Montreal’s Gay Village is centered roughly between Berri-Uqam and Papineau metro, bordered by Sherbrooke Street on the northern edge, and René-Levesque on the south. Smack dab in the center on Saint-Catherine is Beaudry metro, easily identified by the rainbow bars above the main entrance. The best way to discover the Village is to explore the streets and meet the people. However if you need a little assistance, here are some notable Village hotspots…

Notable restaurants in the Gay Village include the highly-rated Mezcla, a “nuevo latino” restaurant that combines South American flavours with European style cooking. Mezcla has an extensive seafood menu, with private import wines from Latin America. Miyako Sushi is one of best Japanese restaurants in the area with good service and prices that won’t make you squirm. Other higher-end restaurants in the area include the amazing BYOB O’Thyme, mediterranean-style Ella Grill, and the open-kitchen Kitchenette.

If you’re looking for something a little more on the casual side try Quebec classic St-Hubert, the always tasty Resto Pub St. André, La Piazzetta, Mozza (BYOB) or village favorite Saloon (complete with cute waiters.) You can dine your way across the globe in the Gay Village, with some international cuisine like Couscoussiere d’Ali Baba, the Korean rice bar Be Bap (BYOB), and the insanely yummy NosThés Bistro which offers up great value Taiwanese with an impressive selection of exotic tea.

During the summer Montreal’s patios bloom to life. Restaurants with great open air seating include Bistro Florin graced by a large poplar tree, or Sky with huge pitchers of Sangria on the rooftop. One of the highest rated restaurants in Montreal on TripAdvisor (coming in at #8) is located a block east of the Gay Village called Le Grain de Sel. It has a neighbourhood vibe with some exquisite French cuisine. Want a sleazy one night stand with a burger? Five Guys Burgers on Saint Catherine is all the meat you’ll need.

Finding a fun, local watering hole in Montreal’s Gay Village is probably the easiest thing you’ll do all week. Every block has at least some sort of bar/lounge that will satisfy your thirst and preference. Starting with the always lovely Gotha Lounge, it’s intimate with a fireplace and a big beautiful bar. Try not to be deceived by initial appearances, Bar Relaxe on Sainte-Catherine is a solid place to grab a quick drink and chit chat with a friend. One of the hidden gems near the Gay Village is a little door and staircase right outside Berri-Uqam metro called l’Escalier. Escalier is filled with chill people, cheap beer, with nooks and chairs to get lost in.
Drinking with a purpose always feels more productive, so flipping through the extensive song list (and settling on any Celine Dion) at the Village karaoke bars Club Date and Cocktail will be an easily achievable goal. If you’re a man’s man looking for other men, Bar Le Stud and l’Aigle Noir cater to a slightly more beefy demographic. Grabbing a drink while taking in one of Mado’s famous Drag Shows is particularly popular with students on Tuesday nights, due to the cheaper cover. The deadliest cocktail list in the Village is at Saloon, I suggest trying the “Bangkok.” I’m sure there was no pun intended when the owners named it.

Generally the consensus among frequent nightlife patrons is the Gay Village has some of the best dancing in town. Big open floors, flashy light shows, and people who, you know, actually dance. Club Unity is big on Friday nights filled with a young college crowd grinding to Top 40, while Saturday brings a slightly more mature crowd and House music. Apollon sits inside a stunning building (a former post office) and is worth going any night between Thursday and Sunday. The crowd is mixed, the bartenders are shirtless, and the space is a fun place to explore. Especially the basement level called Katakombs. Complex Sky has several dance floors, a gentle crowd, and music that fluctuates in quality depending on the room you find yourself in.
Even after the regular clubs close, if you’re still itching to move, the Gay Village has two afterhours clubs you can hit. Stereo is renowned for its sound system and weekly lineup of world-class DJ’s, and Circus does its name honour after the clubs close. Don’t forget to grab breakfast on your way home at Chez Cora, L’Oeufrier or Resto du Village!

While wining, dining, and dancing is always a good time for a Friday night, it’s those Sunday afternoons in a coffee shop reminiscing about that wild night out that are often the most enjoyable. There are a bundle of cozy cafés for your latté sipping pleasure in the Gay Village. Autour d’un pain is the best-smelling café because it also doubles as a bakery.

