What to Do in Montreal in January 2016: Festivals

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Village Mammouth

December 19 – March 2016
Olympic Park (4141 Avenue Pierre-de Coubertin)
free access to site; some activities are extra

While it’s been too warm to function as a proper winter site so far, Montreal’s Olympic Stadium again opens up its winter village from Thursday to Sundays. There is an 18 meter long slide, a hockey/ice-skating rink, and a variety of other activities. DJs are on hand to keep the beat alive and there is also a cocktail bar open after 4 p.m. See HERE for more info.

Bouge d’ici

January 6-16
Mainline Theatre (3997 St Laurent)
Tickets: pwyc-$15

If you’re ready to find out just how awesome Montreal’s indie dance scene is, you better bouge!bouge!bouge! to Bouge d’ici. This annual festival pairs up and coming choreographers with established mentors to produce both short and long works. In addition to a few special events, like the Cabaret Bouge d’ici, there are workshops on different types of dance and the biz. The  ambiance is very accessible and open minded. We interviewed festival co-coordinators Amy Blackmore and Allison Burns HERE. Find out everything, including how to get tickets, at the website HERE.

 

Le Happening Gourmand

January 7 – February 7
If trying new and old restaurants is on your 2016 bucket list, you might want to take advantage of this mini-restaurant week happening in Old Montreal. Eight of the city’s best restaurants are offering lunch and dinner menus at costs of $22, $25, and $29. After eating, you can get a discount ticket to Igloofest and dance off the extra dessert. A few of the participating restaurants are Verses, Méchant Boeuf, and Kyo Bar Japonais. For more information and to book a space, click HERE.

Wildside Festival

January 7-17
Centaur Theatre (325 St. Francois Xavier)
Tickets: $16/13
The Wildside takes the best of the Fringe Festival and adds a few extra shows for good measure, promising some of the hottest theatre all year. Some of the things to check out are Captain Aurora: A Superhero Musical, a show that sold out every night at the Fringe; Miss Katelyn’s Grade Threes Prepare for the Inevitable, a show that won the Best New English Text award from Playwrights Workshop; and any of TJ Dawe’s shows. Get tickets are HERE.

Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival

January 8-16

Phi Centre (407 ST. Pierre)

Canada’s best films, including a number of shorts, are bieng screened at the Phi Centre. The juried selection comes from the Toronto International Film Festival. Among those appearing are Guantanamo’s Child: Omar Khadr, Into the Forest, and Sleeping Giant. More info can be found HERE. 

Igloofest

January 14 to 16, 21 to 23, 28 to 30, and February 4 to 6
Old Port Quai Jacques Cartier
Tickets: $20/night
My mind was blown when I saw Bonobo would be doing a DJ set on the 14th. I’ll be at this one with my hands in the air even if it is -40 (I hope it isn’t that cold). Aside from my favorite DJ, Simon Green, Igloofest brings in a few other world renowned DJs and mixes them with those from the local scene. Know any of these: Paul Kalkbrenner, Dave Clarke, The Martinez Brothers, Rone, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Mr Oizo, and Modeselektor? (If you don’t, check out Igloofest and find out how they can make you move). The festival usually has all kinds of other cool things in the space to distract you when you need to relax in front of a firepit. Tickets are here and all information is HERE.

Salon de l’amour et de la seduction

January 15-17
Place Bonaventure (800 Gauchetière W)
$17.50/$22.50
If you want some inspiration for getting frisky or just enjoy expanding your knowledge about all things seductive, this annual salon is for you. Fashion shows, erotic circuses, seminars on topics like oral sex and anal sex, as well as workshops are all part of the event. Major names in the erotic scene are coming as well, like MiMi Cherry, Eloise Starr and Mam Steel. For those who prefer burlesque, check out Lavender May, Lolita Blanca, Ruby Rhapsody, and Coeur de Lyon. For more info on tickets and schedule, click HERE.

Fête des Neiges

January 16 – February 7, Saturdays 10 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Parc Jean Drapeau
free admission to site
Shows, events, music, Parc Jean Drapeau gives you a reason to get outside every weekend. To stay warm, try yoga in the snow or snow aerobics. Most people want to give the dog sled rides a go ($10/16), take a turn down the giant 10 laned tube slide, or ride all 200 meters of the zip line. There are 25 outdoor activities overall with things like curling, cross-country skiing, and an ice slide. Information and scheduling can be found HERE.

Montreal International Auto Show

January 15 – 24
Palais de Congres de Montreal, 201 Viger W.
Wall to wall cars of all kinds. Every major manufacturer will showcase their latest cars. But, if you’ve ever just wanted to sit in a Maserati, Tesla, Porsche, or Kia, now is your chance! You can also test drive the 13 preferred models as well as electric vehicles. In addition, there will be a night of comedy hosted by Rachid Badouri featuring Adib Alkhalidey, Vincent C, Yannick De Martino, Mélanie Ghanimé, Simon Gouache, and more (this is at Theatre ST. Denis). You can also check out modified cars at the Scion performance zone. For info click HERE.

Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour

January 19-23 (in French)
UQAM, Salle Marie Gerin Lajoie (405 St Catherine E)
$7
The Banff Mountain Film Festival tours the world, presenting the same line-up of films wherever it goes. The films are screened in their original languages with french subtitles. The tour features the best films from its 2015 collection, each focusing on some aspect of man’s relationship to the mountains. Some of the films that will be screened include Climbing Ice: The Iceland Trifecta about ice-climbing on Iceland’s Vatnajokull Glacier; Eclipse about trying to capture a particular photo of a skiier in a difficult situation; and Curiosity about ultra-trail running at Mont Blanc. For more info, click HERE.

 

Frost Fest — Cheerleading and Acro

January 23
Place Bonaventure (800 Gauchetière W)

There’s not much info about it yet, but Montreal is hosting a one-day acrobatics and cheerleading competition. Watch teams compete from all around the province (and further beyond) The website is HERE.

Salon National de la Pourvoirie et du Bateaux de Pêche de Montréal

January 28-31
Palais de Congres de Montreal, 201 Viger W.
$12/11/5
I almost didn’t include this one, and then thought well, why not. Hunting, fishing, camouflage. I suppose it’s all about appreciating nature, right? You can check out fishing lures, guns, listen to experts (take Mario Huot’s 10 Trucs pour chasser le dindon!), and meet Jose Boily the host of Québec à Vol d’oiseau and others. For more info, click HERE.

Salon National Marriage

January 30-31
Palais de Congres de Montreal, 201 Viger W.
$14
Another event I almost didn’t include, but if you hit the seduction salon and then went and spent some time hunting together, now you might as well find out how best to tie the knot too. See gowns for brides, bridesmaids, mothers of brides, and exes. Get ideas for how to turn the big day into something only a bridezilla would love. Meet wedding planners, sample cakes, and enjoy the spectacle. More info HERE.

If you have an event that should make our monthly list, give us a shout at >a href=”mailto:[email protected]”>[email protected]