Festivals and outdoor activities spring forth this week with a bout of beautiful weather just in time for the long weekend: celebrate La Fête de Montréal with street entertainment and food; be inspired by the art of Festival Transamériques and Chromatic; fall under the spell of the Montreal Opera, the Chamber Music Festival, and live music from electro-dance to glam rock…

(outdoor life) The fun starts outdoors on Friday, May 17 with free, all-day party La Fête de Montréal in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles. The day celebrates Montreal’s 371st anniversary with performances from circus troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main, folk-rock band Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir, choreographer-dancers Jocelyne Montpetit and Manon Oligny, artist Armand Vaillancourt and more. Food is also front and centre at the festivities with a variety of gourmet food trucks and a happy hour cocktail party at 4:30 p.m., followed by DJ sets by Vincent Lemieux and a multimedia musical event at 9:30 p.m. Sundays are for relaxing in the open air, chilling with drummers and dancers at the Tam Tams on Mont Royal or at this summer’s first weekend of Piknic Electronik (pictured above) at Parc Jean-Drapeau, starting its 11th season off right with two days and two stages of music to dance to: on May 19, hear house-label Leftroom producers Jay London and Laura Jones and the UK’s Matt Tolfrey, while on Monday, Detroit house legend Carl Craig headlines. And thrill-seekers flock to the sunny opening weekend of La Ronde amusement park.

(daring performance) Some of the highest caliber multidisciplinary theatre, dance and performance art comes to Festival Transamériques, May 22-June 8, featuring international and Canadian talents, including German director Thomas Ostermeier’s not-to-be-missed modern interpretation of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People on May 22-24, and South African artist-choreographer Robyn Orlin’s Beauty Remained For Just A Moment Then Returned Gently To Her Starting Position…, an engaging, humorous critique of South African society – and society in general, for that matter, dressed in elaborate costumes made of recycled materials.

(art & the street) Multidisciplinary art festival Chromatic, May 18-22 at art gallery and studio space The Darling Foundry puts on a long weekend of all kinds of avant-garde art, film screenings, music and more, indoors and outdoors – there’s even an art party on Saturday night with music by Capitaine Soldat, Aroara, Memoryhouse, TEEN, Rock Forest, High Klassified and Toast Dawg. On May 19, bring the family for a picnic on Ottawa Street outside the gallery, complete with free art workshops for kids. May 22 closes the show with an Art Affaire party. Catch two art exhibitions at the PHI Centre: Philomène Longpré’s interactive video system Cereus Queen of the Night, and Gabriel Coutu-Dumont’s multidisciplinary Wonders of a Transient Universe. And experimental Sight and Sound Festival continues to blend art and technology, with performances at Eastern Bloc to May 29. And make music outside just by swinging on  music-art installation 21 Swings, outside along de Maisonneuve Avenue in the Quartier des Spectacles.

(love & mystery) The Opera de Montreal, alongside the Orchestre Métropolitain reach new heights with Massenet’s opera of love and poverty, Manon, directed by Fabien Gabel and featuring soprano Marianne Fiset, Canadian baritone Gordon Bintner and Portuguese tenor Bruno Ribeiro. Dream Away, the latest work by award-winning choreographer Stephan Thoss, is a surreal exploration of movement and gesture, presented by Les Grands Ballets to May 25. Thoroughbred and highly trained horses make up the magic of Odysseo, a theatrical new show from the makers of Cavalia, to June 9 in Laval. And Greg Kramer’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes, starring Jay Baruchel, unravels mysteries of man and nature at the Segal Centre until May 28.

(chamber & classical music) The Montreal Chamber Music Festival mixes traditional quartets with chamber-inspired jazz, to June 1: on May 17, hear Brazilian guitarist Chico Pinheiro and his ensemble perform music from their new album There’s a Storm Inside; on May 18, it’s the Swingle Singers 50th Anniversary Celebration at Église St-George, singing tunes from The Beatles to Bach; and on May 22, hear solo performances of Bach played on impressive instruments from the Canada Council Musical Instrument Bank. Meanwhile, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra plays out its spring season with the family fare of the Magic Horn, a story of a genie told through the sounds of exotic musical instruments. On May 21, the Orchestra tackles surrealist music of the early 20th century, and on May 22-23, David Zinman conducts Mahler’s Fifth.