There are the chain coffee shops like Starbucks, Second Cup, Java U, Tim Hortons and Presse Cafe, but why would you bother when you could support local small business by going to places like Le Pouce Gourmand, De Farine et d’Eau Fraiche, Pourquoi Pas, and 1000 grammes (formally known as Kilo). La Mie Matinale is filled with handsome men, sandwiches, coffee, treats, and pictures of singer/actress Dalida, so naturally it’s worth every minute and dollar spent there.

Starting with White Party Week (March 28-April 1) there will be lots happening in the Village during these busy few days. Also in March, ARTSIDA and the Edgy Women’s Festival will be taking place throughout Montreal. The real festivals begin in the summer though, when the Village transforms into a pedestrian boulevard with patios, performers, and people watching. Divers/Cité will take place July 30-August 4, followed by Fierté Montreal Pride, August 12-18. Fierté Montreal Pride week will see Community Day, Dyke March, and free concerts draw huge crowds to the Village. Check out some highlights from the full summer festival season in Montreal:

While not all festivals happen in the Gay Village, all of them are LGBT-friendly. All of January and into February, Montreal will be spending hours outdoors dancing at Igloofest, the coolest electronic music festival ever. Following in February is Montreal en Lumiere with Nuit Blanche, a celebration of culture in the Plateau, Old Port and Downtown. The summer season includes Jazz Fest, Just for Laughs, and Completement Cirque!

There are two primary shopping arteries in the Gay Village. Saint-Catherine that runs west-east and Amherst going north-south. Amherst is filled with many antique shops and stores that specialize in home decor like Cité Deco, Montréal Moderne, Spoutnik, and Second Chance. If you’re strolling down Saint-Catherine and hunting for something a little kinky, Priape and Fetish Armada are both high-quality stores with all the leather and rubber you could shake a stick at. For men’s clothing check out Evolution, Podium, Ernest, or the very cool Boutique Osez just off Saint-Catherine on Wolfe.
If you’re in the market for art, stop by the galleries in the area: Galerie Dentaire (yes, doubles as a dentist’s office), Galerie Hermine, Galerie Nowhere, and Zephyr. All can be found dotted along Amherst. Last but not least, if you’re looking to buy something for a little furry friend, Doggy Style on Amherst is stocked with bones and toys!

The post WHAT TO DO IN MONTREAL’S GAY VILLAGE IN 2013 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

She might not have won RuPaul’s Drag Race, but Shangela turned it out during a performance at Fierté Montreal Pride 2012. Check out the incredible full mini-concert..

Queer of the Year 2012 contestant Shane Jenek AKA Courtney Act spins those sultry limbs on the QOTY firetruck for 167,000 people that lined René-Levesque Blvd. during the Fierté Montreal Pride Parade 2012.

Tracy Trash kills it as Marilyn Monroe at Divers/Cité 2012 during the world’s largest drag show Mascara! Look at those Spirit Fingers! The 21st edition of Divers/Cité will be July 30 – August 4, 2013.

A sexy beefcake glitter dancer shakes it during Fierté Montreal Pride Parade 2012. Fierte Montreal Pride 2013 takes place August 12-18, 2013. See you all there!

Vagina puppets a wavin’ at the 1st Official Dyke March to kick off Community Day under the pink balls of the Gay Village.

Nana creeps a peek onstage during the evening show at Cabaret Mado in Montreal’s Gay Village. Try going on a Tuesday night, it’s a packed house with great drink deals!

A

PLUS A BONUS GIF:
Well done, Sir. Well done.

Gifs by Alexander Dunphy / Original videos by Guillaume Langlois

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There’s a feeling I get every summer I spend in Montreal that has me tickled pink. It starts at the end of June and grows until it reaches the climax the last few weeks of August. It’s the LGBT energy in the air. A feeling of pride, inclusiveness, community and yes, that famous humidity-heat thing. Now that we’re reluctantly being pulled into fall, check out the video for a gander back on some summer highlights in Montreal!

