Mid-month action: 17 awesome things to do in Montreal this weekend
This is it, Montreal, the last official weekend of the summer.
Somehow, we’ve already reached the halfway point of September as days continue to zoom by.
As October starts to inch closer and closer, here are 16 sweet things to do in Montreal all weekend.
Art Tattoo Show
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If youâre looking to add some more ink to your body, or you just appreciate the art, the biggest tattoo festival in Montreal is on its way back to the city for its 20th edition this weekend.
The convention promotes tattooing and brings in over 150 artists from all over the world in to celebrate the art and its surrounding community.
When: September 16 to 18
Time: 6 pm
Where: Gare Windsor â 1160 Avenue des Canadiens de Montreal
Price: Starting at $25
Tom Segura
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The very funny Tom Segura is touching down in Montreal this weekend as part of his “I’m Coming Everywhere” world tour. The comic/actor/podcaster is one of the biggest names in the comedy business. He recently performed to sold-out audiences in over 100 cities across North America.
If you’re a fan, you might want to act quickly. Tickets are hot.
When: Saturday, September 18
Time: 8 pm
Where: Le Théùtre St-Denis
Price: Various prices, available online
Concerts Candlelight
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Iconic music, full-band concerts, flickering candlelight, and historic Montreal churches â what else could you want?
Appropriately named Candlelight Concerts, the magical musical events take place in over 85 cities worldwide at more than 1,000 timeless venues, including historic churches here in Montreal.
This month, the concert will be highlighting covers from trending artists like Adele, Coldplay, Queen, and ABBA along with iconic classics by Tchaikovsky and Beethoven â all of which kick off this weekend.
When: September 15 to November 5
Time: Various dates
Where: Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, l’Ăglise Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs, CathĂ©drale Christ Church, and l’Ăglise St-Jean-Baptiste
Price: $30 – $40, available online
PVM’s “The Ring”
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Downtown Montreal’s debated “The Ring” installation has reached its final form.
The giant 100-foot-high, 50,000-pound portal to another dimension stainless steel ring will now be permanently lit at Place Ville Marie.
And look, say what you want about it but it’s definitely a photo op, for better or worse.
When:Â Year round
Time:Â 24/7, illuminates at nightfall
Where:Â Place Ville Marie
Price:Â Free
All Day I Dream
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The “All Day I Dream” outdoor pop-up party is coming to Parc Jean-Drapeau this weekend.
The “All Day I Dream” (ADID) founder global house music icon Lee Burridge will be joined by Tim Green, Lost Desert, and Double Touch as this year’s ADID World Tour nearly draws to a close in Montreal.
In an email shared with Daily Hive, ADID says it “remains one of the strongest forces in modern dance music at present, pioneering its own niche of ‘organic house’ meant to inspire and connect communities on the dance floor.”
When:Â Saturday, September 17
Time:Â 4 pm
Where:Â Parc Jean-Drapeau
Price:Â $21.74, available online
Negroni Week 2022 — Montreal
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Thirsty?
If you find it hard to resist the iconic Italian cocktail that is the Negroni, itâs about to be a boozy week for you because Negroni Week is fast approaching.
The event has been going on in Montreal all week and sums up on Sunday if you want to get your classy drink on. There are 35 different drinkeries and restaurants across the island taking part and you can see them all right here.
When: From now until September 18
Where: Participating venues around Montreal
Citrouilleville
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If you want to get in the autumn spirit, there’s a giant pumpkin village just outside Montreal that might need to make it onto your must-do radar.
Citrouilleville in Saint-Zotique is a village devoted to everything pumpkin. It has entire houses made of pumpkins, a corn maze labyrinth, fall-themed photo booths, tractor rides, and pumpkin picking. Plus, the whole site lights up at night, meaning primetime photo ops.
When:Â Weekends until October 31
Hours: Saturday, 9:30 am to 8:30 am; Sunday, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Address: 560 avenue 69, Saint-Zotique
Price: $13 to $17, free for children under two
Sentier des cimes
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The term âgoing up northâ has taken on a literal meaning.
Canada’s first-ever “Treetop Walk” has taken over the Laurentians, giving guests a 40-metre wooden spiral staircase climb that offers breathtaking views of the northern mountain range and nearby landmarks, such as Mont-Tremblant.
The highest point of the tower hike â officially called the Sentier des cimes â is equivalent to that of a 12-storey building.
When: Year-round
Time: 9:30 am to 7 pm
Where: 737 Rue de la Pisciculture, Saint-Faustin-Lac-Carré
Price: $19 to $29
World Press Photo Montreal Exhibition
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Some of the most electrifying and thought-provoking photos from across the news world will be on display in Old Montreal for over two months.
The 15th edition of the flagship of Montreal’s fall cultural calendar, the World Press Photo Montreal Exhibition, is returning to the Bonsecours Market after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
Over 55,000 people are expected to attend the large-scale international exhibition over the next 60+ days. The exhibit has been organized since 1955 by the World Press Photo Foundation, based in the Netherlands.
