(all-ages entertainment) This Saturday marks the grand opening of Montreal’s new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, featuring two theatres with two different shows – both about the stars, one with a more scientific edge and the other more artistic – and an educational centre. Spend the morning of April 6 at Centaur Theatre play Furry Tails with a Twist, a funny and charming take on fairy tales. Learn to dance the flamenco at family-friendly and free event Bal de Dimanche, at Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme, on Sunday, April 7. And step back in time and bop to the music of Fab Four at Pointe-à-Callière‘ The Beatles in Montreal exhibition, featuring two floors of historical reportage and film clips, cool guitars and sometimes surprising memorabilia.

(food season) Springtime is full and delicious bloom at The FoodLab at the SAT, where chefs cook up creative Quebecois dishes that match the season – and stick around at the SAT for an immersive film-and-sound experience at P3rception, screening in the venue’s 360º Satosphere dome. Meanwhile, sugaring-off season continues, with maple-syrup-inspired menus and food aplenty at restaurants around town, especially at the Old Port’s La Cabane and at authentic sugar shacks just outside the city.

(theatrical moves) Whether you’re a fan of Elton John or a fan of modern ballet – or both – get thee to Love Lies Bleeding, a wonderfully colourful, over-the-top show created by Jean Grand-Maître and the Alberta Ballet, at Place des Arts, April 10-14. More drama unfolds April 5-6, as acclaimed Spanish flamenco dancer-choreographer María Pagés performs her show Autorretrato. Danish dance-theatre troupe Granhøj Dans moves to the music of Leonard Cohen, while cracking jokes and finding sombre moments in Dance Me to the End On/Off Love, to April 14 at the Centaur. Award-winning choreographer and performer Marie-Josée Chartier goes solo in Stria at the Segal Centre. And some of the best, most inventive burlesque dancers get together for rebellious, sexy, funny, life-affirming show Bad Ladies and The Detective, April 11 at Theatre Ste-Catherine.

(spring inspiration) Shake off winter and welcome the new and inspiring during An Evening with Oprah Winfrey, full of storytelling and audience interaction, at the Bell Centre on April 11. Blending classical music and contemporary pop, Canadian singing group The Tenors lift their voices to the light at the Maison Symphonique at Place des Arts on April 6, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra welcomes spring with a series of fantastic concerts, beginning this week with Jean-François Rivest conducting the Franck Symphony featuring principal bass Ali Yazdanfar, April 5 and 7.

(music time) Friday night begins with amazing British soul singer-songwriter Lianne La Havas at Theatre Corona and the rather transcendent saxophone magic of Colin Stetson at the Musee d’art contemporain. On Saturday, April 6, none other than Boyz II Men make a soulful comeback at Theatre Olympia, hot British music maker Mika puts on a fab show at Theatre Corona, indie-rock out with Wavves, Fidlar and more at Sala Rossa, and Australian electronic music maker Flume brings his melodic bass to Le Belmont. On April 7, French turntable DJ group C2C spins their own tunes and more at Metropolis. There’s also a whole lot of rock n’ roll to keep us up late on a weeknight: on Monday, April 8, Metz get loud at Sala Rossa; on April 9, experience the garage-rock wildness of The King Khan & BBQ Show, with Bloodshot Bill at Il Motore, on April 10, don’t miss the California-rock realness of Redd Kross and UBT at Il Motore, and on April 11, Toronto shows us its rock n’ roll chops with Born Ruffians and Moon King at Sala Rossa. Meanwhile, on April 10 and 11, popular French-language acoustic reggae group Tryo plays two shows at Metropolis.

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(ice action) Check out the extreme activity at the all-new Barbegazi Winter Action Sports Festival, a weekend-long event at Montreal’s Olympic Park showcasing experts in snowboard, freeski, snowskate and freestyle sled (aerial tricks on a snowmobile!). A little less extreme, but still very wintery and oh-so-Canadian, is the Ice Fishing Village set up with all the rugged amenities down at the Old Port– get a taste of the country (yes, you can keep and eat the fish!) in the middle of the city. The Old Port’s skating rink beckons the active among us, while the Snow Village entices with a bit more luxury. And, of course, you could also catch the Habs in hockey action.

(winter city lights) Take the chill off winter with music, entertainment, traditional and gourmet food, and outdoor activities – including a ferris wheel, giant ice slide and live music in the heart of downtown – at the 14th Montréal en Lumière festival, starting Thursday, February 21. The fest opens with La Pista Tango, a tango-meets-circus show with live orchestra on stage at Place des Arts’  Theatre Maisonneuve. Also explore new cuisines at special lunch events, happy hours and dinner spreads, and see the art of famed singer Tonny Bennett, French music star -M-, theatre-dance show The Humanity Project, charming music duo Luc De Larochellière and Andrea Lindsay, and more.

