22 things to do in Montreal this weekend: March 15 to 17
As most of the city awaits the giant St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, the lead up to the city-wide bash is equally fun. From comedy, to music and food, here are 22 things to check out this weekend, March 15 to 17.
See also
- Your ultimate guide to 2019's St. Patrick's Day Sunday in Montreal
- This Quebec business is Photoshopping hilarious images over a giant pothole (PHOTOS)
- A new bike and scooter sharing service is coming to Montreal this summer
- Montreal ranked 4th best city in North America for quality of living
Friday, March 15
Matthew Good – Solo Acoustic
Evenko
Matthew Good is a Canadian musician and writer. He was the lead singer and songwriter for the Matthew Good Band, one of the most successful alternative rock bands in Canada during the 1990s and early 2000s.
He’s bringing his solo acoustic act to Théâtre Corona on Friday night.
When: Friday, March 15
Time: 7 pm – 11 pm
Where: Théâtre Corona, 2490 Notre-Dame Ouest
Price: $43.75 – $67.50, available online
Derek Seguin – Comedy Nest
Derek Seguin is a Montreal comic who’s an absolute gem.
He performed at last year’s Just For Laughs festival, is a regular on CBC’s The Debaters and is a winner of SiriusXM’s “Top Comic.”
Always funny (and sometimes a little dirty), Seguin brings his Quebec heritage to the stage with a unique and hilarious outlook on his everyday life.
He’ll be joined by Montreal comedians, Mike Paterson, Rodney Ramsey and David Acer throughout the weekend.
When: March 15 and 16
Time: 8 pm and 10 pm
Where: Comedy Nest, 2313 Ste. Catherine
Price: $12 general admission, $6 students, available online
Student Performing Arts Festival
The Student Performing Arts Festival (SPAF) is a showcase of the finest performance works created solely by undergraduate students in the Montreal community.
When: Friday, March 15
Time: 6 pm – 10 pm
Where: Theatre Sainte Catherine Café-Bar, 264 rue Ste. Catherine Est
Price: $11.89, available online
Comedy at the Art Loft
Comedy at the Art Loft/Facebook
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 is usually packed with people. It feels like a college part, except a comedian is slinging jokes into a microphone.
This week’s show is hosted by Quinn McMorrow and headlined by the very funny He Fangzhou.
Rounding out the setlist are: Kevin Shustack, Kara Parham, Arl Brunet, Peter Saran
Mitch Muirhead and Jmj Elie.
The venue features a DJ and snacks. BYOB and it’s 420 friendly. Very 420 friendly.
When: Friday, March 15
Time: Doors open at 9 pm, show starts at 10:30 pm
Where: 4152 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $10 at the door (cash only)
Punch Club MTL
The 93rd edition of Punch Club MTL returns with a slew of French improv comedians duking it out on stage in a series of hilarious sketches, competitions and audience-suggested scenarios.
When: Friday, March 15
Time: 9 pm – 11:55 pm
Where: La Sala Rossa, 4848 boulevard Saint-Laurent
Price: $15 (student), $20 (general), available online
The Horrifically Real Virtuality at Centre Phi
A collective immersive experience combining virtual reality, cinema and interactivity by filmmaker Ed Wood.
The event allows viewers to watch the film in a virtual environment while interacting physically and in real time with characters and material objects.
When: Friday, March 15
Time: 10:30 am – 8 pm
Where: Phi Centre, 407, rue Saint-Pierre
Price: $46 – $55, available online
Saturday, March 16
The Montreal Canadiens vs Chicago Blackhawks
Montreal Canadiens / Twitter
Fresh off a big home-win against the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Canadiens return home after a quick trip in New York to host the Chicago Blackhawks.
With the playoffs inching closer, Carey Price and Shea Weber need to eek out a win at the Bell Centre on Saturday.
When: Saturday, March 16
Time: 7 pm
Where:Bell Centre, 1909 avenue des Canadiens de Montreal
Price: Varies per date and seat selection, available online
James Bay Concert
James Michael Bay is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. In 2014, he released his single “Hold Back the River,” which has been certified platinum, before releasing his debut studio album Chaos and the Calm. The album went to number one in the UK and number 15 in the US.
He’ll be rocking out Place des Arts on Saturday.
When: Saturday, March 16
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where: Place des Arts, 175 rue Ste. Catherine
Price:$48, available online
Montreal Botanical Garden – Butterflies Go Free
Montreal Botanical Garden (alice.tsybenko/Instagram)
It may not all be butterflies and rainbows in Montreal right now, but(terfly) it will be soon.
The Montreal Botanical Garden’s annual “Butterflies Go Free” exhibit has returned for another year.
The 22nd edition of the butterfly festival features “thousands of multicoloured butterflies who will be flitting about in an exceptionally lush natural setting,” as per the Montreal Botanical Garden.
Get a chance to see butterfly’s shimmering colours up close in a humid, tropical oasis, not to mention ample gorgeous photo opportunities.
