From February 14 until April 28, the Montreal Botanical Garden will welcome thousands of beautiful butterflies and their equally attractive cousins, moths. The 16^th edition of Butterflies Go Free promises that 2000 butterflies will be fluttering about the green house at all times. You and your family can look forward to discovering over 75 different species of moths and butterflies hailing from Canada, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Kenya, Malaysia and the Philippines…

This year the Butterflies Go Free‘ spotlight is on the majestic Monarch butterflies. These butterflies are featured not only for their exquisite good looks, but because they have the longest migration in North America. They travel from Mexico in the winter to Quebec where they are spotted around June (probably heading to the Jazz Fest) and until the end of the summer. It takes 4 generations of Monarch’s to complete the trip, which usually spans about one year. And you thought you didn’t like winter.

While you’re at the Botanical Gardens, visitors can recline in the swank Monarch Lounge. The Monarch Lounge’s seats are designed like eggs, caterpillars and chrysalises. The decor was dreamed up by Quebec designer Liz Vandal, an internationally renowned fashion/costume designer famous for creating the costumes for Cirque du Soleil’s insect inspired show, OVO. From the butterflies and moths to the decor, Butterflies Go Free is a lovely way to welcome Spring in an almost fairy tale like setting.

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THE DETAILS

Butterflies Go Free, February 14 to April 28, 2013
Montreal Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke Street East, (514) 872-1400

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Musically, Montréal en Lumière spans genres and the globe, from classic American rock band The Zombies (yes!) to crowd favourite Diana Krall to a whole series of shows inspired by this year’s guest city, Buenos Aires, Argentina, including tango grandmaster Daniel Piazzolla and his sextet Escalandrum and award-winning tango dancers and musicians at the La Pista Tango show at Place des Arts.

Acclaimed pianist Alain Lefèvre returns to Montreal to play his own compositions, soprano Marie-Josée Lord sings a selection of Spanish, Latin and Portuguese songs, blues, folk and gospel is in store with Eric Bibb and Habib Koité, and on February 22, it’s time to party with Montreal ska-funk band The Planet Smashers. Meanwhile, on the more eclectic rock-folk end of things, there’s Pierre Lapointe, -M-, Karim Ouellet, Colin Moore, Thus: Owls, and more, as well as classical, jazz and gospel shows lighting up evenings throughout the festival.

For drama, intrigue and wonder look to Montréal en Lumière’s theatre, dance and circus shows: Trad follows the story of an Irish centenarian and his father as they traverse the Irish countryside in search of their remaining family; The Humanity Project’s 50-person-strong Pigeons International poetically blends theatre and dance; multimedia performance-installation The Speaking Tent tells stories of urban life and traditional ways.

Agora de la Danse joins in with new contemporary dance performances from Harold Rhéaume and José Navas; the Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain flies high with some of the best acrobats and circus artists in the world; Magnitude6, full_range blows electronic-music-loving minds with arrangements by Brandt Brauer Frick; and a series of old-school cabaret dinner-and-dancing shows unwinds at Le Balcon.

Along with all that music and on-stage spectacle is plenty of free entertainment. The festival’s family-friendly outdoor site at Quartiers des Spectacles around Place des Arts will feature a disco-inspired ice slide (totally worth the wait in line), interactive projections on the area’s buildings, music,  and much more. All this activity culminates in Nuit Blanche on March 2, a thousands-strong public event that spans the city’s galleries, theatres, underground corridors and outdoor stages – and goes on late, late into the night.

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THE DETAILS

Montréal en Lumière, February 21 to March 3, 2013

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(play outside) More snow is on the way, so why not embrace it at Montreal’s own Snow Village, featuring heated igloos, a hotel, restaurant and bar, and more over at beautiful Parc Jean-Drapeau. Stay active outdoors at the Old Port of Montreal’s huge skating rink (rentals on-site) or settle in at the Old Port’s Ice Fishing Village, with genuine (heated) ice fishing shacks and a well-stocked river. Or get in on a game of pick-up hockey at one of Montreal’s bustling outdoor rinks. If the weather proves too much, duck inside for the more summery natural world of 3D IMAX film Flight of the Butterflies, an epic journey across North America and Mexico, playing at the Montreal Science Centre, also host to the fun, interactive, music-making exhibition Musik: From Sound to Emotion.