Divers/Cité was “all together different” this year with a big move to the Vieux-Port. And let me say, this festival practically double-rainbows the entire Old Port. Watching world class entertainment with the striking Montreal skyline in the background was a sight to behold. Tourists who would never usually attend such an event found themselves drawn in by the sounds of Divers/Cité’s roster of DJs, the world’s largest drag show Mascara, and live music from Quebec and International artists.

Fierte Montreal Pride 2012 broke records in their 6th year with over 320,000 total spectators! This is definitely attributed to the hard work in adding a variety of programming like the first ever official Dyke March, Kids Day, and the Generation Boomer show. Not to mention classics like T-Dance going to a whole new level with a performance by Shangela (beautifully captured by Montreal Buzz videographer Guillaume) that will knock your socks off.

The Fierte Montreal Pride Parade 2012 under the theme “Our Flag, Our Pride” drew another record crowd of 167,000 people along René-Levesque all thanks to the 3,000 energetic and divers participants! The jury awarded some parade floats in six categories with the “Most Crowd Pleasing Float” going to the Conseil Quebecois des Gais et Lesbiennes, and the “Corporate Float of the Year” going to Loblaws with their awesome rainbow shopping cart explosion:

Another community highlight was Pink Dot, a movement that originated in Asia and has hundreds of people making a giant pink dot in a silent yet powerful statement about global LGBT human rights.

Tourisme Montreal kept the competition fierce and the silliness fresh with the 3rd Edition of Queer of the Year! This was the first edition won by a female, Ivette Gonzalez-Alé and we can’t wait to have her back to Montreal as part of her prize package ! Check out all the QOTY shenanigans that went down here.

We’ll see everyone again next summer for another round of LGBT Pride events that only a place like Montreal could host with such flare and class.

The post MONTREAL’S LGBT SUMMER 2012 IN REVIEW appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(pride and parties) The Montreal Pride celebrations continue to August 14, as the city’s LGBTA community shows its stuff with music, art, theatre, dance, a parade and, of course, hot parties late into the night. As always, Pride is open to everyone – a celebration of diversity and community especially obvious on Saturday, August 13, when Montreal community organizations take to the streets with all kinds of info for Community Day on Ste-Catherine E. (between Berri and Papineau), and during the big parade on Sunday, August 14 on René-Lévesque W., all the way from Guy to Place Émilie-Gamelin in the Village. And, for those who need to calm among the frenzy, take part in the huge (and free!) yoga class on August 13 at 3 p.m. at the TD Stage.

(art in the street) Graffiti art in Montreal is nothing new – you’ll see it around town in all its legal and not-so-legal forms – but, as in most big urban centers, it’s still not considered mainstream. But does that really matter? Going on 16 years old now, Under Pressure- an independent, welcoming event that brings together graffiti artists, skateboarders, hip-hop artists and those who love them- fills the streets around at Ste-Catherine and Hotel-de-Ville, August 13–14. The weekend features street artists, live painting, 50 different DJs and musicians, skateboard demos, and a two art installation from 123Klan.

(Franco-blues) Legends of Quebecois blues, country and rock as well as bands new to the scene fill the Festiblues roster, to August 14 at Ahuntsic Park. Take an easy Metro ride up north for this truly unique experience of Quebecois arts and culture, featuring Roch Voisine, Marjo, Les Trois Accords and many, many more.

(theatre bloody theatre) August isn’t known as prime time for theatre in Montreal, but in a city that bursts with creativity, the theatre arts are no exception – you just can’t keep an actor down (oh, I’ve tried). Disney’s big-budget classic The Lion King sings of Simba and the circle of life at Place des Arts starting this week and running to September 4. And, continuing to August 13, The Montreal Shakespeare Theatre Company stages what is considered the Bard’s most violent play: the bloody and bawdy Titus Andronicus, a Roman-Empire tale of revenge. Playing at Monument-National’s Studio Hydro-Québec.

(walk the walk) Get to know the creative side of downtown Montreal on a free walking tour of the Quartier des Spectacles, this Friday, August 12 at 10:30 a.m., starting at La Patrie building (182 Ste-Catherine E.). See historical sites, entertainment meccas and street art and hear tales of red-light-district lore as you walk the streets of the downtown core as well as its labyrinthine underground.

