The enchanting Gardens of Light have just returned to the Botanical Gardens. Look for the new lanterns depicting Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai from Chinese folklore; the tragic Butterfly Lovers hover over Dream Lake. They are located in the Chinese Garden, and the path will bring you to the Japanese Gardens and the First Nations Gardens. Timed entries, until October 31. The bonsai, annuals and water lilies happen to be fine form this weekend. See which other flowers are in bloom this week.
The province’s largest agricultural fair is back! Enjoy the petting zoo, take a mini-train ride and meet local food producers at Brome Fair. There will be a circus workshop, horse pull and barn dance on opening day. Friday to Monday. (Note that family passes for two adults and two kids are only available online, at $65.)
Food truck party First Friday returns to the Big O Esplanade, with Vietnamese cuisine and culture as the monthly focus. Among the dozens of returning trucks and kiosks, keep an eye out for local Viet offerings like Gia Dinh, Saigon Gourmet and Golden Lotus. Hóm Đàn Dân Tộc will perform traditional music at 6pm, and the very fun Clay and Friends headline at 9pm. Friday, 4pm to 11pm.
Dozens of restaurants are participating in the annual Le Burger Week by concocting an elaborate, sometimes absurd offering for their menus. Burger Bar Crescent presents the Barbie Burger (pink sesame seed bun and pickled beets) and Les Torchés in the Plateau presents Burghetti, spaghetti topping a beef patty. Notre-Boeuf-de-Grace is sandwiching their beef between two fried chicken buns. Jack Le Coq presents Jack Frost: two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top of spicy chicken tenders, drizzled with spicy honey. Kahnawake Brewing Company unveils a double smash patty with The Beast. Eat and vote for your fave, until Sunday.
Get your dose of cuteness at the Corgi Pawty! Over 200 dogs are signed up to attend the gathering, which is under the theme of “Corgi Superstar”. Saturday, 5pm at the corner of St Laurent and des Pins.
While you are admiring the corgis, check out the Saint Laurent street fair! BLVD Fest will feature outdoor games, kids face paint, skateboarding lessons, sidewalk sales, terrasses and tasty treats until Monday.
The annual World Press Photo tour has just arrived. Open your eyes to striking images from around the globe, all selected from over 60,000 entries to the 66th annual photo contest. Look for French photographer Jonathan Fontaine’s The Nomad’s Final Journey, which shows a teenager at a refugee camp in Ethiopia. At Bonsecours Market until October 15.
Ladyfest celebrates female and non-binary funny people! Catch sketch show They Go Low, We Go Laugh Friday at 6:30pm and the Chinatown Comedy Cabaret, Sunday at 8pm. At the Diving Bell Social Club until Sunday.
The ephemeral Festival FAR continues, with a Parade Foraine at the Pavillon Hexagonal in St Leonard, Friday at 6:30pm. Come in circus-themed costumes, and catch the Van Hornies and Victor L’homme Fort. Rosemont hosts a Parade Folklorique on Monday at 5pm., kicking off with a spoons workshop and lumberjack-themed circus performers.
Newbie Nuvo Musical Theatre presents Jonathan Larons’s iconic Rent the Musical, about artists and bohemians struggling against gentrification, AIDS and discrimination in the East Village. Friday to Saturday, 7:30pm at Quai 5160 in Verdun.
Five women unspool four stories in Deseo, an ambulatory play performed in the director’s own home. In French, at 1955 Fullum, until September 30.
Friday’s music picks: Aussie blues rockers The Teskey Brothers at L’Olympia, 8pm. New York-based electronic DJ Jai Wolf at Le Studio TD, 8pm.
Saturday’s music picks: English rockers Arctic Monkeys at the Bell Centre, 8pm. Aussie DJ Wax Motif with Bleu Clair at Beanfield Theatre, 8pm.
On Sunday, K-POP girl band septet Dreamcatcher open up their Apocalypse universe to fans, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at 7:30pm. Michigan native and rapper NF rocks Place Bell in Laval, 8pm.
And there are some picks for Monday evening: post-punk revivalists Interpol rock MTelus, 8pm. Metalcore rockers Hatebreed perform with Terror and Jesus Piece at L’Olympia, 7pm. Indie rockers Sir Chloe with Birds of Prrrey, at L’Escogriffe, 8pm.