 (world-wide circus) Montreal lives up to its reputation as a circus capital with the 34th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, a Paris-based competition and best-of tour featuring some of the top circus acts in the world. See acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns, contortionists and more family-friendly entertainment February 19 to March 2 at Montreal’s professional and educational circus centre Tohu.

(theatre & dance) J.M. Coetzee’s Nobel Prize-winning book questioning how we measure civilized behaviour is writ large on stage in Waiting for the Barbarians, based on the, at the Segal Centre, to February 17. Centaur Theatre delves into the true story of murder in 1950s rural Ontario in Innocence Lost, to February 24. Huge, colourful, theatrical Indian dance show Bharati – The Wonder that is India wows to February 17 at Place des Arts. Learn a few moves yourself at the Bal Du Dimanche Samba Brésilienne on February 17, 2 p.m. at Place des Arts. As part of Montreal Black History Month, activist-writer Aphra Behn’s play Oroonoko is at the MAI to February 17 – and American Black civil rights activist Angela Davis takes the stage for a discussion at L’Astral on February 18.

(hot live music) Friday night is right with the electro-indie-pop of Passion Pit, with high-energy opening act Matt & Kim at Metropolis, or sit back and let the romantic vibes of Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band wash over you at Cabaret Mile End, or check out the very talented and charming Katie Moore and Aroara at Casa del Popolo. Also on February 15, the Imani Gospel Choir sings songs inspired by civil rights movements in the USA, part of Montreal Black History Month. On February 16, California-based producer-songwriter Toro Y Moi shares his unique musical style at Club Soda and legendary Detroit DJ Dez spins at the PHI Centre. Latin-Grammy-award nominated soulful singer Prince Royce rolls into Metropolis on February 17. California pop band Maroon5 bring their disturbingly catchy tunes to the Bell Centre on February 20. The Montreal New Music International Festival opens February 21 with the Ensemble de la SMCQ paying homage to Claude Vivier, and runs until March 3. And February 21 also brings the fine and dandy Indigo Girls to the Corona Theatre and hip and inventive Slim Twig and U.S Girls to Casa del Popolo.

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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.

A

THE DETAILS

Montréal en Lumière, February 21 to March 3, 2013

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(poutine party) It’s finally happened: Quebec’s signature dish of fries, cheese curds and gravy has been turned into a festival (of sorts). Montreal Poutine Week, February 1-7, sees the late-night meal of choice elevated to imaginative heights as 30 restaurants whip up a special poutines at special prices – with proceeds going towards the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation. Tour the town from Old Montreal to Mile End in search of your favourite, from variations on the classic to gourmet interpretations.

(outdoor fun & games) More comfort food is on the agenda at First Saturdays at the Olympic Park on February 2, 1-7 p.m. – bring the kids to skate, slide and play at the Olympic Park’s Winter Village  and warm up with hot dishes from fabulous Montreal food trucks Grumman 78, Pastaga, Lucky’s, Pas d’cochon dans mon salon and Gaufrabec. For those yearning for a game of pick-up hockey, head out to one of Montreal’s bustling outdoor rinks. Meanwhile, out at the Ecomuseum Zoo, the Zoolympics are underway February 2 and 3: to mark its 25th anniversary, the Ecomuseum challenges families to a contest (with prizes!) involving animal trivia, physical feats and fun.

(fashion forward) Get a leg up on what’s haute for next fall/winter at Montreal Fashion Week, February 4-7 at Arsenal. The runway is rife with established and new Montreal designers showcasing their gorgeous concepts, and fashion is on everyone’s mind at conferences, exhibits and more, such as a series of fashion film screenings that includes a tribute to Montreal-born designer Rad Hourani.

(theatre & dance) A huge original Dali painting is both backdrop and inspiration for La Verità, a colourful, theatrical circus show created by Daniele Finzi Pasca, at Place des Arts to February 3. Catch the final night of the Opéra de Montreal production of Johann Strauss II’s lively Die Fledermaus, featuring tenor Marc Hervieux, on February 2. Montreal’s Beautiful City Theatre lets out all the stops in Godspell, The Musical, with final nights February 1-2, at Centaur Theatre. The revolution of an African price turned slave unfolds in Oroonoko, written by Aphra Behn and directed by Paul Van Dyck, at the MAI, February 6-17, part of Montreal Black History Month. And in contemporary dance, choreographer Karine Denault’s Pleasure Dome sees dancers and musicians shaking it up together, February 6-9 at Agora de la Danse.

