Autumn is not synonymous with depression. On the contrary. It’s the perfect season to stroll through the colourful parks and neighbourhoods, including the Old Port and the Plateau-Mont-Royal. The city is also brimming with events of all kinds to discover on your own, or with friends and family.
The Festival du nouveau cinéma will be blowing out its 53 candles this autumn. Over ten days, some one hundred feature films will be shown in cinemas across the city. An opportunity to discover new films.
The OFF Festival de jazz de Montréal will offer you a host of original shows featuring artists from near and far. Surprise concerts in unusual venues and dates on Montreal’s emblematic stages will be on the menu for this 25th edition.
Visit International Tourism and Travel Show as the ideal event for exploring new horizons. It’s a must for fans of heavenly beaches, exotic excursions and adventures around the world. Depending on your budget, the exhibitors will give you valuable advice on how to plan your get-away.
The Montreal Arab World Festival (FMA) is an event dedicated to the meeting of Arab and Western cultures. This 25th edition will honor artists from all cultural horizons under the theme “Méprises, 25 years of colorful dreams”.
A hundred of the year’s French-language films, with English subtitles, await you at the CINEMANIA Festival. This 30th edition will feature 114 international guests. From masterpieces to conferences and special events, you’re sure to find something that peaks your interest.
The Salon du livre de Montréal is a major literary event you don’t want to miss this Fall. An opportunity to meet your favorite authors for book signings. Pointes-aux-Trembles will be the guest neighbourhood for this 47th edition.
The Montreal Bach Festival will present more than thirty concerts as part of its 18th edition. Renowned artists and talents from near and far will take you into the world of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Looking for local gifts this holiday season? Check out the 68th edition of the Salon des métiers d’art du Québec (SMAQ). You’ll find jewelry, toys, accessories, and fashion clothing. Handmade, all these items are distinguished by their refined quality.
Banksy’s art without limits will feature over 170 works by British graffiti artist Banksy. You’ll even be able to witness the world premiere of a new hologram installation.
Diane Dufresne: the immersive exhibition Aujourd’hui, hier et pour toujours will plunge you into the creative universe of Diane Dufresne. Admire her many eccentric costumes.
World Press Photo Montreal is an opportunity to admire the winning photos of the 2024 competition. For this 17th edition, the event will also highlight the work of Quebec photographer Charles-Frédérick Ouellet.
For fans of Céline Dion, they will have the pleasure of listening to her greatest classics with the show Céline Symphonique such as Pour que tu m’aimes encore, J’irai où tu iras and My heart will go on.
Opéra de Montréal presents Hamletan adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. Jacques Lacombe will conduct the Orchestre Métropolitain.
Discover one of Charles Perrault’s most famous fairy tales. The duo Félix-Antoine Boutin and Sophie Cadieux take on the phantasmic world of Donkey Skin.
Bogotá by Andrea Peña opened the Venice International Contemporary Dance Festival last July. This work will take you on a journey through the themes of death and rebirth, combining stage performance and dance theater.
La Ronde offers a variety of attractions for children. During the month of October, the amusement park will be dressed up in the “Halloween” theme, with games, shows and activities for the whole family.
The Groupe uni des éducateurs-naturalistes et professionnels en environnement GUEPE (the united group of nature educators and professionals in environmental sciences) offers a variety of biodiversity-related activities every year.
Île-de-la-Visitation nature park :
La grande kermesse des p’tits loups will offer children a day full of fun activities, including short film screenings. Organized by the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, this event will introduce them to the magic of the 7th art.
Activities in the series Place des Arts junior will delight families this autumn. Here are the shows for ages 4 to 12:
L’illusion – Puppet Theatre offers performances that combine the visual and performing arts. This fall, the little ones will be treated to three shows:
Le Outremont Theatre offers several shows for young audiences. On the bill:
Ramen noodles in the spotlight at the 3rd edition Ramen Ramen Fes. You’ll have two weeks to try this delicious dish at participating restaurants. Then vote for your favorite ramen.
The event Invasion Cocktail event welcomes big names in mixology to Montreal every year. This 11th edition will feature exclusive creations.
Would you like to discover the many vegan options? Check out the Montreal Vegan Festival. On the menu: conferences, cooking demonstrations, tastings and much more.
It’s the great gastronomic rendez-vous! MTLàTABLE is a wonderful opportunity to discover excellent restaurants and new flavours. Around a hundred establishments will be taking part in this culinary extravaganza to delight your taste buds.
