12 free activities this summer in Old Montreal

Summer is in full swing and Montréal’s historical district is overflowing with free activities, many of which will take place outdoors. For yet another year, all visitors, workers and residents of Old Montreal will be offered a wide span of family-friendly activities. During this period, you’ll be able to partake in many concerts over the lunch hour and the weekend, go on an adventure across time to discover the city’s heritage, take a relaxing break and do some yoga or spend some quality family time during some warm and inviting workshops. Come take advantage of the beautiful sun and be charmed by the district’s ambiance!

A Musical Summer

The Music Zones

The Music Zones are back in Old Montreal for their 5^th edition with a revamped program for each of the 3 series: Midi Indie, Apéro Classique and Pause Piano. These musical montages will offer you a grand total of 65 outdoor concerts, one every day, with some on the Place d’Armes, and others on the Parc éphémère, between lunch and cocktail hour from July 1^st to September 3^rd. Workers, residents and visitors to the district: These musical moments are for you! Come on by, you won’t be disappointed, as some beautiful discoveries await to serenade you.

Complete program

Musical Middays on the Place Royale

Thursdays from 12PM to 1PM, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum and Pop Montréal invite you to attend concerts featuring the new wave of fresh Montréal talent. These concerts will take place from June 22^nd to August 31^st. You’ll also find a food truck offering up delicious eats in front of the museum on the Place d’Youville.

Check out the calendar

Discover the heritage of the historical district

The Balades Bonsecours

Discover the fascinating history behind Bonsecours and Saint-Paul Streets, explore the Marché Bonsecours and its legendary dome, relive an era populated by leading figures who shaped the urban landscape, and visit the merchants of Saint-Paul Street in the company of a certified guide. Come on down to 350 Saint-Paul East Street Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from June 23^rd to September 3^rd.

Check out the tour schedules

Cité mémoire

The artwork presented during the Cité Mémoire project bear witness to key events which shaped the history of Montréal, leading historic figures or anonymous individuals, and feats of life of Montrealers of ages passed. For a second year, Cité Montréal’s nineteen artworks will come to life every night in Old Montreal. Four new pieces of art will join the outdoor projection circuit, including the Grand Tableau celebrating Montréal’s 375^th anniversary which is presented every night on the Champ-de-Mars (9:20PM, 10PM, 11PM).

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Traces – First Waterways

For the 9^th edition of the Métis-sur-Montréal event, the Château Ramezay, Historic Site and Museum of Montréal, and the Reford Gardens are presenting the Traces – First Waterways exhibit. Artist William Vazan cordially invites you to follow the paths of Canada’s First Nations along the country’s now obsolete waterways over the course of a unique exhibit presented on the Place de la Dauversière from July 3^rd to October 9^th 2017. Traces – First Waterways draws inspiration from the labyrinths installed in the gardens, allowing visitors to experience the multiple waterways which snaked through the island of Montréal before the arrival of the European settlers.

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Photo Exhibits

Ceci n’est pas… ailleurs

Discover or rediscover the charm of the historical district thanks to a new photo exhibit, located on de la Commune Street, longing the Old Port between King and Queen Streets

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Montrealers – A Story in Portraits

If you’re walking down the Place Jacques-Cartier, you’ll find that you’re only a couple metres away from an experience that will take you back in time and view a collection of meticulously chosen photographs which will invoke sounds, odours and emotions of the past. You’ll instantaneously relive the history of a nascent Montréal, and a maturing city which has evolved with its inhabitants. You’ll catch several glimpses of Montréal’s history in a personalized lens, presenting residents of all ages and origins. It is a collection of powerful stories captured live or recreated in studios by renowned photographers or anonymous ones, from the invention of film until the mid-70s.

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Faire du sport pour se détendre et se relaxer

Yoga and Essentrics at Parc Éphémère

As of July 11^th, the Parc éphémère, an urban oasis located at the corner of Wellington and Ontario Streets, transforms itself into a space dedicated to well-being and meditation. From Tuesday to Friday, the yoga studios of Old Montreal offer you free lessons over lunch or after work from 5PM to 7PM. All you need to bring is yourself and a yoga mat to ensure a relaxing, yet dynamic, outdoor experience.

Lesson plan

Pétanque at Pigeon Hole

The vacant field at the corner of Saint-Jean and Notre-Dame West Streets has been converted into a temporary green space. Located at the heart of the historical district, this pleasant and playful area welcomes tourists, workers, residents and passersby in the neighbourhood. All are invited to take advantage of the lovely urban furniture to eat lunch and relax outdoors. Those up for a game of pétanque are welcome to bring their boules and play a couple rounds in the space’s makeshift courts.

Spend some quality family time together

Family Sundays at Pointe-à-Callière

From June 25^th to August 25^th, the Pointe-à-Callière Museum welcomes families to take part in many themed activities: Come experience concerts, workshops and interactive and intergenerational activities. Fun for all is offered Sundays from 1PM to 4:30PM on the Place d’Youville.

In case of showers, activities will take place at the pumping station at 173 Place d’Youvlle.

Consult the activity calendar

Summer Activities at the Château Ramezay

• Military parades from June 24^th to September 3^rd 2017 – From Wednesday to Sunday:

Soldiers from the Compagnie Franche de la Marine and the 78th Fraser Highlanders will be outside the Château during the summer, longing the streets of Old Montreal Wednesday to Sunday until September 4^th. Unless circumstances do not permit it, the soldiers will demonstrate the use of black powder rifles and more modern ones on the Champ-de-Mars.

• Family activities at the Garden as of July 2017

Attention people of all ages, come discover the intricate plant species which adorn the Governor’s Garden by filling out the gardener’s notebook, available for free at the Château’s reception. This activity will prove itself to be amusing and enriching as you learn about the different plants grown and harvested by the settlers of New-France.

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Fashion Museum

Saturdays of July and August, the terrace of the Fashion Museum will be plunged into a deep indigo blue dye. As of 1PM, come discover the ancestral art of shibori, a Japanese resist dyeing technique similar to tie-dye. It allows artists to create a wide variety of designs depending on the method used for obtaining the original shape: twisting, folding, compression…

In case of showers, the Blue Saturdays activity will take place inside the Fashion Museum.

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