A couple of fun things you can do outdoors: the Ogilvy Christmas window display The Mill in the Forest is now on display outside the McCord Museum on Sherbrooke Street. (Its companion, the Enchanted Forest, is located inside the Museum). And a few blocks to the east, the 12th edition of Luminotherapie is lighting up the Quartier des spectacles with cool installations, like Impulse (the lit-up seesaws) and Mathias Gmachl's giant wooden whale, Echoes - a voice from uncharted waters.
Montreal comic wits Bowser & Blue, Josh Freed and Terry Mosher aka Aislin assemble once more for their cathartic, topical show, Four Anglos Surviving the Covid Apocalypse. Freed delivers thoughtful essays, Aislin shares a roundup of cartoons from around the world, and Bowser and Blue perform new additions to their musical canon. After performing earlier this season at Lac Brome Theatre and St Jax Centre, they now bring their covid retrospective (no doubt freshly seasoned with the latest news) to Westmount's Victoria Hall, until Sunday.
The people who brought you the Van Gogh immersive experience now shift their attention to one of the most iconic of the French Impressionist painters, with Imagine Monet. Now on at Arsenal Gallery in Little Burgundy, it's like taking a bath in works by Claude Monet (1840-1926). The roughly 35-minute show introduces you to his work, and then you are immersed in his iconic water lilies and Japanese footbridge scenes, as well as rich snapshots from nature, beaches and busy French streets and ports. A meditative visit with one of the greatest painters. Until February 27.
Montreal Chamber Music Festival presents their Holiday Quartet at Christ Church Cathedral downtown. Enjoy excerpts from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker and Serenade for String Orchestra, Debussy's La neige danse and Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusk, and more. Friday at 5pm.
Ville Marie Feis presents The Irish Nutcracker, with dancers cast from the Bernadette Short School of Irish Dancing and talented musicians Jonathan Moorman and Dave Gossage. When Ciara receives a nutcracker from her uncle Ryan at the family's ceili, she has no idea her new toy will lead her on a magical adventure to the land of Irish snowflakes! At Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School, Sunday, 3pm and 7pm.
And we can't forget the revamped Nutcracker from Les Grand Ballets Canadiens. Some adjustments were made this year as kids are unable to perform, and so we open with The Enchanted Gift, a new work by Ivan Cavallari set to the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos, followed by the second act of The Nutcracker, Clara's Journey. There is a 40 per cent discount on tickets for those 17 and under. Until December 28 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
Need to 'wrap' up your Christmas shopping? The Salon des métiers d'art du Québec has just set up at Palais des congres, with 160 artisans and plenty of programming about art and culture, daily until December 19. Shop for your favourite hipster at Puces Pop Winter Edition, with over dozens of vendors hawking their wares (ceramics, food, jewelry, clothing, decor and more) in the basement at Eglise Saint Denis (Laurier metro). Until Sunday.
If you've already had your fill of Hallmark Christmas romances and Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, may I recommend Fantasia Film Festival's free screenings for its 'En Fête' series including classic Kung-Fu movie Five Venoms Saturday at 2pm, and HP Lovecraft-inspired Re-Animator, Saturday at 7pm, among other screenings this weekend.
Final weekend to cheer on Superdogs: The Musical at The Segal Centre. We meet young Chloe, a new arrival to Montreal who is convinced her beloved SPCA rescue, Bear, deserves a shot on the SuperDogs stage. Will the pair get their chance to dazzle the audience? The musical features over 20 dogs, five animal trainers, a live band and a talented cast. The family-friendly show runs until Sunday.
Performer Mykalle Bielinski powers her latest solo show with a stationary bike in a commentary on consumption, rest and the environment. She pedals her way through Warm Up one more time, Friday at 8pm at La Chappelle Scènes Contemporaines.
Last chance to discover emerging ceramics artists at Projet Casa, a 1912 mansion on Esplanade that faces Jeanne-Mance and Mount-Royal. The owners, Danielle and Paul, have opened their doors this year to artists, charging minimal fees for hosting exhibits. Check out the pieces in the new show L'Abri-Désir (Clay and Ardent Substances) while wandering the halls of this architectural gem, until Saturday.
There are also a few local culture options online this weekend: Talisman Theatre's English-adaptation of Sarah Berthiaume's Antioch, a mother-daughter tale about immigration, generational clashes and a sprinkling of Greek myyh.
Also online: playwright and musician Norman Nawrocki's Run Nawrocki Run! Escape from Banff Prison, a play about the internment of over 8,000 Ukrainian-Canadian children, women and men during World War I. Available to stream on YouTube until 9pm on Friday.
The NFB Ho Ho Holidays channel has 53 free seasonal films to stream, including Sheldon Cohen's spin on Roch Carrier's The Sweater, The Great Toy Robbery and Alanis Obomsawin's Christmas at Moose Factory.
People's Sexiest Man Alive (and former bat mitzvah DJ) Paul Rudd hosts Saturday Night Live, with British pop star Charlie XCX helming the musical performances. Saturday, 11:30am.
And check out CJAD 800's holiday programming here. You can tune into Miracle on 34th Street, Saturday at 7pm.
ONGOING
It's Yuletime at Exporail the Canadian Railway Museum. The trains are decked out in their Christmas gear, Santa is there to greet visitors and there is a new exhibit of model trains to check out. Until January 3.
Also at the Palais this weekend: world-renowned Lego artist Sean Kenney presents Animal Super Powers. Learn about the real 'super powers' behind wondrous animals like polar bears to peacocks to seahorses. Just opened at Palais des congrès, until January 7.
New show at the McCord: Parachute: Subversive Fashion of the '80s looks at the style and messaging of the decade through the stylings of Parachute, a made-in-Montreal label created by a British fashion designer and an American architect. Their bold concept stores were soon found in New York and Los Angeles, and their creations were in demand from the likes of Madonna, Peter Gabriel and Daivid Bowie! By the way, the McCord is marking its 100th anniversary by offering free admission for 100 days, until January 19. You can also check out the tribute to cartoonist Serge Chapleau and the enlightening Indigenous Voices of Today.
The Great Christmas Market has just launched at the Quartier des spectacles. Grab a hot drink (mulled wine!), pick up a gift from local businesses, with items ranging from food items to bath and body products to purses, socks, jewelry and more. There will be musical performances throughout the Market's stay, until January 2.
Pointe-à-Callière has just launched a new show chronicling the history of circus, It's Circus Time! Over 350 objects will explore the 200-some year history of the art in Quebec, through costumes, props, training equipment and more.
The Montreal Science Centre has reopened! Learn more about our evolution in Human, the moon in Water in the Universe and the process of invention in Fabrik - Creativity Factory. The 3D IMAX theatre is also open, with Superpower Dogs 3D delving into the work of rescue canines.
The Biosphère on Ile Ste Helene has finally reopened, joining the Space of Life constellation that also includes the Biodome. With the recent "red alert" climate report from the UN, the Biosphère's mission is as urgent as ever: to educate Montrealers about the environment and how best to care for it.