The JOAT Festival celebrates street dance with performances, battles and classes in and around Place des Arts. Head to Club Soda for the hip hop battle on Friday night, and the popping competition on Sunday. JOAT is also running alongside programming that celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip hop! The gallery at Place des arts is hosting a celebration this weekend: take in the Montreal Loves Hip Hop exhibit, curated by artists Cholo-B, Scramblelock, Frank BLVD and DJ Devious. View a documentary on the history of the genre at the Salle Claude-Léveillée, or take in a workshop on creating loops, beats and freestyle rap! Events run until Sunday.
Our pal Joey Elias headlines The Comedy Nest this weekend, with support from Mike Carrozza, Raajiee Chelliah, Molly Brisebois and more. Friday and Saturday, 8 and 10:30pm.
Get cozy at Hurley’s Bar on Crescent with The World's Smallest Comedy Night. Friday, 8pm.
At Montreal Improv in St Henri, check out a variety of shows, including Troubadour, where a musician performs to inspire improvisers. Miss Eaves aka Shanthony Exum is the musical guest, Friday at 9:30pm.
Totally 80s Burlesque is the theme this weekend at The Wiggle Room. On the bill: Sugar Vixen, Miss Booty Jones, Minx Arcana and Celesta O’Lee, with hosting by host-performer Frenchy Jones. Friday and Saturday at 9pm.
The CJ Riders Foundation hosts a family party with inflatables, hot dogs and treats at Jeanne Mance Park in the Plateau. The motorcycle club raises money to support sick kids, in memory of the founders’ son, CJ.
Pink Floyd’s iconic rock album Dark Side of the Moon debuted 50 years ago, and a new show marks the anniversary with an immersive audiovisual experience. This show, designed for domes and planetariums, has played to sold-out audiences at the Planetarium, and now it comes to the SAT, which has reopened after months of renovations. The music has been remastered, and the cosmic images will delight fans both veteran and new. At the Satosphere until October 27.
Can’t get enough of Barbie? The Queen Elizabeth has you covered. Starting this weekend, the storied Fairmount hotel is hosting stays at the Barbie Dream Suite! This is Canada’s first Barbie-themed hotel stay. Visit the Dream Suite, which includes pink decor and amazing views. Up the ante by reserving the Spectacular PJ Soiree - Barbie cocktails, bathrobes and slippers included - or the Barbie Party for up to 10 people (comes with a birthday buffet!). For doll-sized wallets like my own, reserve a Barbie Afternoon Tea at the Rosélys Restaurant on Saturdays, or grab something sweet at the Barbie Sweets Shoppe and the Barbie Boutique at Marché Artisans. Until September 30.
Miss hockey? Get your fix down at the Montreal Science Centre. Hockey: Faster Than Ever, an action-packed exploration of the science and culture, technology and triumph of the sport. Experience what it is like to be in an NHL locker room and the corridor that leads to the ice, test your slapshot and get acquainted with some of the legendary stars of the Canadiens franchise. Until September 10.
Arriving in Quebec for the first time, Inside Dalí is a three-part exploration that takes you beyond the iconic Surrealist’s strange mustache. Born in Catalonia in 1904, Salvador Dalí is known for his melting clocks and affinity for telephones and lobsters. First, a 35-minute ‘immersion’ of his works in a room with 7-metre high ceilings, then a 360-degree experience in The Mirror Room, concluding with a more straightforward look at the artist’s life. At the Arsenal Art Gallery in Griffintown, now extended until October 15!
The McCord Stewart Museum’s excellent and informative Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience profiles the 11 nations living within the borders of Quebec, with testimonies and carefully curated objects.
SOS Vortex is the ‘little brother’ to the SOS Labyrinth in the Old Port. Enter the vibrant time vortex of a mad scientist while learning about ecology and climate change. The structure is made of recycled containers, with eye-catching colours and Pop Art esthetic. At the CF Carrefour Laval parking lot (corner of Daniel-Johnon and Le Carrefour) until October 29.
The Infinite virtual reality experience returns to Montreal at a different location, with new, immersive footage shot from the International Space Station. Over the course of an hour, the exhibit puts you shoulder-to-shoulder with astronauts like David Saint-Jacques, taking you through their day orbiting the Earth. A jaw-dropping V-R treat! At 2 de la Commune Street West in the Old Port.
Pointe-à-Callière Museum in Old Montreal just launched Egypt: Three Millennia on the Nile. This exhibit traces life both ordinary and royal on the legendary river, dating from the start of human settlement to the Roman conquest. Some 320 items will be displayed in an exclusive agreement with the Museo Egizio in Turin, including jewelry, statues, tools, sarcophagi and more! Until October 15.