(art & the world) The diverse land, history and culture of Peru at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts immersive Peru : Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon exhibition, opening February 2 – see pre-Columbian masterpieces along with modern art from the country’s creative forces. Six artists create sculpture, photography, painting and multidisciplinary works of art inspired by Martin Luther King’s famous speech in the I Have a Dream: The Exhibit, part of the Montreal Black History Month activities, at Espace Georges Emile Lapalme. And new photography and multidisciplinary exhibitions by artists Laurent Grasso, Lynne Cohen and Jonathas de Andrade open at the Musee d’art Contemporain, beginning February 7.

(music makers) Outdoor electronic music festival Igloofest keeps dancers and good-time-lovers warm out there with its third weekend of fun, featuring UK producer Ewan Pearson, US DJ Magda, France’s Agoria, housey-experimental Audiofly and more. Music is on the Black History Month program on February 2 with Ladysmith Black Mambazo at L’astral and Kalmunity remixing Blaxploitation era funk at the Phi Centre. Julie Doiron rocks, croons and keeps it real at Casa del Popolo on Sunday, February 3. On Monday, indie-rock duo Buke and Gase delight at Casa del Popolo. Eclectic rock singer-songwriting Ty Segall plays Cabaret Mile End on February 5. And on February 7, pop star Shawn Desman plays Le National, while it’s all Gershwin, Bernstein, Daugherty and Copland tunes for the Orchestre Métropolitain‘s Made in the USA show, at the Maison symphonique de Montréal.

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(happy outdoors) Bundle up the whole family for Fête des Neiges, a weekend of outdoor activities and entertainment – including tube sliding, a zip-line, ice skating, snow-shoeing and dog sledding – at Parc Jean-Drapeau. While at the park, visit Montreal’s one-of-a-kind Snow Village, featuring heated igloos, a hotel, restaurant and bar, and more. Or go rustic and sporty at the Old Port’s Ice Fishing Village, with genuine ice fishing shacks (heated!) and a well-stocked river.

(ice dancing) Pull your warmest toque on, lace up your snowboots, zip into that neon one-piece snowsuit (or not…) and join thousands of electronic music fans for the fun and spectacle that is Igloofest, a four-weekend-long outdoor electronic music festival unique to Montreal, happening at Jacques-Cartier Quay in the Old Port. This Friday night, groove to Berlin-based duo Pan-Pot, Russia’s Nina Kraviz and Pierre De Lux. Follow that up on Saturday night with Germany’s Schlachthofbronx, TNGHT, Tronald Trump and Kaytranada.

(stage & scene) Art, theatre and circus acts come together in La Verità, a talent-packed show created by Daniele Finzi Pasca based on a captivating original Dali backdrop painting, which often features in the forefront of the show, along with trapeze artists, dancers, jugglers and more – at Place des Arts to February 3. Opéra de Montreal Johann Strauss II’s lively Die Fledermaus, featuring tenor Marc Hervieux, January 26, 29 and 31. Fall under the rock-music-inspired-by-parables spell of Beautiful City Theatre’s production of Godspell, The Musical, January 25-26 and 31 at Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal. See flamenco done in new, often experimental ways in La Otra Orilla from dancer/choreographer Myriam Allard and singer Hedi Graja, at Cinquième Salle to January 26.

(movie magic) Cozy up to some great films this week at the PHI Centre. The Old Montreal-based arts and cultural hub welcomes the public to free screenings of Peter Mettler’s The End of Time on January 25 at 5 p.m. and Michael McGowan’s Still at 7 p.m. The Centre also presents a series of films selected by Quebec filmmaker Denis Côté, with Antoine Boutet’s Le plein pays screening on January 30, along with a special screening on January 30 of György Pálfi’s Final Cut Ladies & Gentlemen, a Cannes 2012 selection.

(art inspiration) The MMFA is warm and admission to its permanent collections is free! See new acquisitions of Quebec and Canadian art from 1980-2010 (such as Kim Dorland’s Nature Painting #2, above) work by Taiwan-born Montreal photographer and video artist Chih-Chien Wang, and Iranian photographer Aydin Matlabi’s Landscape, Revolution, People. Go to DHC/ART in Old Montreal for a heady trip into German artist Thomas Demand’s multi-layered recreations of reality in still images and carefully animated film installations. See images Montreal’s past at Pointe-à-Callière – and save money on admission whenever the temperature drops below zero degrees celsius: visitors get an equal percentage off the admission price throughout January and February. Head outside again to play with colourful, illuminated outdoor music installation Iceberg, located at Place des Arts.

