoor bash is where Montrealers from far and wide, gather in Parc Mont Royal for an afternoon of food, vendors, fun, music, and maybe even a couple of beers and some smoking (shhh, don’t tell anyone).
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 12 pm until sunset
Where: Sir George-Etienne Cartier Monument
Price: Free
Piknic Electronik
Piknic Electronik returns for its ninth edition of 2019 this weekend.
Piknic is an outdoor electric music dance festival featuring DJs and artists from all over the world. There are obviously good tunes, but there’s also good food, good drinks, and plenty of activities to keep you going. Best of all – the show goes on rain or shine.
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 2 pm – 9:30 pm
Where: Parc Jean Drapeau
Tickets: $16, available online
Voiles en Voiles
Climb aboard life-size replicas of both royal and pirate ships from the 18th century in Montreal’s Old Port (how fitting).
They are over 100 feet in length and range from two feet high for the young pirates to 35 feet for Peter Pan wannabes.
As the obstacle course gears up for its final stretch run, check out the 61 different activities between the Royal Ship and the Pirate Ship. Activities include zip lining, rock climbing, and bouncy castles.
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Place des Vestiges, Old Port
Price: Prices vary depending on selected activities, tickets online
Leonard Cohen Mural
Crescent Street’s iconic Leonard Cohen mural is lit.
Actually.
Last week, the 8,500-square-metre mural, Tower of Songs, that pays tribute to the late singer-songwriter was lit up with four projectors.
Though the newly lit mural is expected to be a mainstay on Crescent Street, head over to snap some pictures before everyone else does.
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 24/7
Where: Crescent Street
Price: Free
PY1 – Through the Echoes
The first-of-its-kind pyramid-shaped entertainment venue, PY1, created by Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté opened to the public this month and will continue its strong showing this weekend as well.
The innovative venue will offer a multi-sensory experience, state-of-the-art technology and “a unique playground” for multimedia entertainment combining high tech with the talent of the greatest digital creators.
The PY1 experience is slated to make its worldwide debut with Through the Echoes, a show produced exclusively for the pyramid, on June 1, located near the Clock Tower grounds in the Old Port.
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: Varies
Where: Montreal’s Old Port
Price: $28.50 – $51, available online
La Ronde
Try battling The Goliath, get rocked on Le Ednor or check out the park’s newest ride, Chaos.
When: Sunday, July 7
Where: 22 Chemin Macdonald
When: 10:30 am – 8 pm (11:30 pm during the fireworks)
Price: Available online or at the box office
Montreal Clock Tower
The Montreal Clock Tower (Tour de l’Horloge) is now open to the general public so get ready to climb some steps to get your Instagram game buzzing.
The 45-metre-high tower, built in 1922, marks the entrance to the Old Port and pays tribute to the sailors lost at sea in wartime.
According to the Vieux-Port de Montreal website, the clock mechanism was made in England and is a replica of London’s Big Ben. “Like Big Ben,” reads the page, “its accuracy is legendary, and sailors would set their own timepieces by it.”
When: Sunday, July 7
Time: 9 am – 10 pm
Where: Quai de l’Horloge, Old Montreal
Price: Free
HUM(AIN) – We Could Be Human: A Learning Machine
It seems like Siri has some SIRIous competition as a new art exhibition in Montreal features an AI robot that learns from visitors the more it interacts with them.
As part of musician David Usher’s Hum(ai)n exhibition, a digital character named Ophelia will be speaking with humans all summer. This interaction will help to evolve her cognitive state.
When: From now until September 15
Time: 10 am – 8 pm
Where: Phi Centre, 407 Saint-Pierre
Price:$21.97 – $25.50, available online
Le Lave-Auto
MURAL Fest may be done, but this art installation is here for keeps.
A Montreal car wash has undergone a complete transformation as part of the seventh edition of the street art festival.
World-renowned urban artist Joshua Vides, who is known for making real-life 3D objects appear as simple 2D black and white sketches, applied his signature treatment to a Mercedes-Benz A-Class and Lave-Auto Laurier, 40-year-old car wash at the corner of Saint-Urbain and Laurier.
It’s totally Instagram worthy.
When: Sunday, July 7
Where: 85 Avenue Laurier Ouest
Time: 8 am – 6 pm (until 7 pm on Thursday – Sunday)
Price: Free