Montreal Events and Entertainment!

February

La Fête des Neiges (Snow Festival), Montréal: features outdoor events such as harness racing, barrel jumping, racing beds on ice, canoe races, snowshoeing, snow sculptures, skating, and cross-country skiing. The event, the first 2 weeks of February, takes place mostly on Ile Notre-Dame, in the Port and Vieux-Montréal, and in Parc Maisonneuve. 514/872-4537 for details.

Three weekends in February.
Festival Montréal en Lumière
Filling a hole in the yearly schedule, the self-dubbed City of Festivals has created this "High Lights" celebration. It brings together a somewhat disparate collection of creative and performing events, from culinary competitions and special museum exhibitions to multimedia light shows and classical and pop concerts by international musical greats. Call tel. 888/515-0515 for information.

May/June

Late May to early June.
Festival de Théâtre des Amériques, Montréal: Two weeks of contemporary theater works from artists throughout the Americas, many on the cutting edge of creativity. Screenings are held at theaters throughout the city. 514/842-0704 for details.

First Sunday in June.
Montréal Bike Fest: Early in June, more than 45,000 cyclists arrive in Montréal to participate in a variety of cycling competitions, including a nocturnal bike ride, a 16-mile outing for up to 10,000 children, and the grueling Tour de l'Ile, a day-long 66-kilometer race around the rim of the island before more than 120,000 spectators. The Tour de l'Ile, which began in 1984, attracts 30,000 participants, almost as many of them women as men. Call tel. 514/521-8356 for details.

Second weekend in June.
Grand Prix Air Canada, Montréal: international drivers compete for 70 laps around the Gilles-Villeneuve racetrack on Ile Notre-Dame. It's the only Formula I race in the country and is complete with celebrities and models visiting the pits. 514/457-5754 for details.

10 days starting in mid-June.
Montréal Fringe Festival: In performance spaces clustered along or near bd. St-Laurent, about 60 theater groups perform 514/849-3378

June

Festival Mondial de la Bière, Montréal: This is a 10-day festival celebrating beer. From world brands to boutique microbreweries, over 250 companies showcase their wares at the Old Port, employing workshops, cooking demos, musical performances, and pub food and tastings. 514/722-9640.

Late June to early October.

Mosaïcultures Internationales Montréal: A major horticultural event in which gardeners and floral designers create three-dimensional sculptures and carpets from up to 50 countries and cities in prize competitions in several categories. The Vieux-Port (Old Port) is the venue. 514/868-4000

June 24.

Jean-Baptiste Day: Honoring Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of French Canadians, this fête nationale is marked by many festivities and much enthusiasm throughout Québec province. The parade is held along the streets of Vieux-Montréal the night before, June 23. 418/849-2560 for details.

June- July.

International Competition d'Art Pyrotechnique (International Fireworks Competition), Montréal: The open-air theater in La Ronde amusement park on Ile Ste-Hélène is the best place to view the fireworks extravaganzas, although they can be enjoyed from almost any point overlooking the river. Tickets to the show also provide entrance to the amusement park. The 90-minute shows are staged by companies from several countries. Because parking is limited, it's best to use the Métro. 514/872-4537 for details.

June-July

Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
514/871-1881; 888/515-0515; to charge tickets by phone: 514/790-1245; 800/678-5440; 800/361-4595 in Canada
The Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, the world's biggest jazz festival, runs for 11 days, from the end of June to the beginning of July.

July

10 days in mid-July
Festival d'Eté International (International Summer Festival), Québec City: The largest cultural event in the French-speaking world, this festival has attracted artists from Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America since it began in 1967. There are more than 250 events showcasing theater, music, and dance, with 600 performers from 20 countries. One million people come to watch and listen. Jazz and folk combos perform free in an open-air theater next to City Hall; visiting dance and folklore troupes put on shows; and concerts, theatrical productions, and related events fill the days and evenings. 418/532-4540.

10 days in mid-July.
Festival International Nuits d'Afrique, Montréal: This musical event showcases nearly 300 musicians from the Caribbean, the Americas, and Africa. Performances take place in Club Soda, Club Balattou, and Place Berri. 514/499-9239

Last 2 weeks of July.
Festival Juste pour Rire (Just for Laughs Festival), Montréal: Comics perform in many venues, some free, some for a fee. Both Francophone and Anglophone comics from many countries participate. It's held along rue St-Denis and elsewhere in the Latin Quarter. 514/790-4242 for details.

August

Late August to early September.
Festival des Films du Monde (World Film Festival), Montréal: An international film event since 1976. Some 500 screenings take place over 12 days, including 200 feature films from more than 50 countries.Various movie theaters host the event. 514/848-3883

September

Mid- to late September.

Fall Foliage: The maple trees blaze with color and a walk in the parks and squares of Montréal is a popular pastime.

