This weekend is arguably Montreal’s biggest weekend of the year.
The Canadian Grand Prix is officially underway, the city is buzzing with hundreds of thousands of tourists, and restaurants and bars are showcasing the best they have to offer.
And that’s just one festival! For tourists and Montrealers who aren’t into Grand Prix, or if you need a little break from all the action, there’s a bunch of other things happening in Montreal this weekend.
Buckle up.
Montreal Grand Prix
Montreal Grand Prix/Shutterstock
It’s going to be tough to dodge the Grand Prix this weekend, it’s being celebrated everywhere but is mostly centralized to Parc Jean Drapeau and Crescent and Peel Street.
Montreal is the Canadian Grand Prix’s only stop in Canada and the city responds by putting on four days worth of stunning spectacles.
There’s events, parties, cocktails, and dinners that cost money or you can just peruse the library of gorgeous cars, both old and new, all over Montreal.
When: June 7 – June 10
Time: Varies depending on chosen activity
Where: Rue Peel, Rue Crescent, Gilles Villeneuve Circuit
Price: Prices vary
FrancoFolies
Friday is the first day of FrancoFolies!
FrancoFolies de Montreal is the world’s largest French-speaking music festival. This weekend’s edition will be their 30th overall and will host 50 concerts on seven different venues across the city. You can expect to hear a variety of genres including hip-hop, rock, folk, and electro. The majority of these outdoor shows are also free.
When: June 8 to June 17
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Where: Various venues in Montreal, check website for details
Clerel and Only the Righteous at Honey Martin Pub
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, June 8
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 to enter
Fringe Festival
montrealfringe.ca
Montreal’s Fringe Festival features over 500 artists who will be delivering over 600 live productions across town in June.
This weekend’s festival includes Lucky, Greasy: A Lesbian Love Story, Mid Knight, Sex? But I’m a Comedian! Becoming Magic Mike: An Action Adventure Comedy, Drunk Girl, Find Me, Naked Ugly Dancing, Skipping Ur Mom’s Funeral and Eating Pizza Instead and more!
The shows are a variety of comedy, drama, burlesque, dance and a lot of them involve audience interaction.
The best part – every show is only $10. Times and locations vary, check the website for specific details.
When: June 8 – June 10
Time: Varies according to show
Where: Varies according to show
Price: $10, available at the door or online
Comedy At The Art Loft
Comedy At The 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, except a comedian is speaking into a microphone and making you laugh. Every week features a variety of talented headliners, hosts and local comics. This week’s host is the very funny Quinn McMorrow. 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)
Montreal’s Museum of Fine Arts Beach Party
On Friday, the Museum of Fine Arts launches its 5th annual Chiaroscuro soiree, turning the building into a “beach” party for the night.
Along with the museum’s regular programming of Archaeology & World Cultures, Decorative Arts & Design, and International Contemporary Art, the soiree will also offer an illustration workshop, dance performances and four DJs: Karim Ouellet, Honeydrip, Charles Cozy, and Andrew Pololos.
When: Friday, June 8
Time: 7 pm – midnight
Where: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Price: $12
Village au Pied-du-Courant
Dozens of collaborators and designers have teamed up together to create a man-made beach village under the Jacques Cartier Bridge. The village hosts bar kiosks, restaurant outlets and a performing stage where Montrealers and tourists can fuse their urban love and beach style together.
When: June 1 to September 15
Time: 5 pm – midnight on Fridays, 3 pm – midnight on Saturdays and 3 pm – 11 pm on Sundays
Where: 2100 Rue Notre-Dame Est
Price: Free to enter
Piknic Electronik
@piknicmtl/Instagram
The Ormstown Fair
The Ormstown Expo kicked off its 104th anniversary on Thursday and is primed up for a weekend full of activities. It’s a dandy of a time for city-slickers and country-folk alike.
Hosted on the ancient, Ormstown fairgrounds, the fair is a mixture of carnival rides, barn animals, derbies, tractor pulls, live music, and agriculture awareness.
When: June 7 – 10
Time: Gates open at 8 am, midway rides at 11 am and close at midnight.