(stay warm, eat well) All that outdoor activity builds up an appetite, and while Montreal Poutine Week may officially be over, that won’t stop the gravy from flowing and the cheese curds from melting – poutine will always be a classic winter warm up food, so go for it after playing or watching outdoor sports or opt for an even more “manly meal”. Wherever you are in Montreal, from Little Italy to Plateau-centric St-Denis, good food abounds. Or warm up in the kitchen yourself at a cooking class at Les Touilleurs as Stéphanie Labelle reveals pastry secrets on February 11 or at Dante in Little Italy with Nick Hodge, chef-owner of Kitchenette on February 13.

(thrilling theatrics) Intrigue is on stage this week when a town’s peaceful ways turn tumultuous as “civilized” colonialism faces an “uncultured” tribe in Waiting for the Barbarians, based on the Nobel Prize-winning book by J.M. Coetzee, at the Segal Centre, to February 17. Drama is in full force at Centaur Theatre in the true story of murder in 1950s rural Ontario unfolds in Innocence Lost, to February 24. Colourful, comedic, Dali-inspired circus show La Verità extends its run at Place des Arts to February 9. Theatrical, emotional Indian dance show Bharati – The Wonder that is India returns with over 70 dazzling dancers, musicians, singers and acrobats, February 12-17 at Place des Arts. And for something a little different on Valentine’s Day, see cabaret variety show 25 Years of Mado, a foray into the world of famed Montreal drag queen Mado Lamotte, at Metropolis.

(Black history & culture) Montreal Black History Month continues throughout February with music, art exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and more. On February 9, see classic funk-jazz music group Tchukon come back together for a night of dancing and fun at the PHI Centre, while Melodi Muzik & Vox Sambou play Cabaret du Mile End. Political and social activism pervades the story of an African price turned slave turned revolutionary in Oroonoko, written by Aphra Behn and directed by Paul Van Dyck, playing at the MAI February 6-17, and Martin Luther King’s famous speech of 50 years ago is the inspiration behind I Have a Dream: The Exhibit, a historically insightful, thought-provoking show of photography, painting, sculpture and even fashion, at Espace Georges Emile Lapalme at Place des Arts.

(art ideas) Get a little lost in thought, space and time in Uraniborg, an amazing new multi-room exhibition from French multidisciplinary artist Laurent Grasso, showing alongside 40 captivating recent photography works by Lynne Cohen, and a film by Jonathas de Andrade, all at the Musee d’art Contemporain. Travel to Peru and discover its history and culture without leaving town: the MMFA’s’ Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon features pre-Columbian masterpieces as well as modern art. Catch the last week of a mini-retrospective of Michael Snow’s photography, video and sound work at Galerie UQAM. And colourful solo work by Jason Botkin, one of the founding members of public art collective En Masse, covers the walls at at Lndmrk Gallery (550 Beaumont).

(music moves) The final weekend of Igloofest goes down this Thursday to Saturday with wintery electronic music mayhem from Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, Ben UFO, Joy Orbison, Chris Liebing and more. Taking the beat down a few notches, Blue Rodeo celebrates 25 years of making music, February 8 at Place des Arts. Dead Kennedys prove punk ain’t dead on February 9 at Theatre Corona, while on February 10, Zappa Plays Zappa- Dweezil even teaches a guitar class to keeners earlier in the day. Lady Gaga brings her Born This Way Ball to the Bell Centre on February 11, while Yo La Tengo settles in for a sweet night at the Corona Theatre. Believe it: Ghostface Killah and Sheek Louch are at Club Soda on February 12. Meanwhile, British Mercury Prize winners The Maccabees play Cabaret Mile End. Bon Jovi bring their Because We Can Tour to the Bell Centre February 13-14, while on February 13, noise-textured, electronic pop, brain-sparking duo Matmos  plays Il Motore. And for lovers, French metal band Gojira ups the intensity at Le National on February 14.

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