FOUR-SEASON ACTIVITIES IN MONTREAL

 

Montreal is a great city in which to experience the four seasons. Native Montrealers also love to get out and enjoy the city all year-round.

Here are some activities you can participate in while in Montreal, followed by a list of some of our amazing festivals held every month of the year.

 

Festivals by Month

May

  • Montreal Bike Fest: The Bike Fest offers a week of varied cycling activities. Two very special rides make for a spectacular grand finale: 11,000 cyclists take the streets for Un tour la nuit (a night tour), followed by the Tour de l’Île de Montréal, the largest cycling event in North America, with roughly 30,000 participants turning out for a panoramic 45 km circuit. (www.velo.qc.ca)
  • Montreal Chamber Music Festival: Created in 1995, the Montreal Chamber Music Festival is dedicated to promoting chamber music in all its diverse forms through collaborations with other artistic disciplines. Performances in historic sites by renowned international artists and rising stars emphasize Montreal's cultural richness and diversity. (http://www.festivalmontreal.org/home/homeE.html)
  • Biennale de Montreal: Montreal’s art festival, held every two years. (http://www.ciac.ca/biennale2007/en/index.html)
  • Montreal Museums Day: Once per year, all museums in Montreal open their doors for free and all Montrealers and visitors travel by free shuttle buses all day and night visiting the various excellent museums Montreal has to offer. (http://www.museesmontreal.org/site/museumsday.htm)
  • Mutek: Music, sound, and new technology festival. (http://www.mutek.ca)
  • Beer Festival: The Mondial de la bière is an annual event providing members of the brewing industry with opportunities to expand markets, show products and introduce new ones to the public. It is also a festival celebrating the culture of beer, and dedicated to reclaiming beer's noble heritage. A festive atmosphere, the business of a commercial fair and the ambience of beer tasting are all united in this dynamic program which creates a productive and friendly gathering of brewers and beer enthusiasts. The Mondial de la bière is the most important international beer event in North America. (http://www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/)

 

June

  • Canadian Grand Prix: Canada’s only Formula 1 race, the Grand Prix brings the world’s best auto racers to Montréal to test their mettle on the demanding circuit Gilles-Villeneuve. (www.grandprix.ca)
  • Mondial Choral Loto-Quebec: Artists from here and beyond meet at the Centre de la nature de Laval to celebrate the largest gathering of choirs and vocal groups in North America. (www.mondialchoral.org)
  • Montreal First People’s Festival: This festival highlights the art, history and traditions of the Americas’ native peoples. The richness and vitality of traditional and contemporary aboriginal cultures are front and centre. Come discover the rich and vibrant culture of our continent’s first peoples. (www.nativelynx.qc.ca)
  • International Fireworks Festival: The most dazzling nights of the summer are to be found at the 23rd edition of this, Montréal’s renowned international fireworks competition, held in the La Ronde amusement park on Île St-Hélène. (www.internationaldesfeuxloto-Quebec.com)
  • St-Abroise Fringe Festival: Montreal's annual festival of theatre, dance, and performance, and the only bilingual, bicultural festival on the Fringe circuit. (http://www.montrealfringe.ca)
  • Montreal Baroque: Montreal’s annual festival celbrating Baroque music with performances all over the city. (http://www.montrealbaroque.com)
  • Fete National: This is Quebec’s provincial holiday celebration with a parade and many events all over the city and the province. (http://www.cfn.org/montreal)
  • Montreal International Jazz Festival: The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal now annually offers about 500 concerts, of which three-quarters are free of charge, hosting about 2000 musicians, give or take a few, from over 20 countries. About 2 million visitors come from all over the planet to an event has become THE international jazz rendez-vous and a laboratory for the creation of new talent, most recently contributing to the successes of artists such as Diana Krall and Norah Jones. (http://www.montrealjazzfest.com)
  • International Flora: Montreal’s Garden Festival held in the Old Port of Montreal. (http://www.floramontreal.ca/fr/index.asp)

 