Where: 1 McBain Street, Ormstown
Price: $5-$10, dependent on days and age. Passes available online
Montreal Beachclub
Montreal Beachclub is the host of North America’s biggest outdoor club. Located in Pointe-Calumet, an easy 45-minute drive from Montreal, Beachclub can host up to 10,000 guests. The club is beachside and forms an intriguing fuse of the beach and electric dance music.
This weekend’s events are Hip-Hop 101, a mini rap festival and DJ Markus Schulz.
When: June 9 and June 10
Time: Friday: 10 am – 6 pm, Saturdays and Sundays: Noon – 7 pm
Where: 701 Rue 38, Pointe-Calumet
Price: Friday: $12, Saturday and Sunday: $15 (subject to change when special events are held) Prices for DJ events vary, tickets are available online.
Mondial de la bière
Whoa, free beer!? Sort of – the festival is free to enter but the beer samples aren’t. Still, the Mondial de la festival bière boasts an impressive selection of 500 beers from all over the world to check out. The event takes place both inside and outside and has a beautiful beer garden patio.
When: June 8 and June 9
Time: Noon to 11 pm
Where: Palais des congrès de Montréal (201 Viger Street West) and Palais des congrès Esplanade (de la Gauchetiere Street between Cheneville and Cote Street)
Price: online, free to enter. Drink coupons available
EUREKA! Festival
festivaleureka/ Instagram
Eureka! is a three-day long science and technology event that takes place at the Old Port of Montreal. The festival runs this weekend from June 8 to June 10 and features tons of interactive presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and scientist/programmer speeches.
The theme for the festival’s 12th edition is robotics and visitors will be able to discover more about how robotic technology is advancing and how robots are being used to help humans every day.
When: June 8 to June 10
Time: June 8: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, June 9: 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, June 10: 10:30 am to 6 pm
Where: Montreal’s Old Port
Price: Free to enter
A Clockwork Orange in the Park
Cinéma du Parc is showing the Stanley Kubrick 1971 masterpiece at midnight on Friday and Saturday and in the afternoon on Sunday. Cinéma du Parc is a trendy theatre that showcases independent and classic films in a cozy environment for cheap.
When: June 8 – June 10
Time: 11:30 pm on Friday and Saturday and 2:30 pm on Sunday
Where: 3575 Avenue du Parc
Price: $11 for guests under 25, $12.50 for 25+
La Ronde
La Ronde opened for the 2018 season last month and it was a blast. Test your bravery on the Goliath, Le Monstre, Ednör, or Le Demon. Check out this season’s newly expanded Splash area and the new ride, Le Tourbillon. Forget lunch and supper, fill up on popcorn and cotton candy – it’s the weekend, you earned it.
When: Until October 28
Time: 10:30 am – 8 pm
Where: 22 Chemin Macdonald
Price: Available online or at the box office
The Notre Dame Basilica has teamed up with Moment Factory’s Multimedia & Entertainment Studio to light up the historic building in Montreal until the end of the year. The immersive showcase features lights and sounds to showcase one of Montreal’s most oft viewed pieces of architecture.
When: From now until December 29
Time: Varying times between 6 pm, 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm depending on the day
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Adults: $24.50, Seniors: $22.20, Kids:$14.80, Students: $18.75
Montreal’s Mural Festival
melissacolleret/ Instagram
When: June 7 to June 17
Time: 10 am – 7 pm
Where: Boulevard Saint Laurent between Sherbrooke and Mont Royal
Price: Free
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.
The obstacle course features 61 different activities between the Royal Ship and the Pirate Ship. Activities include ziplining, rock climbing, and bouncy castles.
When: From now until October
Time: 10 am – 1o pm
Where: Place des Vestiges, Old Port
Price: online, prices vary depending on selected activities, tickets available
Tam Tams
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
Parc Safari Zoo
Get your animal fix by heading to Parc Safari, an easy 40-minute drive off the island. The park offers an optional Safari Adventure upon entering, you can drive up and see a variety of exotic animals from your car including zebras, ostriches, buffalo, llamas, and camels. Inside the park, take a walk down the Forest Trail where you have an amazing vantage point view of monkeys, cheetahs, hyenas, and bears. Don’t forget the lions, but we didn’t have to tell you that.