(may music fests) Pop-punk is the name of the Pouzza Fest game, as are Pabst and poutine, all a part of the fests take over of 10 downtown Montreal venues by 150 bands – there’s even a Sunday breakfast show at Foufounes and BBQ dinners at Katacombes. Among the headliners: Me First & the Gimmie Gimmies, New Found Glory, A Wilhelm Scream, The Planet Smashers, Saves the Day, and man, many more, including free outdoors shows at the Quartier des Spectacles (at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine) on Saturday and Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Later in the week, catch a variety of great solo acts at the One Man Band Festival, May 23-26: on Thursday night, see Bloodshot Bill, Danny Lutz, André Daneau and more.

(more live music) Friday night is alright for an electro-groove party with RJD2 at the SAT. On Saturday night, the man behind The Twist performs the kind of rock and roll that inspired a generation: Chubby Checker gets the crowd dancing at the Rialto Theatre, in the Mile End neighbourhood. On May 19, glam-rock band The Darkness prove they still believe in a thing called love, with Free Energy opening, at the Corona Theatre, while Connecticut-based rapper Chris Webby  rhymes to the beat at L’Astral (305 Ste-Catherine E.). Listen to the sweet and sometimes sad music of Montreal’s Folly And The Hunter and Aidan Knight at Cabaret Du Mile End on May 22. And on May 23, UK indie post-rockers The Boxer Rebellion bring their big sound to Petit Campus (57 Prince-Arthur E.), while The Shins get mildly happy, with openers Ra Ra Riot, at Metropolis.

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Immerse yourself in festive, summery Montreal at its best with the free outdoor frenzy of the FrancoFolies de Montréal, June 13-22, 2013. Just like the Montreal Jazz Fest will a bit later in the season, the Francos animate the whole Quartier des Spectacles with music and joy – the only difference is that the acts in this fest are in French. What better way than to experience la belle ville? Among the indoor paying shows this year there are at least seven umissably cool acts – do yourself a favour and check them out.

Marseilles’ Keny Arkana is a newbie at the Francos but an old hat at speaking her mind and dropping sick rhymes made en France. Catch her with Quebec’s own Souldia, from the FaceKché 187 collective, who opens. (June 14, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

There’s no hotter name in the French world than Karim Ouellett, a French Canadian prince of folk, pop, electro and soul. His opener is soulful blues funnyman Féfé – previously from the Saïan Supa Crew – on his first trip to Québec. (June 16, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

As the 1990s ambassadors of French rap, IAM shared the stage with Public Enemy, James Brown and Madonna. They’re back in Montreal with blamd new licks – and some old school hits too. The Québécois duo Taktika has the honour of opening. (June 18, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

Coeur de Pirate is one of Quebec’s sweetest superstars. She’s played huge venues with dozens of accompanying musicians over the last few years, but this show sees her play solo, in a warm, intimate space. Electro popper Fanny Bloom opens. (June 20, 8:30 pm, at Gésu centre de créativité)

He’s got am=n enchanting voice and sings sweetly about dark things. Peter Peter has a sound you’ll remember, situated somehwerre between electro and poetry. French band La Femme will kick the night off with some addictive electro punk. (June 20, 7 pm, at Club Soda)

Her accent is only half the ear candy – Lisa Leblanc, from Acadie, has guts and attitude and a killer smile too. She paints pictures of moments with each song and will have you signing along even if you’re just guessing the words. Switzerland’s answer to Cajun, Mama Rosin, open. (June 20, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

