Things to do in Montréal: December 18 to 24

In the week leading up to Christmas a lot of us are either rushing around getting things done or winding down at last – whether you need to go gift shopping or just want to relax at a show, there’s plenty to do in Montréal right up to Christmas and beyond.

Merry days and nights

Celebrate the season in season in Montréal style at Merry Montréal throughout Old Montréal where you can warm up at fires, drink free hot chocolate, see Santa at the Christmas market at Place Jacques-Cartier, watch Christmas-themed films and more. Over at downtown’s Place des festival, let the kids loose and your inner child play at the glittering Le Grand Marché de Noël de Montréal outdoors on the Esplanade of Place des Arts. Also outdoors at Place des Arts, play on the 30 illuminated see-saws of interactive art exhibition Luminothérapie, on until January 31 along with animated digital art projected onto nearby buildings and throughout the Quartier des Spectacles. And Le Festival Noël dans le parc lights up Parc des Compagnons-de-St-Laurent (Mont-Royal Avenue at Cartier) with activities and music on weekday evenings and in the afternoon and evenings on weekends to December 25.

More holiday fun

For hours of fun, head to the MAMMOUTH Winter Village for its huge family slide, outdoor ice rink and much more at Olympic Park. There’s more ice skating to music at the beautiful Old Port of Montréal refrigerated outdoor skating rink too. Find Santa alive and well in Montréal’s downtown malls and see him in several different forms at Pointe-à-Callière, the Stewart Museum and the McCord Museum – walk through the gift shops to find gifts the history fans in your life. Take advantage of lowered ticket prices on the Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibition, IMAX movies and more at the Montréal Science Centre  December 18 to January 5 – they’ve also got an awesome gift store. At Space for Life go on a Tropical Adventure at the Biodôme this holiday season, while the Botanical Garden turns into Candyland during A Sweet Christmas, to January 3. For more activities for the whole family, see our new guides to Free things to do in December, Festive fun for kids this holiday season and a Victorian Christmas in Montréal.

Gift shopping

There’s still time to scoop up those last-minute gifts at some of the city’s traditional holiday shopping fairs. The aforementioned Le Grand Marché de Noël de Montréal features vendors selling everything from amazing apple and maple treats to adorable toys, outdoors at the Place des Arts Esplanade to January 2. Definitely explore the Salon des métiers d’art, where hundreds of makers of clothes, accessories, toys, fine food and drink and more gather under one roof at Place Bonaventure downtown to December 20. The Marché de Noël Prince Arthur along Prince Arthur Street at the corner of Boulevard St-Laurent offers all kinds of sweet things for sale along with performances, films and treats. While most of Montréal’s indie markets have closed up shop for the season, this weekend’s aptly named Marché de la dernière chance and Boutique Éphémère Pop-Up Store feature numerous high quality, made-in-Montréal items for hard-to-please people on your list. Also: borrow our ideas for 5 essential gifts from scarves to cider, and if you’re a chronically-late gift buyer, let our list of 12 shops for last-minute gifts in Montréal show you the way to gifting success.

Happy feasts

Get comfortable and fill your belly with Christmas meals and hot drinks specially made for the holiday season. From to six-service table d’hôtes to classic French fare, our guide to holiday menus in Montréal takes you around the city to discover the best in seasonal eating. If you’re with a hungry group, perhaps opt for a private dining room experience. Wine lovers can drink and eat to their heart’s content at these 10 wine-devoted restaurants. Or if you just need a burger and you need it right now, go for these 5 must-try burgers. And when you’re full, bring these made-in-Montréal treats home with you.

Entertainment abounds

Travel to a distant moon and explore the colourful acrobatic world of Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK: The First Flight, a new multimedia circus show inspired by James Cameron’s film Avatar, playing December 21 to January 3 at the Bell Centre. More circus thrills await at La Tohu as high-flying Australian troupe Circa builds an imaginary-animal world of joy, play and music in Carnival of the Animals, with shows December 15 to January 3 – at the same time La Tohu’s Village de Noël offers activities, warm drinks, crepes, ice skating and more. Les Grands Ballets’s The Nutcracker is always a classic for all ages – see its dancing soldiers and sugarplum fairies at Place des Arts to December 30. Critically-acclaimed Tribes, a love story about a deaf man from an eccentric, intellectual family, continues on stage at the Segal Centre to December 20, while the tantelizing short plays of Urban Tales’ An Erotic Christmas heat up Centaur Theatre to December 19. Studio 303 dance studio hosts an anti-establishment cocktail party and eclectic music and performance night Cabaret Tollé on December 19 at La Sala Rossa. See the Northern Lights on screen at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium at the Space for Life in 360° film aurōrae, set to music by DJ Champion. See new and amazing art at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (offering free entry to their permanent exhibitions all month), the Musée d’art contemporain and numerous galleries in the city. And Cinéma du Parc screens documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut along with Hitchcock classics.

Live music

One of Montréal’s most delightfully charismatic and talented musicians, Patrick Watson plays the last of his three-show run at Metropolis on December 18. Québécoise singer-songwriter and former Star Académie reality show finalist Marie-Mai and her band warm our hearts with pop sounds all month at Théâtre St-Denis beginning December 18. Motown and disco joins hands as Alma Faye Brooks leads a musical revue at the Rialto Friday night. Hear some great lo-fi underground music from Brooklyn’s Soft Fangs, Boston’s Strange Mangers and more young luminaries at Casa del Popolo on December 18. Montréal’s Quatuor el Pieto quartet plays classical, tango and traditional tunes and Chœur Baobab sings groovy gospel and more at 1 p.m. on December 19 at Place des Arts’ Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme. Later that night, dance ‘til you can’t dance anymore as Morgan Page and friends turn up the heat at New City Gas and Canadian electronic producer and songwriter OVERWERK speeds things up at Newspeak. On December 20, the Orchestre Métropolitain’s Yannick Nézet-Séguin and pianist Jan Lisiecki lead the way in Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No.2 at Place des Arts’ Maison Symphonique. Also on Sunday, wonder at the beauty of Saint-Joseph’s Oratory and hear youth choir Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal sing at 2 p.m. Jazzy-folky Kimberly and the Dreamtime are joined by Lower the Stars and singer-songwriter J.P. Mortier on December 21 at Casa del Popolo. And, in keeping with Montréal’s reputation, there’s live jazz almost every night at the city’s best jazz and blues clubs.