Say hello to September with a long weekend full of Montreal events.
That sounds dandy, eh?
From a country fair to food, tunes, and giant puppets, Montreal is bustling with plenty of things to do this long weekend.
Expo Brome Fair
Could there be a more perfect weekend to sneak away from the hustle and bustle of Montreal to check out a country fair?
But not just any country fair, the largest rural agricultural expo in all of Quebec.
Launched in 1856, Brome Fair is an annual agricultural fair that has cattle, horses, goat, sheep, and poultry competitions, traditional handcrafted and horticulture exhibits, on-site vendors, amusement park rides, animal pulls, carnival games, a parade, and a demolition derby.
Oh, and of course, cotton candy — what else could you want?
When: September 1 to 5
Time: Friday, 8 am to 8 pm; Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm; Sunday, 9 am to 8 pm; Monday, 9 am to 3 pm
Where: 345 Chem. Stagecoach, Brome (Brome County Agricultural Society)
Price: $15-$20
First Fridays
Les Premiers Vendredis (First Fridays) has been taking place every summer since 2012, although in a limited capacity during the pandemic. This time around, however, the summer-long street food party will return to its former glory.
With more than 50 food trucks and restaurateurs, the festival says it is the largest gathering of its kind from coast-to-coast.
This weekend’s edition will be highlighting Vietnamese food and takes place at the timeless Olympic Park.
When: Friday, September 2nd
Time: 4 – 11 p.m
Where: Olympic Park
Price: Free admittance
Gardens of Light
Gardens of Light is returning to Montreal this weekend, sitting all three cultural gardens of the Botanical Garden with light and magic for the ultimate fall spectacle.
The Chinese Garden will be displaying its iconic lanterns, the First Nations Garden will feature a multimedia experience highlighting the Sacred Tree, and the Japanese Garden will have a breathtaking illuminated path.
An absolute must see.
When: September 2 to October 31
Where: Botanical Garden
Price: $17 to $21
STEVE-O Bucket List Tour
Jackass star Steve-O is in Montreal this weekend as part of his Bucket List Tour, where he performs insane and ridiculous stunts, not for the faint of heart.
When: Saturday, September 3rd
Time: 7 p.m
Where: L’Olympia
Price: Starting at $62, available online
Fatboy Slim au Parc Jean-Drapeau
Norman Quentin Cook, also known by his stage name Fatboy Slim, is an English musician, DJ, and record producer who will be spinning beats at Parc Jean-Drapeau this weekend.
When: Saturday, September 3rd
Time: 4 – 1o pm
Where: Parc Jean Drapeau
Price: $44, available online
AURA
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.
It’s seriously breathtaking.
When: Every day in September
Time: Various
Where: Notre-Dame Basilica — 110 Notre-Dame Street East
Price: Ranges from $21 to $32, available online
Tonga Lumina
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: Every day until October 15
Time: Various departures
Where: 1000 Chemin des Voyageurs, Mont Tremblant
Price: $13 to $29, available online and on site
La Marche Creole
Fifteen food stands are touching down at the Old Port this weekend, highlighting the flavors and sounds of Martinique.
During the two-day fest, chefs from the French Caribbean island will be serving up authentic Creole dishes and hosting workshops.
There’s also a domino tournament, a tropical bouquet competition, live music, dance demonstrations, live painting, a mixologist competition, and sugarcane cocktails.
When: Sep 3 & 4
Time: 12 – 9 p.m
Where: Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal
Price: Free admittance
Festival Marionnettes Plein la Rue
Giant puppets are taking over Verdun this weekend.
And for two weekends after that.
The 11th edition of the Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue celebrates marionettes, street theatre, magic shows, stop motion animation, and human-sized puppets.
When: Fridays and Saturdays until September 10
time: 10 am to 7:30 pm
Where: Boardwalk Wellington
Price: Free
Village des Ecluses
If you want to spend the rest of the summer by a beach but don’t feel like making a long trek out of Montreal, Village des Écluses has got you covered.
Located on the picturesque Lac St-Louis on the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, the beach resort offers sand between your toes, paddleboarding, kayaking, and surfing — all an easy 40-minute drive from Montreal.
Nicki Minaj said it herself, “let’s go to the beach-each, let’s go get a wave.”
When: Every day until mid-September
Time: Thursday to Sunday, 9 am to 11 pm; Monday to Wednesday, 9 am to 5 pm
Where: 2 Chem. du Canal, Pointe-des-Cascades
Price: Free admittance
Sunflower field
How about a little sunflower power this weekend? A spectacular flower field is ripe for the picking.
La Belle de Coteau-du-Lac will host its annual prized sunflower fields. “Sunflowers are the queen flowers of photoshoots,” says the farm in French. “Our flowering sunflowers are the ideal place to come and strike a solo pose, with baby, children, friends, loved ones, and even your four-legged friend — in a multitude of varieties of vibrant sunflowers.”
The sunflower field will host a vast plot of thousands of flowers, in 60 different varieties including yellow, red, orange, and creamy white colours.
The farm also has a food court with several picnic tables, benches, and seats in the shade and also offers professional photographers (for a price) if you’re looking for a top-of-the-line shoot.
When: Sep 2 – 5
Time: 11 am to 6 pm
Where: La Belle de Coteau du Lac, (75 Coteau du Lac, QC-201)
Price: $6 to $25, depending on bouquet size
Mosaïcultures Quebec 2022
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 Mosaïcultures Québec 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: From now until October 10
Time: 10 am to sundown
Where: Parc Bois-de-Coulonge – 1215 Grande Allée O
Price: $12.50 to $60, available online
Dancing Lights That Flew up to the Universe
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 “spiritual and philosophical depth of the artist’s work,” says the PHI museum, including two striking “infinity mirrored rooms.”
Both mirrored rooms will be filled with hanging light globes that alternate colors before going dark. “The 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,” says PHI.
When: From now until January 15
time: Wednesday to Friday, noon to 7 pm; Saturday to Sunday, 11 am to 6 pm
Where: PHI Centre
Price: Free, reservation required
Frida Kahlo – The Life of An Icon
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 “reproduce the most relevant moments of [the artist’s] life,” says the website, offering visitors to discover the incredible story of Frida Kahlo.
When: September 1 – 7, 10 – 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 – 2020 William Street
Price: $27.58 to $40.23, available online
Upla
You can take your family adventures to new heights this weekend, thanks to North America’s biggest trampoline park which just opened outside of Montreal.
Uplå is a labyrinth of 20-foot-high suspension bridges and trampolines that connect to a network of unique and colorful treehouses, all of which are suspended in the air at the foot of Mont-Saint-Grégoire.
What’s wild about Uplå is that the park is open year-round, rain, shine, or snow. We’ll have to wait a few months to see what North America’s biggest trampoline park looks like covered in snow.
The park recommends soon-to-be trampolines 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 – Distortion
Have you wondered what it would be like to walk through a masterpiece?
The wonderfully colorful 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 (open this Monday, however)
Time: 9 am to 9:40 pm
Where: OASIS immersion, 301 Saint Antoine
Price: $24 to $32, available online
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