Things to do in Montreal: December 12-19

By Rudolph’s red nose, the holidays are but seconds away! The cold is buffered by a beautiful big blanket of snow this week, making Montreal the real twinkly winter wonderland it’s destined to be. The fun has spread everywhere, from the ice rinks to the Place des Arts…

(holiday mood) Scrooge who? Holiday spirit abounds in the streets all over the city these days, with Christmas tunes piping out of speakers at the ice rinks at Parc La Fontaine, Parc Jarry and Parc St-Viateur (not to mention the cozy indoor Atrium at 1000 de la Gauchetière!). Follow our holiday guide for great ideas, and if you’re looking for family-friendly fun, we’ve got the goods on that too. Don’t forget to sign up for the Family Pass, which gets access to a hotel for as little as $69 a night, plus each purchase of an adult ticket at 9 of the city’s most famous attractions gets you 2 free tickets for kids. Nightlife friends, get you wintery party on starting with the Telus Fire on Ice fireworks presentation, on four Saturdays between December 13 and January 3 at 8 pm, for free. The evening comes complete with a musical score made from video game soundtracks.

(gift hunt) Still hunting for that perfect thing for your favourite person? Check out our chock-a-block holiday shopping guide, which includes the masses of arts and craft fairs on this weekend, including the Winter Puces Pop on December 12 through 14 at Église St-Denis (5075 rue Rivard) in Mile End, full of stylish and carefully made delights, and the massive Salon des Métiers d’Art de Montréal, which continues downtown.

 (outdoor fun) Get some colour by taking in the serious-sounding but totally-amazing Luminothérapie in the Quartier des Spectacles, where the whole area becomes a giant kaleidoscope thanks to 50 pivoting prisms. There are eight video works projected live around the neighbourhood on the menu too. Further south in Old Montreal, Merry Montreal brings festivities along the St-Lawrence from December 13 to January 4, including skating, ice fishing, a Christmas market and lots of amazing deals in the area’s restaurants. Eastward, at the Olympic Park, don’t miss the full-fledged Winter Village, including skating rink, roaring fire, performances by bands and storytellers, a ginormous Christmas tree and tons o’ food trucks. Sports fans, skate on by to our winter sports guide.

(performing arts) Place des Art hits a high note on December 15 at the annual Opéra de Montréal Gala benefit concert, which has in store singing by the best of Montreal’s voices in a showcase format. For a classic Christmas experience, what could be better than taking in The Nutcracker by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal? It features over 100 dancers, both young and old, and it’s on from December 11 to 30 at Place des Arts. Starting on December 17 at Tohu, Attrape-moi  will give you the shot of adrenaline you need to finish your seasonal shopping with a slew of heart-stopping acrobatics and musical fun. On Monday, December 15, head to MainLine Theatre to Sing It Loud, Sing it Proud, Come Sing Xmas Carols Drunkenly in a Crowd! (It’s not your average type of holiday event.)

(live music) Get ready to welcome Despised Icon on December 13, at Club Soda, while the rough’n’tumble sound of the Flatliners comes to Foufounes Électriques on Sunday, December 14. Matisyahu makes Monday December 15 a holy affair, at the Corona Theatre. On December 16, head to Belmont for three hip-hop performances: Max Comeau, Fatima Radics and The Rising Few, featuring holiday cookies. December 18 calls for some decision making: you’ve got Chuck Ragan at Petit Campus, Alvvays at Sala Rossa or Contrôle: Route 94 at Stereo.

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