The second annual Monarch Fiesta celebrates the orange-hued butterfly and the start of the monarch's annual trip to Mexico every fall. Relax with yoga, listen to a band that fuses traditional and contemporary Mexican music while learning about the monarch and how you can help it flourish! Kids can also get face makeup and take part in a butterfly parade. Saturday and Sunday at the Botanical Gardens.
Step back in time at the Pointe A Calliere public market. A 25-year tradition that attempts to recreate life in 18th-century Montreal: there's hay everywhere, historical reenactors, live music and local producers hawking delicious food and goods. Saturday and Sunday, starting at 10am.
Want to join a riot? An experimental new show melds interactive video games and immersive theatre: in The Riot Ballet, the audience arrives as a protest is about to break out, and their actions can either tame or ratchet up the action. Until Sunday at the arts studios at Concordia's Molson building.
The Cote-St-Luc Dramatic Society remounts their award-winning production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat all weekend at the Segal Centre.
The Montreal Ukulele Club hosts an open picnic and jam session, Saturday, 5pm at Park Lafontaine.
NDG Arts Week celebrates its 10th year with a spate of fun activities in and around NDG park: hear a story at Confabulation on Friday, take in the puppet parade Saturday at 2pm, and be sure to relax at the Biergarten.
Simple Plan and Sheila E headline the gourmet gala at Strangers in the Night 15 at the Pierrefonds-Roxboro Borough Hall, Saturday. Money raised this year supports lymphoma research and mental health resources.
Montreal's fashion week continues with the Festival Mode et Design until Saturday, with outdoor fashion shows and markets at Quartier des spectacles. On, dance troupe Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal model Sarah Pacini`s new collection, while designe Eve Gravel shows off her new collection Friday, 8pm. There is also an outdoor boutique stocked with jewelry, knitwear, beauty products and more.
The puppets take over Wellington Street! Marionnettes plein la rue features 17 companies presenting 60 free puppets shows over 1.3km of Verdun, Saturday and Sunday. Check out an Elvis tribute in Graceland, which features an adult-size puppet. Object theatre explains quantum physics in La Rébellion du minuscule, 6 and 7:30pm on Saturday.
Le Festival de théâtre de rue de Lachine presents over 50 free outside-the-box shows. See Habitats, a 25-minute circus and clown performance which evokes Lewis Carroll and Federico Fellini with its white rabbit and tea-time references. Friday and Saturday, in and around Lachine near the canal.
Montrealers will get a chance to win $40,000 in a treasure hunt that starts Saturday at 9 am. Goldrush Canada is a game being played across Canada this summer, and Montreal hosts the second edition after Ottawa. Participants will have to purchase a map in order to play this murder mystery, then follow clues to find the cash hidden somewhere in the city!
A folk dance performance will turn into an electro dance party under the stars at Beaver Lake, Saturday 6:30 to 10:30pm.
Love kombucha? The fizzy, fermented drink is the star of Boochfest, all weekend at Jarry Park in Villeray. Live music, fun for kids and of course, kombucha.
Celebrate rock 'n roll with the Wiggle Room's Las Vegas Grind burlesque! Swing with live music from The Wigglers! Performers include Talia Della Crema, Satin Simone and Galadriel Caresse. Friday at the Wiggle Room.