(children at play) Over at Jean-Drapeau Park, kids rule the roost at the 13th Fête des Enfants de Montréal, August 13–14. It’s a weekend full of free activities for the kids, from song and dance to music shows, arts and crafts, sports, games and all kinds of entertainment and edutainment, including sand castle building and giant marionnettes. Faces will be painted, hot dogs will be consumed, fun will be had. Montreal’s museums also get in on the act, with free activities at the Biodome, Botanical Gardens, Insectarium, Planetarium, Biosphere, Pointe-à-Callière and others on Saturday and Sunday. Wow.

(comedy fun and games) Sure, the Just For Laughs festival is over, but the comedy goes on in Montreal. On Wednesday, August 17, stand-up comedian Tig Notaro and her witty and weird sense of humor, employed on Comedy Central and The Sarah Silverman Program, fly in from L.A. to La Sala Rossa (4848 St Laurent), 9 p.m., with local absurdist improv duo Venezuela.
(music sounds better with you) On Friday, August 12, swing to the jazzy blues of Carolyn Fe as she and her band launch their new album at Le Bistro à Jojo (1627 St-Denis). On August 13, Swedish Viking metal band Amon Amarth brings the thunder of the gods to Metropolis. Or you could spend the day eating ice cream at the Atwater Market and dancing along the Lachine Canal with Piknic Electronik, starting at 1 p.m. and ending the day with a screening of the awesome Quebec film C.R.A.Z.Y. at 8 p.m. On Sunday at Metropolis, the Germans are coming! Digitalism brings the techno-house beats. While over at Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent), shake your azz like you’ve never shook it before with Big Freedia and friends. On August 16, bubblegum-punk band Blink 182 is at the Bell Centre and then – and then! – on Wednesday, August 17, Lil Wayne is at the Bell Center, with Rick Ross, Keri Hilson and Far East Movement. Mmmm.

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Divers/Cité was once again a cultural hotbed of Music, Art and Performance. The events that stood out to me were MASCARA, Grande Danse and the Grand Bal. All three events attracted thousands of people all having fun together. That’s what Divers/Cité is all about: celebrating diversity and having lots of fun while doing it. Mado once again went above and beyond with the largest drag show on the planet: Mascara! From The Wizard of Oz to Britney Spears, the dancers were en pointe with the costumes, choreography and music. What a spectacular show.

The Grande Danse and Grand Bal were almost surreal. I got to go backstage and take a peak out into the crowd as a world-renowned DJ’s spun right next to me. This is what I saw:

It was an absolutely awe-inspiring from that view of tens of thousands of people all dancing under the setting sun. It was pretty powerful stuff that all these people were here to celebrate the message of Divers/Cité. Then we went over the Grand Bal. Which was another experience all together. Watching the band “Funk You” performing was hilarious as it was entertaining. They brought the house down, and I’m extremely jealous of their costumes. The Grand Bal culminated with the jaw-dropping set of Jimmy Moore doing Lady Gaga. She had an egg. She had the freaking egg. The dancing, the costumes, the sets were top notch and was my favourite experience of Divers/Cité over all. This has all gotten me so excited for Fierte Montreal Pride next week!

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Thursday, July 28, 2011: The big show on Thursday starts at 8:00pm, so take this whole day to rest and rejuvenate your delicate body for the fast paced weekend headed your way. I suggest a leisurely Bixi ride through the Old Port, lunch on a terrace, some therapeutic shopping, or forget the world in a long and blissful spa day. The chic gays of the world deserve the most chic spa in Montreal, so Bota Bota could fulfill your needs. Bota Bota is a spa on water. Literally, the spa floats on water. Located just west of les Quays of the Old Port this spa is urban pampering done right. Cocktail bar while getting a mani-pedi? I’ll take a double!

Float away from the spa and get some grub on your way. You’ll need some protein before the show, so grab a burger at the newly opened 5 Guys Burgers on Rue McGill. Seasoned fries, succulent patties, could this day get any better?