(live music) On Saturday night, get your ska-punk on with Reel Big Fish at the Corona Theatre, melt away to the electro-pop sounds of Ellie Goulding at Metropolis, and The Harley Show revs its engines with motorcycles and rock n’ roll at the Bell Centre. On January 27, California psych-rockers The Growlers play La Sala Rossa. On January 28, Marilyn Manson does his thing at Metropolis, punk-hardcore Hot Water Music maybe mess up L’Olympia, and Montreal musicians get together for Lettingo: The Music and Influence of Ornette Coleman at Sala Rossa. On January 29, a whole bunch of great Montreal musicians, like Plants & Animals, Galaxie and The Barr Brothers, play benefit concert Unis Contre at Cabaret du Mile End. And on January 30, The Queen Extravaganza belts its drama-rock way into the Bell Centre.

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(live music) The week is bookended by three great music men and a great music woman: get out on the weekend on Friday, November 23 with Neil Young and Crazy Horse and Patti Smith at the Bell Centre, while Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil plays at Place des Arts, and later in the week, the Montreal-born-and-bred man himself, Leonard Cohen, spends two nights at the same venue, November 28-29. Canadian indie-rock royalty Sloan returns to town on November 23 at Le National and the next night captivating R&B singer-songwriter Emeli Sandé plays Metropolis while hip hop virtuoso Araabmuzik is at the SAT. It’s a school night, but that won’t keep Justin Bieber and Carly Rae Jepsen fans away from the Bell Centre on Monday, November 26. On November 28, Titus Andronicus bring their friendly-punk indie-rock to Il Motore and Montreal rock-pop faves Malajube play the beautiful old Corona Theatre, while the next night Kid Koala brings his 12-bit Blues Vinyl Vaudeville show to the venue and the experimental-rock-drone of Six Organs of Admittance transcends space and time at Casa del Popolo on November 29.

(screen stories) Montreal’s film fest season winds down this week as Image+Nation celebrates 25 years of bringing LGBT films from around the world to Montreal – the festival runs until December 2 and this week features Lesbomundo, a series of lesbian-centric short films (November 23-24), Call Me Kuchu a portrait of Ugandan LGBT activist David Kato, David Lambert’s Hors les murs, short-film series Deep End and Queerment Quebec, and many more films, playing at Cinema du Parc. Also this weekend, travel the world in search of exotic fruit in colourful (in all ways) new Montreal-made documentary The Fruit Hunters, playing for a limited time at Cineplex Odeon Forum and Excentris.

(art in the street) Catch the end of the collaborative Montreal/Brooklyn exhibition, with city-spanning shows at several galleries, and long-time art activist group ATSA, who continue their annual installation outside at Place Émilie-Gamelin, this year featuring a 30-minute art video on the construction of Montreal’s metro system, as well as an homage to this spring and summer’s student strikes and community protests for equality, and art works that raise awareness about homelessness.

(comedy & theatre) Fans of Canadian comedy that mixes low-brow humour with dry irony shouldn’t miss The Trailer Park Boys at Theatre St-Denis on November 27, where the boys turn their television show into a live, bawdy affair during their countdown to Liquor Day. On a different note, one more traditionally in-tune and swear-word free, award-winning Broadway musical Mary Poppins floats in to Place des Arts, November 23-25. Get your heart warmed at family-friendly circus, musical and epic adventure show Loucho the Clown at Theatre Ste-Catherine. David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play Good People, set in Boston’s working-class Irish “Southie” neighbourhood, continues at the Centaur Theatre to December 6. And stage play Red, based on the work and life of artist Mark Rothko, begins November 25 at the Segal Centre.

(shopping & Santa) It’s the end of November, but Montreal is already lit up for the holidays – and ready for holiday shopping. For traditional and contemporary Quebec-made gifts, from clothing to gourmet food, take a stroll around Le Marché Casse Noisette, also known as The Nutcracker Market, one of many of Montreal’s upcoming craft and artisanal fairs – this one is a non-profit market co-organized by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and held downtown at Palais des congrès, beginning November 29. And downtown shopping mall Complexe Desjardins, in the same building as the Hyatt Regency Montréal, has its Christmas Village up and running until December 24 – kids can visit Santa, burn off some of that candy-cane-fueled energy in the play areas and watch holiday-themed performances throughout each day.

