Pack your snowpants and head on over to the Fete de Neiges, for the first weekend of a month-long series of outdoors activities for families and kids at Parc Jean Drapeau. New feature this year: the Frosty Slides, an ice village populated by 18 slides of varying sizes. And you can also climb aboard the Ice Ship, ride a Snow Scooter or take in a live performance. Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Frigid temperatures be darned: Igloofest has begun! The is the first weekend of many of outdoor, late-night dance parties. Friday night (with Diplo) is sold out, but Saturday's lineup includes headliner electronica icon Four Tet, and locals like Clickbait and Jacques Green, as well as Taraval and Volvox on the Videotron stage.
Barbegazi takes winter to extremes at the Big O this weekend: axe throwing, snowskating, Christmas tree throwing and electric fatbiking. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm.
The 2019 Montreal Auto Show cruises into town on Friday. Forty-two electric cars are on display, a record number so far, and there is also the mysterious Black Box, a light-and-sound event that surrounds three pricey, rare cars. At the Palais des congrès until January 27.
Salon de l'amour et de la séduction is back, with vendors, presentations like 'Canadian Sexy Males' and Scarlett Grande Revue, and seminars about body language and techniques, by educators like Contessa Alura and Luna Matatas. Saturday and Sunday at Place Bonaventure.
The Wildside Festival wraps up Sunday. Every January, the festival showcases live art pulled from the wild fringes of the theatre world. See Sapientia, a play written by one of the first female playwrights, a German nun named Hroswitha who lived hundreds of years ago. This new, entertaining adaptation of her work uses food and household objects like teacups to symbolically stand in for messy scenes of martyrdom. At the Centaur, you can also check out True Crime, a solo show by rocker Torquil Campbell on why he sought out a convicted murderer serving time in a California prison.
Children of God starts its run at the Segal on Sunday. In this musical, a pair of young siblings are taken from their mother to a residential school in Northern Ontario. I will be introducing Michael DeGagné, whose work helped lead to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as he delivers a pre-show lecture at 11am on Sunday. Entry, coffee and pastries are free.
Montreal bands like We Are Monroe and The Day Dreamers duke it out to secure a spot at Canadian Music Week, a showcase in Toronto, at the Jim Beam Battle of the Bands. Free admission. Friday, 8pm at Casa del Popolo.
Speaking of competitions, Art Battle pits visual artists against one another. They have 20 minutes to create a work of art in a set format. Audience members vote for their favourites. Friday night at Bar La Shop.
In Ward is a powerful urban dance piece inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit. Six dancers wearing all white sneakers, pants and hoodies. My favourite moments included a game of tag where one audience member joined in. This is a powerful and fun new show by choreographer Alexandra 'Spicey' Landé. Until Sunday at the M-A-I.
Cree lore and Russian drama meld together with Folk Lordz, a made-in-Canada duo putting on an evening of inclusive comedy at Theatre-Ste-Catherine on Saturday. There will be standup, storytelling, and music by brass band The Van Hornies
Out of this world! The Wiggle Room will host Star Trek Burlesque Friday (with Natasha Nebula, Ding Dong Daddy and Gigi Marx as Mr Spock) and Rated Arrr! Pirate Burlesque (with Vanilla Jolie and Betty Cayenne) on Saturday.
Take in live wrestling at Dorval's Terra Nova Youth Centre, 298 Brookhaven. The six matches include Sonny Solay vs Black Dynamite. Saturday, doors at 6pm. All ages are welcome. Tickets here.