Montreal in the hot months feels like the reason the sun exists – the city shines like a mirage full or music festivals, lively parks and revelers everywhere you turn. You don’t have to ask us twice to stay out of doors, and with these great activities, even the kids will agree. No TV show in the world compares to the fun to be had in the great outdoors…

The gorgeous 245 hectare natural park that is the Morgan Arboretum kicks the party off on May 10 with a hopping evening: Frog Songs: The Symphony of Spring invites you and yours to break out your flashlights and discover the amazing nocturnal life of amphibians from 7 to 9 pm. Join Chris Cloutier as he takes you down to a local swamp in search of our cold-blooded friends. On Saturday, May 18, from 8 am to noon, the arboretum sings spring’s praises with The Birds of Spring, in honour of the peak of the spring migration. The trees are alive with birds all over this beautiful park, and this excursion will introduce you to dozens of species.

Speaking of birds, the Parc des Rapides is a gorgeous natural site at the foot of the Lachine rapids, on the St. Lawrence River, with a tremendously diverse ecological zone. Since 1937 it’s acted as a migratory bird refuge – what’s special is that now’s the time to spot the nests housing the next generation of birdies. The park is home to 225 species of birds, 66 species of fish and 250 types of plants! Plus it’s free to visit.

May 13 kicks off the season of water fun at H2O Adventures, where you can rent any of 50 watercraft, from kayaks to pedal boats to canoes or electric motorboats. Take the kids for a fast ride along the St. Lawrence, or go more mellow and teach them how to canoe like our ancestors did – it’s a good way to give them a history lesson without them even knowing it.

While you’re in that neck of the woods, bike or stroll along the Lachine Canal to the Musée Plein Air de Lachine, an amazing, monumental sculpture garden that’s among the largest open air museums in Canada. The 50 works on view include some by André Fournelle, Michel Goulet, David Moore and Bill Vazan – and for once, this is a museum where kids are allowed to touch the art!

Take the fam sky high with Air Saint-Laurent, Montreal’s own seaplane service from Île Sainte-Hélène, at the foot of the Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Explore the city by helicopter, or aboard their famous Beaver, a seaplane that will take you over the Olympic Stadium, downtown, green spaces and parks galore before landing you back down, amazed.

The Botanical Gardens is natural bliss incarnate, and during the 1000 Days for the Planet, kids get to learn about the planet’s biodiversity every week from Tuesday to Sunday in an exhibition that mashes together science and art. Make sure you keep time to stroll through the picturesque gardens – from the Chinese garden to the rose bushes, it’s all blooming beautiful right now.

And for the simplest, quickest, quintessentially Montreal-est free fun in the sun, go use the swings on President Kennedy and St-Urbain, right in the Quartier des Spectacles. They’ll sing to you.

THE DETAILS

Morgan Arboretum, 150 chemin des Pins, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, (514) 398-7811

Parc des Rapides, corner 6th Avenue and LaSalle Boulevard, (514) 367-6351

H2O Adventures, 2985B St-Patrick, (514) 842-1306

Musée Plein Air de Lachine, Parc René-Lévesque, Lachine, (514) 634-3478

Air Saint-Laurent, departure points depends on the adventure, (514) 447-7950

Botanical Gardens, 4101 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

The post Out and about with the family this spring and summer appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Similar to how the Montreal Jazz Festival plays fast and loose with the definition of jazz, the Folk Festival not only showcases some of the best Montreal singer-songwriters strumming guitars, but bands that tread the fine line between folk, rock, blues, country and, well, miscellaneous – and that’s why the fest can be so interesting, surprising even! Case in point, much-loved Montreal rock stars Plants and Animals play Saturday evening just as the sun goes down.

The festival is put together by Montreal’s Hello Darlin’ Productions, an arts company that knows its way around the Montreal folk, roots and bluegrass music scene, and entertainment company Hyperbole Music, and together they’ve packed the schedule with professional-grade good times. The festival officially starts on Thursday, June 14, with the aforementioned opening gala with Peter Yarrow, formerly of Peter, Paul and Mary (unforgettable for Puff the Magic Dragon alone, but Blowin’ in the Wind contends too), taking place indoors at the lovely Georges Vanier Cultural Centre (2450 Workman). The following night, Jim Kweskin and the Ever Lovin’ Jug Band take the same stage with their style of old-time (pre-40s) traditional folk blended with plenty of humour and singing along.

No folk fest is official unless part of it takes place outside, and Montreal’s Folk Fest knows it, scheduling two days of music, June 16-17, on their outdoor stage across from Atwater Market next to Charlevoix street in St-Henri – best of all, it’s free! Or, for those looking for a VIP experience, spend $30 for the day and get reserved seats, drinks and more. Performances start at 1 p.m. on Saturday with Gary Farrell, followed on the hour by The Custom Outfit, Bent by Elephants, Dala, Rob Lutes, Notre Dame de Grass, and ending the night with Plants and Animals. On Sunday starting at 12:30 p.m., see David Sherman, Folly and the Hunter, Friend of all the world, Simon Boudreau, Joey Wright and Carolyn Mark, Les Soeurs Boulay, Kevin Parent and, once it’s dark, a screening of film Café de Flore. Plus food trucks, beer and boundless socializing.