Oxmo Puccino is fierce and sharp and a hell of a lyricist – no wonder the French rapper has taken Quebec by storm. He’s back at the Metropolis, a venue that’s fast becoming his home away from home. The famous Disiz, previously from La Peste, will get the party started. (June 22, 9 pm, at Metropolis)

THE DETAILS

Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, June 13-22, 2013

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The store’s mission is to help its customers discover the wonderful products of our fair province. It works closely with some of the Quebec’s best suppliers like Le Canard Goulu for their duck, Atkins & frères for their local fish or La ferme des Voltigeurs for their organic and grain fed chicken. Hard to find specialty meats like bison, rabbit and venison are also available at FOU D’ICI for your cooking experiments pleasure. The market also caters to many food allergies sufferers by offering them a large variety of quality products.

FOU D’ICI’s ready-to-eat section is a hub of activity come lunch time. Chef Daren Bergeron – a talented chef who has honed his craft in some of the country’s best kitchens – is the creative force behind the mouth-watering fresh and seasonal daily meals at FOU D’ICI. Gourmet sandwiches and salads as well as ready-made hot meals are prepared on the spot daily. FOU D’ICI offers a lunchtime à la minute tartare bar starring Wagyu beef and Atlantic salmon.

But perhaps the most interesting service as Montreal embarks on its most prolific annual festival season is the FOU D’ICI lunch box. Enjoy the many outdoors activities that take place around Quartier des spectacles this coming summer and fall while indulging in a delicious to-go meal packaged for your convenience. Don’t forget to pick up one of the many delicious sweet treats from the dessert counter for that afternoon pick me up.

THE DETAILS

FOU D’ICI, 360 De Maisonneuve West, (514) 600-3424

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Montreal excels at the art of performance – theatre, dance, music, circus and everything in between, whether it be on a stage or in a street – and also fittingly revels in performance that challenges conventions, plenty of which can be seen at this year’s Festival TransAmériques, including a show that literally goes to the dogs…

Now in its seventh edition, Festival TransAmériques , May 22 to June 8, has made a name for itself by featuring Canadian and international performances that challenge conventions of theatre and dance, altering our perspective on what performance is and how it can affect us. This year’s festival features 22 shows full of radical hope and insight into the state of our world. Six international new works debut at the FTA, long-awaited well-known artists make their mark on Montreal, and crowds will gather around three free outdoor events, namely Dachshund UN, Australian artist Bennett Miller’s replica of the United Nations in Geneva, populated by 47 dachshunds (with the permission of local owners, of course), outside at Place des Festivals, May 24-26.

Opening the festival is Berlin-based Schaubühne theatre company director Thomas Ostermeier, who comes to Montreal for the first time, with his interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People, a story of power and manipulation, the choice between morals and money, and having a dissenting voice among the status quo. Political motivations again rear their heads as Italian company Motus (Daniela Nicolò Motus Rimini with Enrico Casagrande) performs the world premiere of Nella Tempesta, Melbourne’s Back to Back Theatre sees a Hindu deity travel to Nazi Germany in Ganesh Versus The Third Reich, Canadian choreographer Ame Henderson’s What We Are Saying is inspired by the Occupy movement, and Winners & Losers, from Vancouver’s Theatre Replacement, stages a game-like confrontation of personal-meets-political values.

Also in Montreal for the first time is South African choreographer Robyn Orlin, with her multi-dancer show Beauty Remained for Just a Moment Then Returned Gently to Her Starting Position…, a colourful, humorous quest for beauty, performed in extravagant, 100%-recycled costumes. New Zealand choreographer Lemi Ponifasio makes profound connections between earth, sky and humanity in Birds with Skymirrors. French New Wave dancer-choreographer Boris Charmatz leads 24 dancers in Levée Des Conflits, and Swedish artist Markus Öhrn captivates and disturbs with Conte d’amour.