(dance delights) Danse Cité takes over the Les Ateliers Jean-Brillant, a brick factory space refurbished for performances, for Charmaine LeBlanc’s mid-life inquiry Terminus, for six dancers with music and video accompaniment, on November 23. Dance Cité also presents Nancy Leduc’s Projet Harlequin, inspired by reading Harlequin romance novels as a teenager, November 28-December 8 at Théâtre de Quat’sous (100 Pins West). Tangente presents cutting-edge, energetic works by NYC’s Brian Brooks (who mixes formal dance with street and sports moves) and Montreal’s Raphaëlle Perreault, at Monument National, November 23-25. And for those of us with short attention spans, Wants and Needs brings back the popular and often hilarious Short & Sweet show – performances that finish in under two minutes! – at Sala Rossa on November 28.

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(film fest fun) The final weekend of the Festival du Nouveau Cinema has arrived, but there are still plenty of all-new feature films, shorts and documentaries to see, from closing film Camille Redouble by Noémie Lvovsky to an autobiography of Monty Python’s Graham Chapman to concert films about Peaches and The Chemical Brothers, plus a multimedia, multi-DJ “Suicide Hotel” party on Friday night and closing party on Saturday night with DJ Thomas von PARTY, at Quartier Général. Meanwhile, the 4th edition of the Montreal Stop Motion Film Festival, October 19-21, screens over 70 new stop-motion animation films from Montreal and around the world.

(intrigue on stage) Explore the Plateau and Mile End neighbourhoods via a true Montreal creation: The Phénomena Festival, to October 26. The festival of music, performance and art, is a reinvention of the 10-year-old Festival Voix d’Amériques, dedicated to showcasing the beautiful, strange and poetic artistic voices in this city and further afield. see artist and musician Genisis P-Orridge on stage with spoken-word group Thee Majesty on October 20 at Cabaret du Mile End, in film The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye at Excentris, and with art showing at La Centrale; as well, see Kobol’s marionette show Voodoo at Usine C, Kabin tells 15 stories via 15 small booths on October 20, duo 2boys.tv span the history of their performance career in Generation on October 21, plus free music and performances every evening at 5 p.m. at Divan Orange, featuring Teen Sleuth, Free Opera Ensemble, Jef Barbara and many more, as well as free open mic nights at 11 p.m. at Casa del Popolo.

(frightful & delightful) Halloween starts early this year in Montreal. If you’re downtown at Place des Arts in the Quartier des Spectacles on Saturday around noon, don’t panic: the zombie apocalypse is not upon us, it’s just people dressed up for the Montreal Zombie Walk – join in if you’re zombie-inclined. Freaks of a different sort sing and dance for our pleasure in The Rocky Horror Show, garnering some great  reviews at Mainline Theatre, to October 20. And there’s also something a little freaky – in the most awesome sense – about DJ Food’s The Search Engine, an all-encompassing audio-visual experience like no other, screening in the dome of the surround-sound Satosphere at the SAT, to October 26.

(sports fans) A pro first for Montreal this week: the NBA Canada series pits the New York Knicks against the Toronto Raptors, October 19 at the Bell Centre. And while the NHL season is sadly on hold due to labour talks among hockey players and the league, the spirit of hockey is still strong in Montreal with national women’s hockey champions The Stars, featuring Olympic national team players Kim St-Pierre, Meghan Agosta, Caroline Ouellette and more. The Stars play Boston on October 20 at 5 p.m. and October 21 at 1 p.m. at Étienne Desmarteau Arena.
(tragedy & comedy) An epic 10th-century Japanese folk tale comes to life in choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, produced beautifully by Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, October 11-27. Quebecois playwright Suzie Bastien probes the human psyche in the dramatic The Medea Effect, at Theatre La Chapelle, to October 20. Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre features Scapegoat Theatre’s take on Euripedes’ tragedy The Bacchae, to October 20, as well as Quebecois playwright Jean Marc Dalpé’s family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country. Meanwhile, the Segal Centre lightens the mood with Broadway musical Guys and Dolls to October 31, and well-known and even well-loved Montreal comedian and Just For Laughs festival veteran Joey Elias brings his One Man Show at Club Soda on October 21.