When: Saturday, March 16
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Where: Montreal Botanical Garden, 4101 rue Sherbrooke Est
Price: $10.25 – $20.50, available onlin
POP Yoga Neige
Downward dog-sled, anyone?
Montreal-based fitness company POP Spirit is hosting a series of outdoor snow yoga sessions this month.
Aptly titled POP Yoga Neige, classes will take place every Saturday and Sunday from now until 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: March 16 and 17
Time: 1 pm on Saturdays, 10:30 am on Sundays
Where: Parc La Fontaine and Parcours Gouin
Price: Free
Art Souterrain
artsouterrain/ Instagram
An underground art festival has buried itself below the ground of Montreal.
But not “underground” like a resistance group versus an existing regime — actually underground: below the surface.
The 11th edition of Art Souterrain returned to the city at the beginning of the month, highlighting exhibitions by local and international artists and mediation activities will be available to be discovered along a six-kilometre underground route.
When: From now until March 24
Time: Various times
Where: Various locations around the city, visit the website for specific details
Price: Free
Pente à Neige
Pente à Neige/Facebook
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: Saturday, March 16
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Parc Ignace-Bourget
Price: Free admission
Hershey Canadian Indoor T&F Championships
The official Indoor National Championships for U16, U18 and U20 Track and Field Athletes makes its way to the Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard on Saturday and Sunday.
When: March 16 and 17
Time: 9 am – 5 pm
Where: Complexe Sportif Claude-Robillard
Price: Free
iSaute Kirkland
ISaute/Facebook
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, March 16
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
All Them Witches Concert
All Them Witches is an American rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. The band consists of drummer Robby Staebler, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Charles Michael Parks Jr., and guitarist Ben McLeod.
The Withces will be rocking out L’Astral on Saturday.
When: Saturday, March 16
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where: L’Astral, 305, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest
Price: $25 – $28, available online
Bleu, Blanc et Bouge
chcfondation/Instagram
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 a simple registration is required to access the rinks.
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
Time: Varies per rink
Where: Various locations around Montreal
Price: Free
Sunday, March 17
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
monique_major/Instagram
After a one year hiatus, Montreal’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is returning to its rightful route on Ste. Catherine Street this year.
The annual parade will be back on Ste. Cat’s after it as forced to move to Boulevard de Maisonneuve in 2018 because of construction.
The giant outdoor bash, the 196th edition, is an excuse to party outside among thousands of other people.
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: 12 pm
Where: Rue Fort and Ste. Catherine until rue Metcalfe and Ste. Catherine
Price: Free
Volcanoes 3D – IMAX
The Montreal Science Centre invites guests to a “very hot immersive experience” as Volcanoes 3D takes over the IMAX screen for the sixth weekend, taking patrons where few humans dare to venture: into the heart of a volcano.
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: Various times
Where: 2 de la Commune Ouest
Price: $10.50 – $12, available online
Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl
jhof8888/Instagram
If you thought Montreal’s weather this winter was scary, you’ve got another thing coming.
After doing studies in Savannah, Georgia (dubbed “America’s most haunted city”), the paranormal research crew has jumped over to Montreal for the first-ever Haunted Pub Crawl in the city.
Led by a professional ghost storyteller, the Haunted Montreal Pub Crawl will visit four of the city’s most haunted bars, because mixing ghosts and booze is the only smart way to deal with the paranormal. The tour will start at Charlie’s American Pub on Bishop Street before heading to the recently-burned down John Doe Pub, the historic McKibbin’s Irish Pub, the mysterious Sir Winston Churchill Pub, the frequently-visited (not just by the living) Club Le Cinq and, of course, Hurley’s Irish Pub, where a ghost known as the “Burning Lady” is said to still lurk on the grounds.
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: 3 pm for English, 4 pm for French
Where: The tour starts at Charlie’s American Pub, 1204 Bishop
Price: $20.87, available online
Flogging Molly Tribute Show
The band “Seven bags of Bricks” is playing a tribute show to the popular band, Flogging Molly, in honour of St. Paddy’s Day.
If you want to keep the Irish party going after the parade, head over to the storied Foufounes Electriques.
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: 2 pm – 12 am
Where: Foufounes Electriques, 87 Rue Sainte-Catherine Est
Price: Free admission
Barbie Expo
joshuajacobs81/instagram
The world’s largest permanent exhibit of Barbies is happening at Montreal’s Cours Mont-Royal. The upscale mall hosts over 1,000 entertainment industry Barbie dolls, all dressed by leading fashion houses.
Plus, it’s free to attend and it’s oozing with photo opps.
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: 10 am – 7 pm
Where: Cours Mont-Royal, 1445 Rue Peel
Price: Free
Putting Edge Mini-Putt
Putting Edge/Facebook
Sneak away from the herds of people and play some mini-putt (where you’re allowed drinking).
Putting Edge is an indoor mini-putt course that’s all glow in the dark. Every hole has Canadian-based trivia questions plus the venue has an arcade and alcohol. Need we say more?
When: Sunday, March 17
Time: 10 am – 1 am
Where: 1259 rue Guy
Price: $11.99
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