Some of Montreal’s most talented artists bring new dane shows to the FTA this year too: famed Montreal choreographer Marie Chouinard’s In Museum in the galleries of the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, performance artist and dancer Dana Michel plays with stereotypes of black culture in Yellow Towel, Marie Brassard’s poetic, musical performance Trieste, dancer-choreograper Louise Lecavalier’s So Blue, Frédérick Gravel and Étienne Lepage’s Ainsi Parlait, Ginette Laurin’s Khaos, and more. Also outdoors, beginning in front of the Grande Bibliothèque, see 13 “urban personas” with bells ringing, traverse the Quartier des Spectacles in Robin Poitras’ Bells 13, May 30-June 1. Along with live performances, the festival features film screenings, parties, dance nights and a number of special events for artists and audience to interact, imagine even more kinds of performance, and, as always, have fun.

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THE DETAILS

Festival TransAmériques, May 22-June 8, 2013

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As spring begins on a particularly warm and summery note, Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles, the centre of downtown’s arts and cultural district, becomes the hub of Montreal’s many festivals and free outdoor shows, and a welcome gathering space for Montrealers and visitors alike…

The fun starts on May 17 with a free, all-day outdoor party La Fête de Montréal, celebrating the city’s 371st anniversary with even more entertainment – and food! – in its third official year. Beginning at 11:30 a.m., enjoy performances from internationally acclaimed circus troupe Les 7 Doigts de la Main, rousing folk-rock band Irreverend James and the Critical Mass Choir, choreographer-dancers Jocelyne Montpetit and Manon Oligny, artist Armand Vaillancourt and more. Never go hungry with gourmet food trucks on hand throughout the day – everything from lobster rolls to pulled pork, duck confit poutine to tacos – and happily imbibe at a happy hour cocktail party at 4:30 p.m., followed by a DJ set by Vincent Lemieux at 7:30 p.m., and a multimedia musical event at 9:30 p.m., with state-of-the-art visuals by five Montreal studios teamed up with musicians Ariane Moffatt, Yann Perreau and Jérôme Minière, Louis-Jean Cormier, Plaster, and Poirier with Boogat.

From there on out, the Quartier des Spectacles is action-packed with music, comedy, dance, theatre, circus arts, culinary delights, family and social activities and more. Sainte-Catherine Street will be a pedestrian-only zone from Bleury Street to Saint-Laurent Boulevard until September 1, and until June 2 along de Maisonneuve Avenue, make collaborative music simply by hopping on a swing at the 21 Swings installation.

Public art festival Escales Improbables presents 160 classical musicians in two free outdoor concerts on the Esplanade of Place des Arts, May 11-12 at 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., while on the weekend of May 18-19, check out the pop-punk Pouzza Fest stage at the corner of Clark and Ste-Catherine from noon until evening, and on the eastern edge of the Quartier des Spectacles, the Place Émilie-Gamelin summer program begins May 30, featuring giant chessboards, street furniture, flower stalls, and every Thursday at noon, choose lunch from among six different food trucks while watching an original performance.

Of course, this being Montreal, it’s the festivals that truly reign the Quartier all summer long, beginning on May 22 with Festival TransAmériques, an amazing, cutting-edge international festival of performing arts – this year featuring an outdoor show staring 47 dachshund dogs! – and continuing into electronic music and art festival Mutek, May 29 to June 2, at the SAT  and other venues – and next door to the SAT at Parc de la Paix, go to free evening concerts and films every Wednesday and Thursday evening, July 3 to August 29.

French music fans flock to Francofolies, June 13-22, right before the city’s famed Montreal International Jazz Festival  begins on June 28 with a free outdoor show by Feist and much, much more until July 7. Hot on its heels comes not only comedy fests Just for Laughs and Zoofest, but street performances by top circus acts from the Montréal Complètement Cirque festival. Also in July, sit on the grass and listen to the sounds of the Festival Nuits d’Afrique and partake in the diversity of culture at the Montreal First Peoples Festival. In August, see Montreal photographer Gabor Szilasi’s photography exhibition of portraits of Sainte-Catherine Street in the 1970s. And, as summer winds down in early September, watch and interact with Mégaphone, a community-minded installation by the National Film Board of Canada and multimedia company Moment Factory, projected on the side of UQAM’s Pavillon Président-Kennedy.