When: From now until October 8
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 280 Rang Roxham, Hemmingford
Price: Prices vary depending on age. Tickets available at the entrance or online
Cuisine Gourmande
Cuisine Gourmande is well worth the trip. It’s a quaint, stylish cafe about 25 minutes off the island of Montreal. If you’re in the mood for a country get away this weekend, put Cuisine Gourmande on your radar. The family-run shop makes delicious coffees and espressos and has a large terrace overlooking the quiet countryside. The cafe also caters to families, events and schools and will happily host for you. They also have a delivery truck to come see you if you need a fix. If the Montreal buzz is too much for you this weekend, escape to Cuisine Gourmande for a little getaway.
When: Wednesdays to Sundays
Time: 6 am – 5 pm from Wednesday to Sunday and 8 am – 4 pm on Sunday
Where: 223 Rue Principale, Saint Urbain-Premier
Cuisine Gourmande/Facebook
The Maisonneuve Bike Path
Bike season is in high gear in June. The Maisonneuve bike path runs throughout Montreal and has a gorgeous path from NDG to the East End. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the city as the bike path runs parallel with it all. Get in some weekend exercise and then bike down to the Old Port and completely neutralize it by stopping off at any of their tasty restaurants.
When: The bike path is open year round
Where: Runs parallel with Boulevard Maisonneuve
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: 8 am – 4:30 pm on weekdays, 8 am – 4 pm on Saturdays and 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Village au Pied-du-Courant
Dozens of collaborators and designers have teamed up together to create a man-made beach village under the Jacques Cartier Bridge. The village hosts bar kiosks, restaurant outlets and a performing stage where Montrealers and tourists can fuse their urban love and beach style together.
The village opened last weekend so get a comfy spot quickly!
When: Friday to Sunday
Time: 5 pm – midnight on Fridays, 3 pm – midnight on Saturdays and 3 pm – 11 pm on Sundays
Where: 2100 Rue Notre-Dame Est
Price: Free to enter
Station F-MR
lacroixjulie85/Instagram
The non-profit organization MR-63 unveiled phase one of their architectural project of giving old STM metro cars a second life.
The park is called Station F-MR and it’s really cool. The park is located alongside the Lachine Canal and its bike path. The station has a cafe, food counter, art gallery, community garden, stage, and relaxation area.
The entire Station F-MR is centred around four old STM metro cars from the 1960s.
When: Wednesdays – Sundays
Time: 11 am – 11 pm
Where: Allee fes Barges
Price: Free to enter
Rage: Axe Throwing
Blow off some steam (or prepare for a zombie apocalypse) by tossing some axes. The indoor range has 11 lanes where you can comfortably throw a variety of axes monitored by supervisors and instructors. The facility can host up to 60 people so bring your friends, a lot of them. You get an hour worth of axe throwing so make sure to stretch beforehand!
When: Rage: Axe Throwing is open year round
Time: 10am – 11:30pm
Where: 1436 Rue Amherst
Price: $40-$55 per target, per hour. Tickets available online.
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
Free Biosphere
In celebration of Environment Week, the Biosphere is offering free admission to everybody. The Biosphere has a bunch of interactive exhibitions which are aimed at increasing the understanding of major environmental issues related to air, water, biodiversity, climate change, and sustainable development. Definitely worthy of checking out.
When: Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 0
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 160 Chemin Tour-de-l’Isle
Price: Free
Thirty Seconds to Mars
Tickets are still available to the American rock band who’s coming to Laval on Friday at the Place Bell. Check out the Leto brothers, Jared and Shannon and lead guitarist Tomo Miličević. Anyone who goes to the show receives a free copy of Thirty Seconds to Mars’ new album, “America.”
When: Friday, June 8
Time: Doors 5 pm, show starts at 6 pm
Where: 1950 Claude-Gagné, Laval – Place Bell
Price: $68.50 – $121.50, available online
Amaze Escape Room
Image: SmartyPantz Escape Room
You already escaped the work week – now 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.
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