8pm, now it’s time for 1, Boulevard des Reves, the longest running variety show in Quebec. Sixteen artists will give you a taste of anything and everything. From Misstress Barbara live to Inuit sensation Elisapie Issac, plus Shequida from New York City! Lounge on one of the D/C terraces and enjoy the show projected on the big screens. D/C has managed to combine Montreal’s love for terraces with my love for big screens, and adds amazing cultural performers! Woohoo!

Friday, July 29, 2011: So you’re going to have to look fabulous all weekend. Why not be inspired by one of the masters of couture? Friday afternoon would be the perfect time to see the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibit “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier” at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. After your salacious appetite for fashion has been ignited, take to Rue St. Catherine to find that perfect outfit for tonight’s New Society.

New Society brings the best of 4 international DJs, 1 massive outdoor dance floor, and thousands of lights, beats and beautiful people. The show starts at 4:30pm with the last DJ taking the stage at 9:30pm and the night’s not even close to over after the crowds vacate Berri Street. UK-based DJ Pagano is spinning at Parking, the official after-party venue for New Society. Set to start at Midnight, this night will just get wilder. See you on the other side.

Saturday, July 30, 2011: Leave your hangover for another day because this will be a busy one and we don’t have a moment to spare! Wake up, late Brunch at Les Folies on Mont Royal. Bixi through the little ruelles of Le Plateau south to Berri Uqam Metro station. Park Bixis and take the Metro on the Green Line east towards to Botanical Gardens. Look at all the pretty flowers, gape in awe at the 300 year old bonsai trees. Head back downtown, early dinner at a pub on Crescent Street (Sir Winston Churchill Pub!). Bixi back along east along Maisonneuve and look around for prime seats. You’ll want the best view for Mado’s MASCARA extravaganza! The show starts at 8, which I’m sure is 8:30 in Drag Queen time. Take in all the sighs, and just enjoy! Take a little nap, and the head out to the official D/C Party at Club Stereo! This all-night rave goes from 1am, with Peter Rauhofer taking the stage at 4am! All partied out? Sleep now, little ones.

Sunday, July 31st, 2011: I hope you saved your energy, because this where you go all out. (You must be thinking “are you kidding me?, I barely remember the last three days…”) But really, the past week has been a training camp for today. This is the big leagues. Le Grand Finale. Le Grande Danse & Le Grand Bal. Looking at the line-up the theme seems to be “If you can’t take Montreal to Ibiza, bring Ibiza to Divers/Cité.” The DJs are Spanish superstars all giving you the best for the 10-hour dance marathon. Take breaks by hitting some Village Terraces. Grab a coffee at Java-U, go have some cocktails at Drugstore, fuel up at Pica Pica. You’ll need all this energy. You explored Montreal on your previous days, now it’s all about dancing the night away. Scoot on over to the Loto-Quebec Stage in Parc Emilie Gamelin at around 9:30pm to see the world-famous Jimmy Moore do a Lady GaGa impersonation set. Fasten your seat belts gays, because the Grande Everything is going to blow you away. After party is back at Parking with DJ David Tort. Expect long lines, and hot men.

All Divers/Cité activities have a suggested $5 donation. This is for charity people! Give what you can!

MAIN ATTRACTIONS:

Thursday July 28: 1, Blvd Des Reves. Loto-Québec Stage, rue Berri / 6 PM : DJ Stéfane Lippé / 8 PM : Show

Friday July 29: New Society. Loto-Québec Stage, rue Berri / 4:30 PM / VJs – Cameron Brothers

Saturday July 30: Mascara. TELUS Stage, rue Berri / 7 PM : DJ Gigi / 8 PM : Show

Sunday July 31: Grande Danse: TELUS Stage, rue Berri / 2 PM // Grand Ball: Loto-Québec Stage, Parc Émilie-Gamelin / 3 PM

AFTER PARTIES:

Friday July 29: Pagano@Parking : Parking, 1296, Rue Amherst / 10 PM / 15$

Saturday July 30: D/C Party: Stereo, 858, Rue Sainte-Catherine Est / 1H / 65$

Sunday July 31: D/C Bal: Stereo, 858, Rue Sainte-Catherine Est / 1H / 65$

Sunday July 31: David Tort @ Parking: Parking, 1296, Rue Amherst / 10 PM / 15$

The post A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO DIVERS/CITE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Transformations is the latest body of work from the famed Robert Laliberté. It explores many different types of transformations and is described as “visual poetry”, saying that each photograph can be interpreted in a unique way by different people. The only thing Laliberté doesn’t want anyone to feel is “nothing”.