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THE DETAILS

La Fête de Montréal , May 17, 2013

Quartier des Spectacles (Quartier des Spectacles is bounded by Saint-Hubert on the east, City Councillors on the west, Sherbrooke on the north and René-Lévesque on the south)

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The 21 Swings public art installation, outside at the Quartier des Spectacles in the heart of downtown, is the kind of instrument anyone can play – and everyone is, no matter what their musical ability, age or whether they find themselves next to friends or strangers on the swings…

The long row of seven sets of colourful swings, like a mini playground along President-Kennedy Avenue between St-Urbain and Jeanne-Mance in the Quartier des Spectacles, is set up for collective music making until the end of May. Each swing hits its own notes, some sounding like a piano, some like a guitar or harp.

In French, the interactive installation’s title, 21 Balançoires, hints at part of its concept: to bring people together in public space in a kind of balance that reflects the fast-paced urban environment while showing how community-oriented Montreal really can be. That is, the more people work and play together, the more music can be made.

21 Swings came to Montreal’s streets last year and is even bigger this year and the music different with each group of people who happen to swing by. Created by Montreal artists Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat and design group Daily Tous Les Jours, the installation is a project that blends artistic talents and urban design. Both Andraos and Mongiat have long been involved with interactive public art and design projects in Montreal and around the world, often looking to inspire people who might not think of themselves as musicians, performers or artists – with projects like 21 Swings, like magic, everyone becomes a creative force. Fittingly, the location of the swings is called Promenade des Artistes.

As people swing, melodies and harmonies are made along with others swinging next to them and nearby – sensors track the height, the speed and the position of the swings, triggering notes that match the swingers movements. Add to that an LED lighting system on the swing’s seat bottoms, and it’s a full-on collaborative, cooperative music show like no other, with participants listening to the music, slowing down and speeding up to adjust their part in it, and having a really good time just playing around.

THE DETAILS

21 Balançoires (21 Swings), until June 2, 2013

Photos by Susan Moss

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(easter time) Celebrate spring in Montreal by spending some time in nature, indoors and out. Take the kids on a different kind of easter egg hunt at the Ecomuseum zoo or hunt for butterflies (with your eyes only) at the Montreal Botanical Gardens’s Butterflies Go Free special exhibition. Learn more about the environment and biodiversity at the Botanical Garden’s Base Camp and at the Montreal Biodome, where kids can discover live animals and plants from around the world, there’s even a (non-chocolate) egg exhibition in the lobby. And see even more butterflies at the Montreal Science Centre’s IMAX screening of Flight of the Butterflies in 3D.

(easter eats) Quebec’s famed sugar shack season happens to be in full form this Easter weekend too – try out La Cabane in the Old Port, restaurants with maple-syrup themed menus, or take a short drive out of town to experience the complete sugar shack experience. Visit the Montreal Botanical Gardens to learn more about where maple syrup comes from and try out the candy-like concoction of maple syrup on snow, until April 26. For even more sweet treats – and several savoury ones too – peruse Montreal’s excellent Italian delis, the Jean Talon Market or simply go for the classic Easter brunch at one of many Montreal brunch spots, from Old Montreal to Mile End, and pick up some chocolate along the way.

(dance & theatre) Danse Danse presents The Light Between, a new work of hope and vulnerability by Governor General’s Award winning choreographer Margi Gillis, to March 30 at Place des Arts, and, beginning April 4, the astounding Spanish flamenco of María Pagés as the star dances a show called Autorretrato, “a self-portrait created at Mikhaïl Baryshnikov’s instigation.” More dance takes the stage at the Centaur Theatre, where Danish dance-theatre troupe Granhøj Dans celebrates the music of Leonard Cohen – in intriguing, funny and surprising ways – in Dance Me to the End On/Off Love, to April 14.

