26 things to do in Montreal this weekend: October 12 to 14

This weekend may not have the feasts and the holiday Monday that last weekend did, but it felt like it got to us quicker, which is a plus. Besides, all that really matters is that it’s here.

With Halloween fast approaching, there’s some scary stuff to check out as well as plenty of music and activities from October 12 to 14 in our beautiful city. Get out there, Montreal!

Friday, October 12

Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience

Game of Thrones is a lot of things, groundbreaking, dramatic, addictive, and nobody can deny that the music is epic. On Friday, you’ll get the chance to experience Westeros live with a Game of Thrones concert.

Using state-of-the-art technology, Game of Thrones composer Ramin Djawadi will take fans on a musical journey through the realm – all the way from King’s Landing to Winterfell and beyond.

The famed composer leads an orchestra and choir performing music from all seven seasons of the iconic, Emmy Award-winning HBO series.

When: Friday, October 12
Time: 8 pm
Where: Bell Centre, 1909 avenue des Canadiens-de-Montreal
Price: $58.50 – $150.25, available online

Festival de Nouveau Cinema

The festival presents daring, one-of-a-kind films from here and abroad, ensuring their success as well as introducing audiences to auteur filmmakers.

Past guests include Atom Egoyan, Marc-André Forcier, Souleymane Cissé, Zacharias Kunuk, Denis Villeneuve, Guy Maddin, Léa Pool, Jim Jarmusch, Jane Campion, Alfonso Cuaron, Wong Kar-wai, Wim Wenders, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Raymond Depardon.

When: October 3 – 14
Time: Varies per selection
Where: Various locations per selection
Price: $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors, $8 children

Pumpkinferno

Pumpkinferno (besides having a great name) showcases over 7,000 handcrafted pumpkins which are lit up at night along a one-kilometre path set against a 19th-century backdrop. Some are individual pumpkins and some are fused together to make some outstanding art.

When: From now until October 14 (then the 18 – 21 and 25 – 28)
Time: 7 pm – 10 pm
Where: Upper Canada  Village – County Road 2
Price: $12 – $16

MAPP_MTL Map Festival

Gardens of Light

September brought the magical Gardens of Light Festival back and October brings the beauty.

The lantern festival includes a lighted path through the Botanical Garden’s three cultural gardens, the Chinese, Japanese and First Nations Gardens, all looking at nature from a different perspective.

When: Every day in October
Time: 6 pm – 9 pm (until 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays)
Where: Montreal’s Botanical Gardens
Price: $10.25 – $20.50

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, October 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 to enter

Haunted Red Light Ghost Walk

Local tour company, Secret Montreal, is giving guests a chance to learn about the city’s indecent past.

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.

When: Friday, October 12
Time: 8:30 pm – 10 pm
Where: 1219 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $26.50, available 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.

This week’s headliner is François Touz and the show is hosted by the very funny Quinn McMorrow, along with featured acts Collin Sideris, LC Gherkins, Romanelli Perso, Melanie Dahling, John St. Godard, Vandad Kardar and Amish Patel.

There will be a DJ and snacks. BYOB and 420 friendly. Very 420 friendly.

When: Friday, October 12
Time: Doors open at 9 pm, show starts at 10:30 pm
Where: 4152 Boulevard Saint Laurent
Price: $10 at the door (cash only)

Vernissage: The Nature of Art Therapy

The Nature of Art Therapy exhibition explores the healing powers of art and nature as art therapists, artists and practitioners submit and study artwork created from natural materials.

When: Friday, October 12
Time: 6 pm – 8 pm
Where: La Ruche d’Art St-Henri
Price: Free

Saturday, October 13

La Ronde’s Fright Fest

As if La Ronde’s wild rides aren’t scary enough, they’ve added some ghouls, zombies and witches to the park this month to give thrill-seekers some added jolts at Quebec’s biggest amusement park.

Fright Fest returns for select days in October, it’s a spooky time as costumed monsters take over the park at night.

The park will offer a wide variety of places to get your scare on including new haunted houses, scare zones, frightening mazes and themed rides.

When: October 13 and 14 (then the 20,21, 27 and 28)
Time: 11 am – 10 pm
Where: La Ronde – 22 Chemin Macdonald
Price: TBA

L’Off Jazz

The 19th edition of L’Off Jazz presents over 22 events taking place in 10 of the city’s most renowned venues.

The program offers a variety of seasoned jazz veterans, as well as the young, local jazz musicians from the Montreal scene.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: Varies per selected show
Where: Varies per selected show
Price: $99 for an all-access pass, varies per individual show

Light the Night Walk

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada’s Light The Night Walk at Parc Jean-Drapeau gathers thousands of walkers of all ages carrying illuminated lanterns to raise money for blood cancer research.

White lanterns represent blood cancer, red lanterns represent sympathizers and gold lanterns are carried in honour of the memory of a loved one.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 5 pm – 9:30 pm
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price: Free

Haunted Mountain

Haunted Montreal conducts Ghost Walks and carries out research into ghost sightings, paranormal activities, historic hauntings, unexplained mysteries, and strange legends from Mont Royal.

Join a tour conducted by professional actors and storytellers and learn about the mountain’s frightening past.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 8:30 pm
Where: Fletcher’s Field – Jeanne Mance Park
Price: $23

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, hyenas, and bears. Don’t forget the lions, but we didn’t have to tell you that.

When: Weekends in October
Time: 10 am – 5 pm
Where: 280 Rang Roxham, Hemmingford
Price: Prices vary depending on age. Tickets available at the entrance or online

Years & Years Concert

Years & Years is a British synth-pop band, founded in London. The band consists of Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy and Emre Türkmen. Their music has been described as electropop, mixing R&B and 1990s house elements.