October

Early October.
Festival International de la Nouvelle Danse, Montréal: This 12-day showcase, held every 2 years (on odd years), invites troupes and choreographers from Canada, the United States, and Europe to various performance spaces. 514/287-1423.

10 days in mid-October.
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montréal: Screenings of new and experimental films along with forums on the latest trends in film and video at halls and cinemas throughout the city. 514/843-4725 for details.

Arts and Entertainment

Casino De Montréal
1 av. du Casino, Île Notre-Dame, Montréal, Québec, Canada
514/392-2746 or 800/665-2274
The Casino de Montréal, on Ile Notre-Dame in the St. Lawrence River, is one of the world's 10 biggest. Take a cab ride from downtown or take the Métro to the Ile Ste-Hélène station and transfer to Bus 167 Daily: 9-5.

Cirque Du Soleil
Montréal, Québec, Canada
800/361-4595
The Cirque du Soleil is one of Montréal's most popular venues. The company revolutionized the art of the circus when, in 1984, it began commingling dance, acrobatics, and dramatic presentation in a single show. Now it's an internationally known and packs theaters worldwide. (There are no animals featured in this circus. All of the spectacular dance and acrobatic arrangements are performed by people. ) Every second summer (in odd-numbered years), the circus performs in Montréal.

L'opéra De Montréal
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514/985-2258
L'Opéra de Montréal stages four productions a year at Place des Arts.

Centaur Theatre
453 rue St-François-Xavier, Vieux-Montréal
514/288-3161
The Centaur Theatre, the best-known English theatrical company, stages everything from musical revues to Eugène Ionesco works in the former stock-exchange building in Vieux-Montréal.

Place des Artes
Touring Broadway productions are staged at the Place des Arts.

Saidye Bronfman Centre
5170 chemin de la Côte Ste-Catherine, Côte-des-Neiges,
514/739-2301 or 514/739-7944
English-language plays can be seen at the Saidye Bronfman Centre. The center is home to the Yiddish Theatre Group.

Théâtre De Quat'sous
100 av. des Pins Est
514/845-7277
Théâtre de Quat'Sous performs experimental plays.

Théâtre Denise Pelletier
4353 rue Ste-Catherine Est, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
514/253-8974
The Théâtre Denise Pelletier stages productions in a beautifully restored hall.

Théâtre Du Nouveau Monde
84 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, Downtown
514/866-8667
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde is the North American temple of French classics.

Théâtre Jean Duceppe
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514/842-2112
Named for one of Québec's best loved actors, the Théâtre Jean Duceppe stages major productions in Place des Arts.

Théâtre St-Denis
1594 rue St-Denis, Quartier Latin
514/849-4211
The 2,500-seat Théâtre St-Denis stages pop-music concerts.

Francofolies
514/876-8989
The annual FrancoFolies festival celebrates the art of French songwriting. In all, more than 1,000 musicians perform in dozens of different styles, including rock, hip-hop, funk, and Latin.

I Musici De Montréal
934 rue Sainte-Catherine Est,
514/982-6037
I Musici de Montréal is one of the best chamber orchestras in Canada.

Orchestre Métropolitain De Montréal
514/598-0870
The Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal stars at Place des Arts most weeks during the October-April season.

Orchestre Symphonique De Montréal
260 blvd. de Maisonneuve Ouest
514/842-9951
The Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal has gained recognition under the baton of Charles Dutoit. Its regular venue is the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at the Place des Arts.

Pollack Concert Hall
514/398-4535
McGill University's Pollack Concert Hall presents concerts, notably by the McGill Chamber Orchestra.

Sports

Montréal Alouettes
McGill University's Molson Stadium
514/790-1245
Canadian professional football returned to Montréal after an experimental 3-year league with U.S. teams. The team that was briefly the Baltimore Colts is now The Montreal Alouettes (Larks) and has enjoyed considerable success since its return, frequently appearing in the Grey Cup, the CFL's Super Bowl. They play on a schedule that runs from June into October.

NHL Montréal Canadiens
1260 rue de la Gauchetière
Ticket and schedule information
514/932-2582
Métro: Bonaventure.
The Canadiens play at the new Centre Molson, which opened in 1996. replacing the beloved old Forum. The team has won 24 Stanley Cup championships since 1929. The season runs from October into April, with playoffs continuing to mid-June.

Blue Bonnets Racetrack (Hippodrome de Montréal)
7440 bd. Décarie, in Jean-Talon
514/739-2741
Métro: Namur, and then take the shuttle bus.
This is the host facility for international harness-racing events, including the Coupe des Elevers (Breeders Cup).
Restaurants, bars, a snack bar, and pari-mutuel betting can make for a satisfying evening or Sunday-afternoon outing. There are no races on Tuesday and Thursday. General admission is free. Races begin at 7:30pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday; on Sunday at 1:30pm