July

  • Canada Day: Join proud Canadians as they celebrate the birthday of their country with a giant parade, fireworks and other celebrations. (http://www.celafete.ca)
  • Festival International Nuits d’Afrique: A world-class event devoted to the music of Africa, the Antilles and the Caribbean. More than 400 artists and thousands of visitors meet for numerous indoor and outdoor shows, as well as workshops, handicraft sales, an African market, and alluring exotic cuisine. (www.festivalnuitsdafrique.com)
  • Just for Laughs Festival: The world’s biggest comedy festival keeps Montréal in stitches. Some 700 interna¬tional artists perform at galas, theatre events, stand-up shows and in downtown streets. Over 2 million festivalgoers flock to the festival’s 1,500 shows, most of which are outdoors and free. (www.hahaha.com)
  • Fantasia Film Festival: If you like horror and fantasy movies, this downtown festival is for you, with movies from all over the world shown over a month-long festival. (http://www.festivalfantasia.com/2007)
  • Montreal Reggae Festival: Feel “Irie” at the annual Reggae Music Extravaganza. (http://www.montrealreggaefestival.com)
  • Francofolies: This popular French-language musical event, known for its cultural diversity and rousing outdoor entertainment, attracts over half a million spectators and some 1,000 artists, musicians, stars and budding talents from about 20 countries. Some 150 free outdoor shows and 50 indoor concerts put a song in the heart of downtown Montréal. (www.francofolies.com)
  • NASCAR Busch Series: In 2007, the NASCAR Busch Series comes to Montréal for the first time. No fewer than 35 races are scheduled, including six short tracks, 26 on speedways and
  • Three road circuits: (www.circuitgillesvilleneuve.ca)

 

August

  • Roger’s Cup: Every two years, the international Roger’s Cup comes to town, and the elite of the tennis world assemble. No doubt, they’re looking to follow in the steps of Ivan Lendl, John McEnroe and Andre Agassi, men’s tennis legends who all won at least one title in Montréal. The men’s and women’s tournament alternate each year between Toronto and Montreal. (www.couperogers.com)

 

September

  • President’s Cup: The world’s best professional golfers compete at The Royal Montréal Golf Club on Île Bizard. (www.presidentscup.com)

 

October

  • Black and Blue Festival: A major international party, Black and Blue is hosted by a non-profit organization that supports several gay community groups. A night of dance, plus various other social, cultural and sporting events make for an unforgettable weekend. (www.bbcm.org)

 

December

  • Christmas Extravaganza: End-of-the-year celebrations at more than 20 locations for the whole month, including indoor and outdoor entertainment in a magical illuminated setting in Old Montréal. The finale is the New Year’s Eve Grand Bal in place Jacques-Cartier on December 31. (www.lesfeeriesdenoel.info)

 

January

  • Fête des Neiges When the mercury plunges, Montréal warms up and celebrates at Parc Jean-Drapeau. On the program: sculptures, skating, sliding and surprises aplenty! (www.fetedesneiges.com)

 

February

  • The Montreal High Lights Festival: A world-class event, The Montréal High Lights Festival warms up winter in the Québec metropolis with the best theatre, museum and culinary delights the city has to offer. Montréal’s major theatres, orches¬tras, dance troupes, museums, and the city’s most renowned restaurants and hotels all join in. (www.montrealenlumiere.com)
  • Voices of the Americas Festival: This Montreal festival is held in English and French and celebrates oral literature, text in performance, and spoken word poetry. Writers, poets and artists perform at many venues around the city. (http://www.fva.ca/2007.e)
  • Les Rendez-vous du cinema quebecois: Begun in 1982, this annual festival celebrates Quebec’s active movie industry with filmings held throughout the city. (http://www.rvcq.com/fest.e/2007)

 

March

  • International Festival of Films on Art: A unique event specializing in films about art from across the continent, this festival encompasses works about architecture, archaeology, cinema, dance, design,
  • Music, the visual arts, sculpture, theatre and more: (www.artfifa.com)
  • Festivalissimo: Iberian-Latin American Festival. Film and Art. (http://www.festivalissimo.net)
  • Saint Patrick’s Day Parade: Everyone is Irish on Saint Patrick’s Day! First held in 1824, this parade celebrates Ireland and all of the many Montrealers of Irish descent. The whole city joins the Irish community for the parade and a green beer in this annual springtime festival. (http://www.montrealirishparade.com).

 

April

  • La Braderie de mode quebecoise: Celebrating Montreal’s exciting fashion industry. (http://www.braderiedemodequebecoise.com/index_english.htm)
  • Vues d’Afrique: African and Creole film festival. (http://www.vuesdafrique.org/)
  • Blue Metropolis: Montreal International Literary Festival. The world’s first multilingual literary Festival – and the best 5-day literary party there is. Blue Met gathers some 290 writers, literary translators, musicians, actors, journalists and publishers from Quebec and from all around the world for five days of literary events in English, in French, in Spanish and other languages. (http://bluemetropolis.org/Festival)