To make it all even more family friendly, the Folk Fest features the Lhasa de Sela stage, where younger musicians, singers, dancers, storytellers and other performers are welcome to show their stuff if they’re under 19 years old and ready get on stage. On Saturday, the fest teams up with Parks Canada for a night of camping, specially designed for camping novices but open to all. The Learn to Camp at the Lachine Canal event starts at 4 p.m. with tent set-up, a tour along the canal, snacks, fire-pits and more – a quality camp breakfast is even included.

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THE DETAILS

Montreal Folk Festival on the Canal, June 14-17, 2012

Photos: Elida Arrizza

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If you’re looking to beat the summer heat, there’s no better way than to take a spin out to Kayak Sans Frontières (KSF), a water sports adventureland nestled along the shores of the Lachine Rapids…

Kayak Sans Frontières is a quaint establishment tucked away in a nice field alongside the rapids. It’s in Montreal, but based on the pristine water and the landscape you’d never know it. Once you’re there you will find everything you need like wet or dry suits and trained instructors waiting to take you surfing, kayaking, or stand up paddling (SUP!).

The Surfing takes place just a short walk down the trail from the KSF headquarters. There were many surfers of varying skill level (so it’s no big deal if you’re not a pro) waiting on the bank for their turn to ride the wave. I asked the instructor if the wave was man-made and he told me that it was naturally occurring, which was remarkable considering how perfect it was.

The Kayak tours vary in length depending on the day. But before you embark on your kayaking journey you’re taught how to maneuver the kayak and of course, how to flip upside down and unzip your kayak skirt in case things get too wild.

Stand Up Paddling (SUP) is a relatively new sport. It’s done on a surfboard and the idea is to… stand up and paddle. Think of a gondola. It was invented in the Hawaiian Islands and grew in popularity from there. It’s a water sport that even the least athletic people can enjoy with ease and look really cool doing. Once you’re up, it’s easy to see how this sport has gained in popularity; it’s impressive looking to the people on shore but really quite easy if you have a half way decent center of balance.

Even though Montreal has a bustling urban center, it’s nice to be reminded that all the advantages of an afternoon in nature are right in your own backyard.

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THE DETAILS

Kayak Sans Frontières, 7770 boul. Lasalle, Lachine Rapids, 514-595-SURF (7873)

(The website is in French but give them a call and they’ll be happy to answer any questions you have)

The post KAYAKING, SURFING AND SUP IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This year marks the fourth annual Montreal Folk Festival on the Lachine Canal. The little-music-fest-that-could, which strums along from June 16 to June 19, has steadily moved its way up many a Montrealers’s must-hear calendar. The now four-day event is nestled behind the McAuslan Brewery at the St-Ambroise Terrace, which you’ll find overlooking along the historic Lachine Canal, an ideal backdrop for acoustic guitars, pleasant picnics and, obviously, great beer.

This year’s festival boasts an excellent lineup featuring musicians like John Sebastien of The Lovin’ Spoonful (an appearance that has many a proud Woodstockian excited), as well as Mark Berube and the Patriotic Few, Emm Gryner, Rose Cousins and the always-popular Fred Eaglesmith. But this city is of course bursting with homegrown talent, like the always-boisterous Jimmyriggers, French folk poppers Tricot Machine and the truly talented (and some say handsome) multi-instrumentalist, Joe Grass.

If you’d like to go but don’t know what to do with your kids, bring them along! It’s family-friendly fun with lots of activities and music for children that will exhaust them so that they’ll just eventually fall asleep. And, as mentioned before, one of the real draws of the Folk Fest is its location alongside the Lachine Canal. In conjunction with the Parks Canada celebrations, you can even camp overnight after enjoying some friendly folk with friends.

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THE DETAILS

Montreal Folk Festival, June 16-19, 2011

St. Ambroise Terrace, 5080 St. Ambroise Street

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Our photo of the week comes from Flickr whiz Madame B. She’s got a whole slew of delightful pics, including some stellar black & white work.

This photo, despite its ambiguous origins (iPhone app or Polaroid?), captures the iconic “Five Roses” sign in vintage, faded glory.  The sign has been an iconic part of the city’s skyline since its erection in 1948. With continued controversy over its future, ours suggestion is to plan a visit sooner than later, before it disappears from the Montreal skyline forever.

For more information check out the Farine Five Roses Art Project, which is devoted to maintaining and celebrating the historic billboard.

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Submit your Montréal pictures to our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

And see our previous PHOTOS OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This week we tip our hats to flickr user camwil2009 for this colorful shot, taken along the Lachine Canal. Running more than 14 kilometers long, from Old Montréal to Lac St. Louis, the canal is a great backdrop for a leisurely bike ride or a scrumptious picnic. Lunch and bicycles can both be found at the Atwater Market.

Check out the Lachine Canal Visitor’s Center if you are curious about the history of this unique Montréal landmark.

Submit your pictures on our MONTRÉAL BUZZ FLICKR GROUP.

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See our previous FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK.

The post FLICKR PHOTO OF THE WEEK appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.