When springtime arrives in Montreal the city collectively breathes a sigh of relief. Finally, the relentless winter has subsided! The city’s colour tone changes from a lifeless grey to a hopeful green overnight. This year there are plenty of exciting activities and events happening around Montreal. Here’s a list of spring and summer delights you must take advantage of while you can!
1. Drinks on a Terrace
Fun with Trendy Beverages
It’s been too long since you’ve felt the sun! Economize your precious time and enjoy the sunshine while having drinks with friends. Cafe Olympico has some of the best coffee in Montreal and a huge welcoming patio. We also recommend Alexander Platz for some sunny drinks on a terrace. They are only open in the spring/summer season so get it while it’s hot!
Our Honorable Terrace Mention – Hotel Nelligan
2. Ride a BIXI Bike!
Fun things to do in montreal with two wheels
What happens when you mix a bike and taxi? You get a Bixi! Bixi is Montreal’s expansive local bike system. Bixi bikes are located all over the bike friendly island of Montreal. They have over 400 stations and 50 000 bikes. Here’s a link to the BIXI station map, complete with real-time bike availability information for each station. Bixi’s are a great alternative to taking public transit or a taxi. They’re also a fun and interesting way to get around Montreal. A pass to use the Bixi for 48 hours is roughly fifteen dollars. You’re going to need a credit card to do the booking but don’t worry it’s fairly simple.
3. Festivals – Montreal 2015
Fun with Festivus
Whether you’re a Montreal native or just stopping by, you’ve got to admit: we know how to do festivals! For beer nerds, check out the “Mondial De la Biere.” As always this festival promises to be a great celebration of beer from all around the world. This year the “Mondial De La Biere” is running from June 10 to 14. Check out the Montreal Fringe Fest for a taste of local theatre, comedy, and everything in between! Located in the heart of the Plateau, these fresh, quirky, and original acts are an affordable riot. It’s also a great way to support our local artists, as 100% of proceeds go back to the them! Check it out from June 1 to 21. Nuits d’Afrique is a fun way to get your groove on, and learn about different cultures. July 7 to 19 2015.
4. Chill in a Park
Fun’n’sunshine’n’pals
One of hallmark pastimes of Montrealers is simply chillin’ in the park. Gather your friends, grab a bottle of wine and bask in the beautiful sunshine. The Triple Crown Dinette is one step ahead of the curve and will pack your picnic lunch for you. We’re such a big fan of their southern-love-cooking’ we wrote an article about them, give it a glance! Some great parks with maximum chillage are Parc La Fontaine, Parc Mont Royal, and Parc Sir Wilfred Laurier. FYI: Consuming alcohol in a Montreal park is legal under the condition that it is accompanying a snack or meal. All the more reason to pack a tasty baguette and brie!
5. Visit a Museum or Gallery
Funeducation
Okay, maybe this is a bit of an obvious choice. Maybe it’s so obvious that in fact, you need to be reminded of how much fun museums can be. Whether it’s for conversation starters on your third date, a break from the city buzz during a stressful time, or for the mandatory refill of culture for the artsy soul, galleries and museums visits are time well spent. Until August 2015, the MMFA will be showcasing a range of exhibits, such as Parisian sculptor Rodin, a special “Je Suis Charlie” exhibit, as well as British painter Marion Wagschal’s work. Station 16 always has fresh urban art on display. You can also buy prints and originals at this gallery. A mysteriously less buzzy (and busy!) spot, is the Canadian Centre for Architecture. It’s centrally located, breathtaking, and comes equipped with its own little mini park! Bring your date here and you’re sure to gain bonus points.
6. August 21st is Restaurant Day!
Fun Food Movement
Restaurant Day is a worldwide food carnival! The next restaurant day is on August 21st, so get your pots and pans ready! The movement surrounding restaurant day has been growing steadily since 2011. It is a single day when anyone, anywhere is encourage to open a pop-up restaurant. On a street corner, at a community centre, or even at your office! The movement encourages people to enjoy their community, new foods, and think critically about the food systems present in first world countries. Read about Restaurants day’s history and mandate here. Enjoy some food, open up your own shop, or do both!
7. Go for Stroll & Bier & Show at Place Emilie-Gamelin
Temporary Arrangement
This new addition to the Quartier des Spectacles, Place Emilie-Gamelin, is Montreal’s second temporary arrangement. Set in one of the city’s most central outdoor spaces, the temporary culture hub features a biergarten, a terrace, gardens, shipping container restaurants (!), alternating art installations by locals… You know, all that amazing artsy stuff that makes Montreal so special. What’s more is that there’s a stage where performances take place. Featuring everything from electronic music to acrobatic acts, you’ve got to catch this temporary paradise while you can. Grab a beer, a seat, a flower… I mean… there’s no shortage of options here.
8. Watch the Butterflies go Free!
Fun Post-Tramautic-Winter Therapy
The Botanical Garden of Montreal has launched a special exhibit titled “Butterflies go Free!” As you might have guessed the exhibit is about free flying butterflies! Thousands of brilliantly coloured butterflies and moths float around a specially developed pavilion creating a stunning experience. After a long hard Montreal winter simply being amongst these warm creatures is therapeutic! The exhibition runs from February 20 to April 27, 2014. The event is held in the Botanical Garden’s Main Exhibition Greenhouse which has been transformed into a huge butterfly pavilion. Don’t believe us? Check out this charming video and see for yourself!
9. Mile End Montreal Food Tour
Fun & Food in the Montreal’s best district
The Mile End is the most artistic neighbourhood of Canada. It’s also where you can get the best bagels, ice cream, fashion sense, and a few historical monuments. The area filled with charming spots, quirky corners, and visual treats. The Mile End Food Tour happens everyday at 11:00 AM, and takes you to the neighbourhood’s best eateries. Join in and be part of the foodie buzz! More information about the tour here.
10. Check out Montreal’s Roller Derby Scene
Fun Fierce Females
Montreal roller derby scene has grown and expanded exponentially in the past few years. Roller Derby is fast, exciting, hardcore, femme… how many super charged describing words can I throw in there? If you’ve never been to a derby game or just want to learn more about the game, go check ’em out!
11. Explore a New Neighbourhood… And Make Sure it’s The Mile Ex
A Collection of Unique Experiences
In the mood for discovering Montreal’s best kept secrets? For eating famous sandwiches? To go bowling while you kick it at the bar? To sit on an Enchanting terrace? You can do all of these things and more in Montreal’s once-industrial-turned-domestic hood, The Mile Ex. Neighbouring Little Italy and the Mile End, this little area is truly unique and will let you travel while you stay in your city. Check out our article about it for some suggestions.
12. Go Sugaring off in the Sugar Shacks Surrounding Montreal!
Fun + Sugar on Sticks = More Fun – Fun things to do in montreal
If it’s spring, get a taste of our Maple trees. Sugar shacks around Quebec jump into high gear and start to harvest the sap to produce Canada’s Crown Jewel; Maple Syrup. Quebec’s maple syrup industry represents 85% of Canada’s total Maple Syrup output! A fun and adventurous day outing is visiting one of the 400 sugar shacks that surround the Quebec major city centres. Here are some that are close to Montreal specifically! We highly recommend you check out Pied du Cochon either at there country sugar shack or at their urban restaurant location. Pied du Cochon has been trailblazing the maple syrup culinary experience for years and is always worth a tasty visit.
Check out more from Madeleine Lahaie @ www.MadeleineLahaie.com