(urban art) The Montréal/Brooklyn collaborative contemporary art project makes its mark on the city’s gallery scene this weekend, highlighting the artistic similarities and differences between the two urban centres. On Friday and Saturday, new shows open at Centre Clark and artist-run centre articule, as well at galleries in the Belgo building – Galerie SAS, Optica, Galerie Division and Les Territoires – and down the street at Galerie de l’UQAM, featuring multi-artist Vidéozones exhibition (above), and the Musée d’art contemporain, featuring work by Janet Biggs and Aude Moreau.

(live music) Friday night is indie-rock alright with Cat Power playing tunes from her new album Sun at Metropolis, The Sea & Cake at Il Motore, Dragonette at the Corona Theatre, and Brooklyn electro duo Blondes at Le Belmont. Pittsburg rapper Wiz Khalifa, rolls into town with Juicy J, Chevy Woods and many others at Uniprix Stadium on October 20. Monday night goes punk with Off!, The Spits and Double Negative at Foufounes Electriques. On October 23, Dan Mangan brings his folk-rock sensibility to Theatre Corona, San Francisco’s Sic Alps play Divan Orange. The Jezabels rock Cabaret Mile End and Social Distortion shake up Metropolis. Montreal’s Papagroove release their newest album on October 24 at Theatre Plaza – free! Akousma 9, a festival of digital music, brings its immersive audio-visual wonders to Usine C, October 24-27. And the ‘80s are back with Air Supply in an “intimate evening” on October 25 at Metropolis.

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(fabulous food) Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a proper feast or three, so if on October 5 you’re  in the area of Olympic Park, wandering through the Botanical Gardens or visiting the Biodome at the Space for Life, stop in at the stadium’s outdoor grounds where their First Fridays event features gourmet food from some of Montreal’s fanciest food trucks: tacos at Grumman 78, burgers at Winneburger, sandwiches, poutine and more from Lucky’s Truck and La Mangeoire, ice cream and sundaes at Monsieur Crémeux, coffee at Café Dispatch, and more, starting at 4 p.m. On October 11, caterer and food enthusiast Nicolina Servello pairs cook books with delicious rustic food in an afternoon event at Indigo Place Montréal Trust, noon to 2 p.m.

(fall film) New feature films, fantastic shorts and experimental video work from around the world all come out to play at Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, October 10-21. Along with plenty of international fare, the fest features some of the best sort of Canadian content in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, based on Montreal author Yann Martel’s novel, opening films Simon Galiero’s La Mise à l’aveugle and Martin Villeneuve’s Mars et Avril, screenings of work by French singer Albin de la Simone, Sarah Polley’s new film Stories We Tell, Albert Nerenberg’s witty doc Boredom, and many more. As well, the popular Temps Ø program continues this year with off-the-beaten-track features, shorts and documentaries.

(dance party) The Black and Blue Festival is all about making this weekend into a three-day LBGT-and-friends party, culminating in a massive all-night, all-morning, three-room dance party a Palais des Congrès on October 7, with DJs Gareth Emery, Sander van Doorn, David Morales and more. On Saturday afternoon and evening at Palais  des Congrès, get lost in free live music and entertainment event, De-Light, with entertainment from Debbie Tebbs, The Easton Ellises, Donzelle and other great Montreal performers. Of course, there’s also the night-time party rituals of Leather Ball on October 5 and the HardBall on October 6 at Club Soda.

(world-class performance) Les Grands Ballet Canadiens pulls out all the stops October 11-27 with choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, a ballet based on a culturally influential 10th-century Japanese folk tale of beauty, violence and worlds colliding. On a different note, The Segal Centre presents big-time Tony-award winning musical Guys and Dolls, to October 28. At the Centaur Theatre, see family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country by award winning playwright Jean Marc Dalpé. And French circus troupe Akoreacro positively delights with their acrobatic, musical circus Pfffffff, while Montreal-based circus Cirque Éloize blends circus arts with hip hop and breakdance in all-ages show iD, featuring 14 high-energy performers, both at Montreal circus centre La Tohu to October 6.

(art & architecture) Two new exhibitions at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal are both real eye-openers: an amazing retrospective of the work of Montreal painter Pierre Dorion, and intriguing videos focused on far-off places and people by Brooklyn-based artist Janet Biggs – the MACM also holds its monthly Nocturnes music series on October 5, featuring Tanuki, 7 p.m. The Canadian Centre for Architecture opens its exhibition First, the Forests, looking at the relationship between forestry, planning and design. And definitely go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to see their outstanding Tom Wesselmann retrospective show, which closes this Sunday, as well as their expanded permanent collection. See the Montreal Buzz Fall Arts Guide for more ideas.