(immersive art) Artistic visions of spring are beginning to show themselves this week too. New exhibitions at the MACM captivate with colour and intrigue with interactivity and every Sunday afternoon, kids and adults alike can participate in hands-on art-making workshops. Experimental, immersive, digital video art amazes at the SAT’s 360º Satosphere dome: audio-visual show Chaos and Order continues until March 29, followed up starting April 2 with P3rception, a program of three exploratory works that might just cause sensory overload: Diana Reichenbach’s animated film ||0.1.||, Eric Hanson and Charles Lindsay’s Carbon-X, and Ulf Langheinrich’s Hemisphere. And outdoors, projected on the face of UQAM’s Président-Kennedy building in the heart of the Quartier des Spectales, see animated film Le cycle de l’eau.

(live music) One of hip-hop’s best starts the weekend right on Friday night: Brooklyn-based rapper Talib Kweli gets lyrical with Koriass, Ceas Rock and Dj Manifest at Club Soda – the show is one of many at the Montreal Hip Hop Festival, happening all weekend. Also on Friday, Los Angeles indie-rock band Local Natives comes to town with Superhumanoids at Le National, and Saturday night is nothing but old-school LA punk with Bad Religion at Metropolis. On April 1, The Dear Hunter tour their new album Migrant, at Sala Rossa. Turn Tuesday night into a sweaty electronic music dance party with Chicago DJ duo Flosstradamus at the SAT or British electro-rock band Modestep at the Corona Theatre. On April 3, Alicia Keys and Miguel (!) put a spell on the Bell Centre and K-OS and Rich Aucoin shake up the Corona. And on Thursday, April 4, much-loved Francophone singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Damien Robitaille plays Metropolis and Montreal’s Suuns brighten up Sala.

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Oprah’s North American tour makes stops across Canada, arriving in Montreal to enliven Quebeckers and out-of-towners alike with that unique Oprah spirit: over the course of the live show, Oprah will tell stories of her personal and professional life and take questions from the audience, all with the aim to inspire and empower.

Recently, the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) took an interest in Montreal’s penchant for public art and outdoor music, name-checking popular springtime art installation 21 Balançoires (21 Swings), a long row of musical swings ready for playtime in the heart of downtown’s the Quartier des Spectacles. The art installation really does have an Oprah vibe to it, gathering people to make something beautiful together by turning a city street into a fun, playground-like space where anyone and everyone becomes a musician (not to mention a kid at heart.)

Created by Montreal artists Mouna Andraos and Melissa Mongiat and design group Daily Tous Les Jours, 21 Balançoires turns the simple act of hopping on a swing into a music-making experience – and possibly even a friend-making experience too. Each swing triggers the sound of a musical instrument – piano, guitar, harp and more – so it’s remarkably easy to create melodies and even harmonize with fellow swingers. It’s not hard to find the swings along the Promenade des Artistes – just follow the sound of music and laughter.

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THE DETAILS

Oprah Live in Montreal, April 11, 2013

21 Balançoires (21 Swings), April 17 to June 2, 2013

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The MACM is always an accessible museum, but these days it’s even more interactive than usual thanks to two works by British-born, Berlin-based artist Tinho Segal. Creating a cross between theatre and visual art that somehow sidesteps art performance, Seghal builds entire sets in museums and hires “actors” to animate them in carefully choreographed situations.

Right now there are two of his pieces at the MACM: his iconic Kiss, from 2002, which involves a couple reinterpreting famous kisses drawn from the history of art in a tightly choreographed 8-minute loop; and This Situation, from 2007, a conversation piece that has the “agents” discuss philosophical issues between themselves and with the visitor, if you so choose. Passersby can influence the whole direction the performance takes awhile they are in the room. Now that’s power!

Right next door in the video room don’t miss 4 000 Disparos by Brazilian artist Jonathas de Andrade, for which he filmed male faces in Super 8 film as he travelled throughout Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru and Colombia, in a journey of territorial recognition of a Latin America he belongs to without feeling part of. French artist Laurent Grasso and Montreal artist Lynne Cohen round out the current exhibitions: With his trickster’s take on temporality and the making of history, Grasso’s show, titled, Uraniborg, presents neon signs, objects, videos and more that lead to the creation of what the artist calls a “false historical memory.”

Cohen, on the other hand, presents 40 of her interior landscapes – since the 1970s the artist has been capturing, unpopulated, often odd spaces constructed by humans, used by humans, but devoid of humans. The images are filled with the tension created by that emptiness and the occasional inexplicable aspects of the photographs. Photo: courtesy of Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto.

On April 5, make sure you catch the Friday Nocturne, the museum’s popular series from 5 to 9 pm every first Friday of the month, which this time features saxophonist Colin Stetson. Famous as a member of Bell Orchestre and a collaborator of Arcade Fire, Lou Reed and Feist, Stetson explores the limit of his instrument in his solo work, creating beautiful soundscapes that will transport you to wholly ethereal planes.

In May this bunch of exhibitions will make way for two new guys: the first solo exhibition in Canada of Brooklyn-based artist Eve Sussman and her collaborative team Rufus Corporation, for one. Generated by algorithm but influenced by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky, Jean-Luc Godard and Wim Wenders, Sussman’s filmic pieces offer a futuristic look at space and time, utopia and dystopia, fractured narration and torn landscapes from Russia and Central Asia. In the next room there’ll be Montreal artist Michel de Broin, whose playful multidisciplinary practice extends from photography to video to sculpture, and explores the notions of resistance, misappropriation and recycling with a cynical sense of humour.

THE DETAILS

Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, 185 Sainte-Catherine West, (514) 847-6226

Photo Credits- Tinho Segal Photo: ©Tate, Jonathas de Andrade Photo: courtesy of Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto

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The Festival of our cheeses at Complexe Desjardins: The Festival of Quebec Cheeses is held every year during Montréal en lumière. This year was the 7th edition of the festival and it brought together several Quebec producers with a selection of over 60 cheeses! Being a big cheese lover, I couldn’t miss the opportunity to meet some of the best cheese artisans in the province and taste some of their award-winning products. It was also a great opportunity to make new discoveries and to stock up on quite a big heap of cheeses.

Dinner at La Fabrique: La Fabrique didn’t have a guest chef this year. Instead, resident chef Jean-Baptiste Marchand created a 4-course “gaucho” menu inspired by the Argentinian theme of Montréal en lumière and highlighting the local flavours of this year’s guest city of Buenos Aires. I enjoyed every dish that night but the traditional Andean potato and corn locro soup with chorizo and porc was one of the happiest discoveries I made and one I look forward to tasting again in the future.

Lunch at La Khaïma: “Khaïma” means tent in Arabic and entering this small North African restaurant feels like entering a Bedouin tent. This Fairmount street spot was one of the 6 restaurants taking part in the “Lunching around the world” portion of Montréal en lumière.  It was fun to let the spicy Mauritanian lentil soup and preserved lemon and chicken tajine transport me to the warmth of the Western Sahara desert on a slushy and cold Thursday in Montreal.

Convivial dinner at Marché Bonsecours: There’s no better way to discover a country’s culinary culture than through its popular cuisine. This event was the perfect opportunity to do just that with chef Dario Gualtieri and his 3-course menu of traditional dishes. The dinner was accompanied by a few dancing couples sashaying up and down the aisles of the huge room to the rhythm of tango music.

Hot chocolate at Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: How could I miss out on the opportunity to close the festival on such a deliciously artful note? Wandering the halls of a world-class museum in the middle of the night is absolutely wonderful. Even more wonderful is stopping by the Cacao Barry lounge to enjoy a rich cup of hot chocolate cooked up by Marius & Fanny and made with Single Plantation Chocolate Alto el Sol from Peru, in keeping with the Peruvian theme of the night. One of the most fun events for me this year was definitely taking part of this Nuit Blanche event at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and meeting some great culinary, pastry, visual arts and musical artists.

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