Years & Years is performing tonight at the MTELUS Theatre as part of their The Palo Santo Tour.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 8 pm – 11 pm
Where: MTELUS Theatre
Price: $35.75, available online

Marché des Éclusiers du Vieux-Port

Set up by the water in the Old Port, the mission of Marché des Éclusiers (Farmers’ Market) is simple: showcase Quebec products. There is no middleman. The quaint market gives producers the chance to sell their organic products directly to the public.

Though offerings at the market are seasonal, you’ll typically be able to find vegetables, bread, pastries, organic juices, breakfast, beef, pork, sauces, and cheese – all locally made.

Saturday is the farmers’ market’s last day until it closes up shop for the winter.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 9 am – 2 pm
Where: 400 Rue de la Commune Ouest
Price: Free admission

MGCIL Quidditch 

Saturday’s Quidditch tournament is as close to you might ever get to becoming a wizard.

Hosted at Jeanne-Mance Parc, a BYOB event (bring your own broom) will see a variety of teams (7 to 9 people) face off in a hge Quidditch tournament with rules based on the same as the Harry Potter books, except the brooms won’t be flying, sadly.

It’s free to play and teams can register online and free agents can hop onto a spot here.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 2 pm – 6 pm
Where: Parc Jeanne-Mance
Price: Free

REWIND: Halloween 80s Dance Party

Bar La Shop is hosting an 80s Halloween Dance Party featuring new wave, synthwave, post-punk, britpop, alternative and electronica music from the 1980s all the way up to the 2000s.

Expect to hear tunes from The Cure, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Indochine, Duran Duran, David Bowie, Prince, Placebo, Fad Gadget, Blondie, Bjork, Billy Idol, The Vapors and so much more.

Guests who arrive before midnight are eligible to participate in the costume content for a chance to win prizes.

When: Saturday, October 13
Time: 9 pm – 3 am
Where: Bar La Shop, 4177 rue Saint-Denis
Price: $10 at the door

Sunday, October 14

Tonga Lumina

Mont-Tremblant trail will be illuminated with light projections and mythical storytelling as giant-seekers must trek through a 1.5 km nocturnal hike to find the slumbering giant.

The adventure starts at the base of Mont-Tremblant. The chairlift transports its investigators to the “Twilight Portal” where a colourful lit path weaves its way through the woods to a series of mysterious checkpoints in pursuit of the giant.

Sunday is the last day to hunt for giants of the 2018 campaign, you’d best get searching before the giant hibernates for the winter.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Departures at 9 pm, 10 pm and 10:30 pm
Where: Mont Tremblant
Price: $11.99 – $27.99, kids under 5 get in for free

The MTL Grand Open Round 6

The sixth round (of 10) features nine of Montreal’s funniest comedians battling out for their chance to win a $1000 grand prize.

Grand… prize… get it?

Round 6 includes an impressive slate of comedians: Amanda McQueen, Alex Handy, Al Babcock, Jacob Meza, Lexa Graham, Glenn Frappier, Collin Sideris, Kayla de Leon-Casalla
and Erica Taddeo

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Doors at 7:30 pm, show at 8 pm
Where: Mckibbin’s Irish Pub – 1426 Bishop Street
Price: $5

Café Suspendu

Café Suspendu is a one-of-a-kind cafe that dangles off Mont Royal overlooking the entire city. The cafe hosts live music, events and yoga sessions every weekend. (Coffees, teas and food available for purchase).

If the weather holds up on Sunday, it could be the perfect spot to relax.

When: Every day until October 31
Time: 12 pm – 9 pm (10 am on Saturdays, closed Monday-Thursday)
Where: Mont Royal

Festival de Nouveau Cinema

The Festival presents daring, one-of-a-kind films from here and abroad, ensuring their success as well as introducing audiences to auteur filmmakers.

Past guests include Atom Egoyan, Marc-André Forcier, Souleymane Cissé, Zacharias Kunuk, Denis Villeneuve, Guy Maddin, Léa Pool, Jim Jarmusch, Jane Campion, Alfonso Cuaron, Wong Kar-wai, Wim Wenders, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Raymond Depardon.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: Varies per selection
Where: Various locations per selection
Price: $12 general admission, $10 students and seniors, $8 children

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: Sunday, October 14
Time: 12:30 pm – 4 pm on Sundays (mass starts at 11 am)
Where: 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest
Price: Free

5K Cosplay

Pull out your Halloween costume early and take it for a 5 km jog, run or walk around the iconic Parc La Fontaine (especially if you’re dressing as The Flash). Cash prizes and medals can be won for 1st place, 2nd place and 3rd place finished from the 1km, 2 km, 5 km and 10 km course.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: 10 am – 1 pm
Where: Parc La Fontaine
Price: Varies per age, visit their website for details

Paul’s Annual Pumpkin Giveaway

This is exactly what it sounds like. For the third year in a row, local real estate agent, Paul, is giving away free pumpkins to thank the community he works for.

There will also be free pony rides, face painting, music and guests are urged to being non-perishable food items to support the West Island Food Bank.

When: Sunday, October 14
Time: 10 am – 2 pm
Where: 330 Beaurepaire, Beaconsfield, West Island
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), before the cold weather hits you. 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 zip lining, rock climbing, and bouncy castles.

When: From now until October 26
Time: 10 am – 6 pm
Where: Place des Vestiges, Old Port
Price: Online Prices vary depending on selected activities, tickets

See also

• Fox show host tells Canadian K-Pop singer he has ‘awesome’ English
• The biggest Rocky Horror Picture Show event in North America returns to Montreal next month
• Local group wants to bring a new NBA team to Montreal
• Mumford & Sons' new world tour will stop in Montreal this spring