(comedy & cabaret) On the stranger side of entertainment – and Montreal’s got a lot of that – comedy show Let’s Do This!, a night of comedy and drinking games, headlined by DeAnne Smith, on October 11 at Mainline Theatre, 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 6, Quality Theatre hosts not only a sing-along to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but a full-on band, comedians and a bevy of sexy burlesque performers, also at Mainline Theatre, 8 p.m.

(jazz off) The Montreal International Jazz Festival may get most of the summer jazz hype in this town, but all that jazz and more goes on throughout the year: check out The OFF Jazz Festival, October 4-12, with shows (some of them free!) at several venues around town, featuring traditional and experimental jazz from local and out-of-town musicians and bands, including pianist Baptiste Trotignon, saxophonist Anna Webber, Ironico Orkestra, Jean Derome and many, many more.

(more music) A busy Friday night begins the music week with Swedish folk-pop musician Jens Lekman at Le National, while DJ Shadow plays what’s sure to be a sweet DJ set at SAT, arts and activism group Howl presents eclectic Montreal rock-tinged ensembles Léopard et Moi and Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa Bouche, at Sala Rossa, and How to Dress Well gets Club Lambi electro-hopping. Also on Friday, Montreal Symphony Orchestra conductor Kent Nagano teams up with DJ Champion, while on Sunday he conducts the orchestra through The Rites of Spring. More big tours make Montreal stops at rock venue Metropolis this week: on Saturday, October 6, see Irish indie-rockers Two Door Cinema Club, on October 7 it’s electronic party makers Crystal Castles with openers Health and more, followed on October 9 by ever-popular singer-songwriter Regina Spektor and captivating British singer Joss Stone on October 10, while French trip-hop DJ Wax Tailor (http://waxtailor.com/) spins cinematic electronic grooves at L’Astral that night.

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(snow globe party) Igloofest is arguably the party of the winter – or parties plural, since the electronic music and dancing extravaganza happens over three weekends. Igloofest brings together thousands of people in one place (the Quay of the Old Port over the weekends of January 12–14, 19–21 and 26–28 – yes, Thursday is part of the weekend now), featuring some of the best in electronic music (like Diplo!). Put on your best parka or dig up that one-piece neon ski suit from the ‘80s and get ready to get down with crowds of Montrealers, young, old and in between. Being outside in winter shouldn’t be this fun, but it is, and I thank Igloofest for it.

(snow city) There’s something fabulous about returning to the luxurious confines of a hotel room after a wintry day wandering a wonderful city. Montreal takes that indulgence a step further with this city’s first Snow Village, located on the shores of the St-Laurent river at Parc Jean-Drapeau. The Snow Village combines an igloo-like hotel with a restaurant, bar, conference centre, maze, ice slide and, for the marriage-minded and God-alert, a chapel. Whatever you go for a drink or for a night, Snow Village Canada seems to be nothing short of a one-of-a-kind Canadian experience.

(arty warm up) Art galleries around town open their doors again in January with new exhibitions – check out galleries on every floor of the Belgo Building (372 Ste-Catherine W.), including Galerie Push, Galerie Pangée, Pierre François Ouellette, SAS, Skol and several other prominent, top-knotch galleries. Meanwhile, over at The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the fun and fabulous and free (yes, free) Big Bang exhibition continues until January 22 – with a room of floor-to-ceiling graffiti art by En Masse collective, a video installation from Denys Arcand and Adad Hannah, photos and furniture inspired by Group of Seven artists, a wall of plush toys and much more.

(park hopping) For extreme and not-so-extreme outdoor winter activity just a hop, skip and a jump away from town (not to mention accessible via the metro), Parc Jean-Drapeau is the place to be this January. Not only is the park home to the new Snow Village Canada, but the Fête des Neiges winter festival offers fun for the whole family, with a tube slide, zip-line, hockey and skating along the river during the weekends of January 21–22, 28–29 and February 4-5. For more outdoor fun, January 7 marks the last night of the Telus Fire on Ice events at the Quays of the Old Port, featuring a fire works show with a Little Mermaid Theme (true!), fire dancing shows starting at 7:10 and 7:40 p.m. and a fab outdoor skating rink.

(take a chance on) Musical lovers and disco divas unite for Broadway hit Mamma Mia!, January 3–8 at Place des Arts. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ musical, performed around the world for years and still going strong, sets the songs of ‘70s Swedish pop band ABBA to a tale of family, friendship and love on an idyllic Greek island. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll sing along.