This autumn’s wine event par excellence. The Grande Dégustation de Montréal will bring together dozens of producers from 25 countries. For this 14th edition, five wine-growing regions will be in the spotlight. You’ll have the chance to walk away with exclusive offers, enough to impress everyone this holiday season.
Here’s our selection of establishments offering comforting Fall dishes.
Located downtown in the Honeyrose Hotel, the Commodore offers dishes inspired by French bistros. Let yourself be tempted by Parisian-style gnocchi, prepared with butternut squash béchamel, nutmeg, pickled onion, sage oil and tuile dentelle.
The Stanleylocated in the downtown Le Sheraton Hotel, offers locally inspired cuisine. Beef onglet with caramelized shallot coulis, onion purée, red wine sauce, herb oil and pickled onion is one of the specialties.
Discover seasonal dishes at Jajalocated in the heart of Little Italy. We say yes to oyster mushrooms, burrata and chicken skin, with a glass of natural wine.
On the 45th and 46th floors of Place Ville-Marie, the Hiatus is the city’s highest restaurant. Aged duck, rhubarb, turnip and yuzu is one of the dishes that showcases Franco-Japanese flavours.
The Hang is a Vietnamese haute cuisine restaurant in Old Montreal. The bone marrow Pho Wagyu with truffle oil infusion and gold flakes is one of the many dishes to discover.
If you like the atmosphere of a French brasserie, the Casavant should appeal to you. Located in Villeray, this restaurant offers bistro-inspired dishes, including gnochettis with corn, shrimp and garlic flower sauce.
Finally, the Spanish tapas tavern Ibéricos is a must for those in the mood for a typical Valencian paella.
Treat yourself this fall and save while you spend at restaurants! Some credit cards earn 5 points per dollar, including the American Express Cobalt® Card.
Here’s a roundup of the best cards for your restaurant expenses.
There are plenty of tours and tastings throughout the city. Here are some ideas:
Are you in Montreal for a few days? Here’s our selection of Marriott Bonvoy hotels:
In Canada, Marriott Bonvoy is the most enticing loyalty program for free hotel nights. In fact, there are two Marriott Bonvoy credit cards issued by American Express, which allow you to accumulate numerous points in the blink of an eye.
If you’re not going to a Marriott Bonvoy establishment, here are our other strategies for reducing your bill:
Faced with such a variety of hotels to choose from, it’s sometimes difficult to make a choice. Check out our Reviews :
There are plenty of places close to Montreal where you can take full advantage of the joys of autumn. One of the outings to book on your agenda could be an Orchard visit. Apple picking with family and friends is a fantastic activity, especially in the Laurentians.
There are many places in Montreal where you can admire the Fall colours and enjoy this time of year. With its many trails, Mont-Royal park is an ideal location. A stop at the chalet is a must, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city from the Kondiaronk lookout.
You could visit the Notre-Dame Basilica, the Botanical Gardens, Mount Royal Park, the Biodôme or the Museum of Fine Arts. And don’t forget to stock up on goodies in the city’s public markets.
If you’d like to try your luck at gaming, head for the Montreal Casino. For board game fans, Randolph Pub Ludique is the place to be. You could also cheer on your favorite team in one of Montreal’s sports bars, such as La Cage.
You could climb aboard one of the gondolas of the Ferris Wheel, Canada’s tallest observation wheel. Then take a zip-line ride and admire the unique view of the Old Port and the St. Lawrence River. Finally, the Science Centre offers interactive activities for the whole family. As for the Voiles en Voiles adventure park, it offers aerial courses of varying heights.
Shopping is king: the underground city stretches beneath the heart of the metropolis, linking metro stations and shopping centres. Take the whole family to Centre PLAYBOX, located in the Eaton Centre, for entertainment and a vast selection of games.
You could (re)discover the city’s different neighbourhoods by bike. On foot, what could be better than taking a stroll through parks such as Parc La Fontaine, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Parc du Mont-Royal and Parc Frédéric-Back? Weather permitting, there’s nothing to stop you from having a picnic.
Mark your calendars: the Journées de la culture will take place from September 27 to 29, 2024, with many free activities.
Highly anticipated events include the Montreal OFF Jazz Festival from October 3 to 12, 2024, the Salon du livre de Montréal from November 27 to December 1, 2024, and the Bach Festival from November 16 to December 8, 2024.
Nightclubs, bars, concerts, festivals, sports groups: there’s no shortage of opportunities to find something to suit your taste.
Savings are here:
