(go green) Whether you’re here this week to relax, party or keep the kids entertained at the tail end of March Break, Montreal’s Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations have something for everyone. The massive parade begins on Sunday, March 17, at noon and moves east for blocks but throughout the weekend many pubs, bars and restaurants, whether they’re officially Irish or not, offer up special St-Patty’s drinks and dishes.

(sugar shack fun) Sugaring-off season is upon us and with it the return of fatty, syrupy sugar shack fare, done in traditional and gourmet styles or a mix of the two, such as at La Cabane, conveniently located in the Old Port, where you’ll also find outdoor activities like ice skating and ice fishing. Or get the real maple-syrup deal at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, where families can sample syrup on snow and find out where the sugary stuff comes from.

(on-stage spectacle) While March 16 brings UFC welterweight champion and local legend Georges St-Pierre to the Bell Centre along with six other UFC welterweight fighters in what’s sure to be one kind of grand spectacle, there’s also Rabbit in a Hat Productions’ boxing-centric Cornered, on at Bain St-Michel to March 17. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens presents Danz + Toot, a high-energy, highly contemporary program, March 14-23, the true story of Dead Man Walking is put into song by Opera de Montreal on March 16, and the true story of the “Queen of Gospel” is told in The Mahalia Jackson Musical, starring Montreal sensation Ranee Lee, at the Segal, to March 24. See contemporary dance Montreal-style at Agora de la Danse March 15-16 as choreographer Isabelle Van Grimde works with dancers, composers and musicians in Les Gestes. And lovely, luscious ladies from Montreal and across North America perform sexy, funny, circus-y burlesque of all sorts at cabaret Le Grand Burlesque Show, March 21-23 at Club Soda.

(film & art) The International Festival of Films on Art, March 14-24, screens documentaries, shorts and experimental films that focus on all forms of the arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, writing, dancing, music and more. Also check out free events such as the Zon’Arts exhibition at Place des Arts, where Diane Obomsawin’s animated films Fleur (2012) and Machine (2012) are being projected. For the full FIFA schedule and to buy tickets online, see the FIFA site. It’s also the last weekend to wander through Montreal’s underground city, connecting metro stations, office buildings and malls, to see the corridors adorned with intriguing art for Art Souterrain.

(music for march) The weekend opens with Montreal favourites Stars playing two magical nights at the Corona Theatre, March 15 and 16. Also on Friday, another Montreal favourite, Jerusalem in My Heart brings their unique, dramatic sound to Le National, and dance the night away to electro-beat of Mr. Oizo, A-Rock and Cherry Cola, at SAT. Saturday night is all disco all the time with the legendary Village People at L’Olympia. On Sunday night, mega-star Rihanna visits the Bell Centre on her Diamonds World Tour, with A$AP Rocky. On Tuesday, March 19, see Randy Bachman on his Vinyl Tap Tour, playing music and telling stories about the Guess Who and BTO, at Theatre Corona. Canadian rocker Matt Mays comes to Cabaret Mile End with with openers July Talk on March 20, while New York prog-rock-punk band Coheed & Cambria  and A Place To Bury Strangers are at Club Soda.

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While pub crawls, green top hats and Irish (and temporarily Irish) eyes a-smiling abound in Montreal, the St-Patrick’s Day Parade is indisputably the focal point of the day – after all, it’s been a tradition every year since 1824. Settle in on the sidelines or walk along as the hundreds of parade floats, musicians, dancers, marching bands and revellers happily and loudly make their way down one of the city’s main thoroughfares, marking not only a day of celebration, but the importance of Irish cultural heritage in Montreal.

Montreal may be known as the biggest French-speaking city outside of France, but a quick glance at the city’s history shows a much more complex picture, especially when it comes to the hundreds of years that the Irish have been here. Find out more about Montreal’s Irish history at the Pointe-à-Callière archaeology and history museum’s multimedia exhibitions, and at the McCord Museum’s Points of View exhibition, as well as through their online tours as well.

Of course, given that this is Montreal, Sunday’s parade is necessarily preceded by Friday and Saturday night’s Irish-inspired partying. There’s sure to be a hint of green in most bars and clubs in the city, but Montreal’s Irish pubs are truly where the boozy, rainbow’s-end gold is found. Stop by Hurley’s on Crescent Street, the classic Irish go-to bar with plenty of dark corners and great beer on tap, and Winnie’s just up the street (where on Sunday morning there’s even an all you can eat brunch buffet and live music). McKibbin’s Irish Pub will be packed with proud folks with Irish last names and Irish-wannabe rowdies alike, as will The Old Dublin, known for its live music and whiskey, The Irish Embassy, Ye Olde Orchard and Mclean’s.

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