(strange stage) Walk on the wilder side of theatre at the 15th annual Wildside Festival, January 3–14 at Centaur Theatre in Old Montreal. The notorious fest features independent, affordably priced shows that push the boundaries of traditional theatre: see Montreal theatre star Kirsten Rasmussen’s motivational-speaker-inspired Blink Blink Blink, the bilingual comedy Bifurcate Me, award-winning Countries Shaped Like Stars, A Thousand Paper Cranes and more. Elsewhere in indie theatre, Guy Sprung directs Infinithéâtre’s Ars Poetica, a story of publishing, poetry and cell phones, January 17 to February 12, at Bain St-Michel (5300 St-Dominique).

(dancetastic January) Montreal dance promotion organization Danse Danse does an amazing job this month with sure-to-satisfy shows: internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer Akram Khan’s Gnosis, January 24 – 25, and his Vertical Road, January 26 – 28, both at Place des Arts; and always-engaging Montreal choreographer and dancer José Navas’ Personae, January 11–28 at Cinquième Salle. Dancer-choreographers Martin Messier and Caroline Laurin-Beaucage bring evocative new creation Soak, presented at the 2011 Festival Transameriques, to the Monument National, January 26–29. And for something even more different, Ted Tafel’s Janvier takes us to an old railway building where memories and dreams intertwine in dance, at 661 Rose-de-Lima, January 13–15 and 20–22, 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

(whole hog) I’m not going to say that I totally understand this event, but I can say that mega-spectacle Show Harley looks awesome. Not only does Alice Cooper perform (!), along with other rock acts, but fifty custom Harley-Davidson motorcycles rev their engines and generally look cool while a sound and light show goes on in the background. Fans can get up close and personal with the bikes and talk shop with professionals and fellow fans. VIP access to Show Harley includes a back-stage preview starting at 3 p.m. on January 28, while the main show goes down at 8:30 p.m.

(get in the game) I hardly ever talk about hockey in this column, but that’s not because I don’t like it. I mean, as a Montrealer I have to at least watch five Habs games (minimum) a season or I get kicked out of town, and as a person who likes to hang out with friends and drink beer, hockey offers ample opportunity. Tickets for January games at the Bell Centre can still be had (nosebleeds or otherwise), or if the sports bar scene is more your speed, there are plenty of places to partake of our national, competitive winter pastime.

(pop sounds) Pop Montreal may happen in the fall, but the music fest’s programming wends its way throughout the year: on January 6, Pop Montreal presents La Route Chante: A Community Show for Lhasa, much-loved Montreal singer who passed away in early January 2010. The show features the amazing Montreal talents of Plants & Animals, Arthur H, Patrick Watson, Katie Moore, Ariane Moffatt, The Barr Brothers, Socalled and many more who played with Lhasa over the years – at the Rialto Theatre (5723 Parc), 8 p.m. On January 14, keep the Igloofest party rocking at the official after party (starting at 10 p.m.) at SAT with Rich Aucoin (love him!), Lunice, DJ Mini and Francis Oak – yaay! On January 18, indie rockers Real Estate come to La Sala Rossa, on January 19, Swedish metal band Ghost are joined by Blood Ceremony and Ancient Vvisdom at Theatre Corona, and on January 23, krautrock-inspired British band Fujiya & Miyagi play La Sala Rossa. Machine Head , Suicide Silence and more bring the metal to Metropolis on January 28. And British singer Charlie Winston, who won fans at Osheaga in 2010, woos the crowd again on January 28 at the Corona Theatre.

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Cirque Éloize is an established contemporary circus company that seamlessly blends together theatre, acrobatics and narrative. Daniele Finzi Pasca wrote and directed the world-acclaimed Rain for Cirque Éloize, a production that has seen 191 cities in 22 countries after travelling the world. The show features 12 performers from all over the globe, but what makes this show unique is that the performers are playing characters they created themselves which lends an intimacy to the performance that’s difficult to find in the grandiosity of most other circus productions.

The cutting edge show is centered on a circus troupe preparing for a performance. The mood is antiquated and vaudevillian, the multi-talented actors perform mind-bending aerial stunts and then they sing a song and dance number like they weren’t just whipping around in the air. Rain enchants with love affairs, moments of comedy and nonstop acrobatic gymnastics. The production surpasses expectation and re-imagines what the contemporary circus is capable of. After touring the globe and garnering rave reviews, come see one of the the most vibrant shows this city has to offer.

THE DETAILS

Cirque Éloize presents Rain, December 6-30, 2011

Monument National, 1182 Saint-Laurent, (514) 871 9883

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