“I hope not a single person leaves without feeling some sort of emotion from my photos,” says Laliberté. I was treated to a small sneak peek of this year’s collection and emotions do run high in these pieces. Some are deeply personal to Laliberté, one in particular, Angel, focuses on some of his friends during his life that have died from AIDS. This exposition has a more classic Laliberté feel to it, going back to the themes of blending the male figure with nature. The link Laliberté draws between the two is that we are all organic beings.

In Transformations there will be 21 pieces, with over 60 photographs integrated within. This exhibit will be his second show that uses digital processing to create a transformation in his photos. Although it will be nothing like his last show, which took lots of photoshop and 5-6 photographs to create intricate designs and creatures. This exhibit takes a much more subtle approach, using photoshop in a much more direct way to tell the stories in his photographs. Traditionally, Laliberté seems to use god-like masculine bodies, toned objects of desire. However, Laliberté says that he uses many different types and shapes of bodies. His ease and expertise in photographing men started when he began shooting the covers of Fugues Magazine (a gay-centric magazine published in Montreal). To date, he has shot well over 150 Fugues covers, something he attributes as an important milestone in developing his career as a photographer.

So when anyone is in town walking around the Gay Village during Divers/Cité or Montreal Pride, be sure to pop into Galerie Dentaire. The show is being produced by Kat Coric ART + IDEAS and is sure to bring your through a journey of emotions, beauty, nature and the human form.

THE DETAILS

Robert Laliberté’s TRANSFORMATIONS, July 13 – August 9, 2011

Galerie Dentaire, 1239 Amherst, (514) 523-5535

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So come one, come all to every festival this great city can offer (a little festanimal told me there are over 100!). Whether you’re gay, straight, bi or otherwise, these festivals are for everyone! However if you’re gay, it’s sometimes fun to see other gay things at not specifically gay events. You follow? So here is a guide to a few gay things at Montreal’s summer festivals!

[Jazz Festival] For the International Jazz Festival of Montreal 32^nd edition there will be 800 concerts, 600 activities, 3000 musicians, 9 outdoor stages and 1 power lesbian. You guessed it, the world’s original lesbian k.d. lang is set to take the stage at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on Monday, June 27. Oh k.d., I will never forget that you were my first Gay leader before Ellen oh-so-shamelessly snatched that crown off your glorious mop of hair. Food for thought: Is it k.d. lang that looks like a middle aged Daniel Radcliffe, or is it Daniel Radcliff that looks like a young k.d. lang? Think about it.

OK, I’m not saying Prince is gay. I’m totally not. He’s obviously a very straight man. But you can’t have a song called Purple Rain and then dress in a sequined suit complete with Victorian neck collar and not at least be mentioned here. In a last minute addition to Jazz Fest, Prince will be performing at Metropolis on June 24 and 25 in what should be a couple of very intimate evenings given the size of the venue. Quick question: when did Prince become Prince again and not the Artist Formerly Known as Prince?

Pink Martini will also be playing Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier on June 28. Pink Martini is not only a name with many homosexual tendencies, but Thomas Lauderdale (the lead pianist and group founder) is also the cutest gay ever.

[Just for Laughs] I think it’s safe to say LGBT people are among the funniest in the world. So I’m a bit bummed out with the lack of gay/gay-centric (Kathy Griffin, Margaret Cho) comedians at the 2011 Just For Laughs Festival. However that doesn’t mean there is NOTHING for us. For example, there is gay-for-pay Eric Stonestreet of Modern Family fame. He plays the campy Cam who has more rainbows than hair. While not gay in real life, he’ll be most likely hilarious on Friday July 29 in a show called Modern Love.

Then you have Eddie Izzard who is apparently “straight” but has dabbled in transvestism. He describes himself as a “male lesbian” or a “lesbian trapped in a man’s body”. So I guess he likes girls. But sometimes likes dressing like one as well. Regardless of these details, he is a funny guy who will be performing his show Stripped, July 11–13. What’s even cooler is that Izzard is totally bilingual so he’ll be doing English and French versions of his show!

Last but not least there is Daniel Tosh. The gay rumors have swirled, but he maintains he’s straight. So like many before him, he has settled into the “wish he has gay because he so darn cute” category. Look at those lips! I totally have a crush on him. He has that adorable lanky nerd thing going on and is a total dreamboat. He’ll be doing “Tosh Tour on Ice” Friday July 29.

[Gay Festival Season Preview] So once we’ve had fun with the gay festival foreplay, we dive right into the juicy real Montreal gay stuff! Divers/Cité, which is queering out July 25–31 in and around the Gay Village. See Dave St. Pierre and Daniel Léveillé performing at FLEXX, Misstress Barbara, Ana Paula, Mado, Lady Miss Kier and Alyson Calagna. Oh my gay that’s a lot of international names!

Montreal Pride Celebrations will take place from Tuesday, August 9–14. With the parade on Sunday, August 14 at 1:00PM! This year’s theme is “Share the Pride” with the parade theme being “3011: Odyssey of the Future”. I’m telling you all this now so you can start moulding those space body suits. I know I am. In 2011, more than 140,000 people lined the streets to watch this parade! Details for programming are still mum, but we can be sure this will top the record breaking 2010 Pride!

The post EVERY FESTIVAL HAS A LITTLE GAY IN IT appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Each month THE MONTRÉAL BUZZ features five gay or gay-friendly things to do or see around the city. Recommendations range from parties to bistros to festivals to boutiques to cultural events.

Here are some suggestions for the month of August.

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[pride] CÉLÉBRATIONS – Pride Festival activities always provide many perfect reasons to visit Montreal. Make sure to walk through the village on the Saturday (August 14) for community day; it’s the perfect way to discover the depth and diversity of the Montreal LGBT community. The theme of the parade this year will be “Superheroes” – so bring your lycra body suit and create a super-fab homophobia-fighting identity. During the pride festival, Montreal will also be crowning the International Queer of the Year! Tune in to see who it will be! August 10 – 15.

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[alternative pride] PERVERS/CITÉ – Coined as “the underside of pride,” Pervers/Cité is a collaboratively run designed, multi-faceted event to bring back the radical underpinnings of the pride movement. Take a historical walking tour of queer Montreal, participate in a stimulating game of ‘Capture the Fag’ or brush up on your intellectual side at the queer bookfair. Find that little homo anarchist dreamboat that you’ve been searching for. August 1 – 15.

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[concert] SCISSOR SISTERS – With a new album out, and the reliability of Jake Shears removing his shirt and getting REALLY sweaty, you probably don’t need any extra motivation. But if you do need that extra kick in the pants, Pitchfork said, “Night Work is a bold, uncompromising album that more than earns its inevitable cult adulation.”  And aren’t we all part of the cult of Jake? August 29.

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[restaurant] GARDE-MANGER – I recently took New York City blogger Joe.My.God. on a Bixi ride through Montreal. After a few hours of peddling our tired asses we tucked ourselves in at the bar and had a super delicious meal. The chef, bad-boy Montrealer Chuck Hughes, has his own show ‘Chuck’s Day Off,’ which will soon be storming the televisions of America. Recent visitors to Garde-Manger include Kirsten Dunst and Jake Gyllenhaal. Reservations a must.

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[park] PARC LAFONTAINE – Just north of the Gay Village in the charming Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood is one of Montréal’s most cherished parks. And by ‘cherished’ I mean ‘gayest.’ In the summer you’ll see boys rollerblading by hand-in-hand and dreamy dykes nuzzling up with each other on picnic blankets. Bring a baguette and some cheese (and some wine), and enjoy the Montréal joie de vivre in the shade of a leafy maple tree. (Insert romantic sigh here.)

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