When:Â Until October 2
Time:Â Sundays to Wednesdays, 10 am to 10 pm; Thursdays to Saturdays, 10 am to midnight
Where:Â Bonsecours Market â 325 rue de la Commune
Price:Â $15, available on-site (no cash accepted)
Gardens of Light
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Gardens of Light has returned to Montreal, along with all three cultural gardens of the Botanical Garden with light and magic for the ultimate fall spectacle.
The Chinese Garden is displaying its iconic lanterns, the First Nations Garden features a multimedia experience highlighting the Sacred Tree, and the Japanese Garden has a breathtaking illuminated path.
If it’s fall in Montreal, this is an absolute must-see.
When:Â Until October 31
Time: 9 am to 10 pm
Where:Â Botanical Garden
Price: $17 to $21
AURAÂ
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The timeless Notre-Dame Basilica will host another wave of its breathtaking immersive light show, AURA, a sight you really don’t want to miss out on.
Itâs seriously breathtaking.
When: Until November
Time:Â 9 am to 4:30 pm
Where: Notre-Dame Basilica â 110 Notre-Dame Street Ouest
Price: Ranges from $21 to $32, available online
Tonga Lumina
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The historic Mont-Tremblant has once again been transformed into a searching ground for giants.
The renowned ski mountain is hosting an enchanted, illuminated hiking trail where participants can embark on a quest to find the last sleeping giant on earth.
The adventure is produced by Moment Factory, the company known for its illuminations of the Jacques-Cartier bridge and the aforementioned AURA.
The hunt, known as Tonga Lumina, is a 1.5 km night walk and sensory experience that takes place on a stone-dusted, illuminated pathway in the heart of nature.
When:Â Until October 15
Time: 5 to 10 pm
Where: 1000 Chemin des Voyageurs, Mont-Tremblant
Price: $13 to $29, available online and on-site
Mosaïcultures Québec 2022
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If there’s one excursion to add to this summer’s must-do list, Quebec City’s animal kingdom garden might be the king of the jungle.
From now until October, the MosaĂŻcultures QuĂ©bec 2022 at Parc Bois-de-Coulonge in Quebec City is showcasing a dazzling display of more than six million plants and flowers that pay tribute to the “life that vibrates on our planet.”
The summer-long exhibit is marketed as a “hymn to the Earth,” and features works that are “a pleasure for the eyes but also a reminder of the fragility of life.”
When: Until October 10
Time: 10 am to sundown
Where: Parc Bois-de-Coulonge â 1215 Grande AllĂ©e O
Price:Â $12.50 to $60, available online
Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe
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In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art is presenting Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe, a new exhibit from acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
The exhibition will introduce visitors to the âspiritual and philosophical depth of the artistâs work,â says the PHI museum, including two striking âinfinity mirrored rooms.â
Both mirrored rooms will be filled with hanging light globes that alternate colours before going dark. âThe viewer is absorbed into darkness for a moment before the glowing spheres slowly flicker back on, initiating again a cycle akin to life and rebirth,â says PHI.
When: Until January 15
Time: Wednesday to Friday, noon to 7 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Where:Â PHI Centre
Price: Free, reservations required
Frida Kahlo â The Life of An Icon
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Montreal has been graced with the life of Frida Kahlo in the form of an immersive and inspiring art exhibit.
The Life of An Icon offers seven different transformational spaces with VR experiences, holographic videos, and 360° projections.
The exhibition presents an arrangement of archival photos, original films, digital environments, art installations, and collectibles to music that aims to âreproduce the most relevant moments of [the artistâs] life,â says the website, offering visitors to discover the incredible story of Frida Kahlo.
When: September 10 to 30 (closed September 12, 19, 26)
Time: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm; Friday and Saturday, 10 am to 9 pm; Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm
Where: Arsenal Contemporary Art â 2020 William Street
Price: $27.58 to $40.23, available online
UplÄ
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You can take your family adventures to new heights this weekend, thanks to North Americaâs biggest trampoline park which just opened outside of Montreal.
UplÄ is a labyrinth of 20-foot-high suspension bridges and trampolines that connect to a network of unique and colourful treehouses, all of which are suspended in the air at the foot of Mont-Saint-Grégoire.
Whatâs wild about UplĂ„ is that the park is open year-round, rain, shine, or snow. Weâll have to wait a few months to see what North Americaâs biggest trampoline park looks like covered in snow.
The park recommends soon-to-be trampoliners to book online to guarantee a spot.
When: Year-round
Time: 8 am to 6:30 pm
Where: 45 Chemin du Sous-Bois, Mont-Saint-Grégoire
Price: $20 to $30
VAN GOGH â Distorsion
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Have you wondered what it would be like to walk through a masterpiece?
The wonderfully colourful world of Vincent Van Gogh has been brought to life at OASIS, and visitors can walk freely through animated renderings of classic works like Almond Blossoms, Starry Night, and many more.
When: Every day in September except Mondays and Tuesdays
Time:Â 9 am to 9:40 pm
Where:Â OASIS immersion, 301 Saint-Antoine
Price:Â $24 to $32, available online