Last night, after the first “summer” day in Montreal – 27 degrees celsius, scorching sun that reddens arms and nose, and an all-consuming desire to take a bath in a very, very large cup of iced matcha – we decided to make a list of everything we’re going to do in Montreal this summer.
Summer, on the solar calendar, is June 21. It’s the summer solstice, the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere.
In old England, lovers of astronomy and dancing barefoot in the grass with flowers in their hair gather at Stonehenge to celebrate. Here, we tend to celebrate it on June 24, the day of Saint-Jean Baptiste – Quebec’s national holiday. Beer and bonfires, that’s our North American Stonehenge.
So, for our bucket list, let’s say we start summer on June 21 and stop at the end of September. That’s about 14 weeks (and 14 weekends) for a glorious Montreal summer…
Summer in Montreal is the season for music festivals and dancing in the streets, under the stars-while staying well hydrated, of course. And, come August, we’ve already booked our tickets for our favorite festival: Osheaga.
Whether you want to rock out to 80s music, are a raver, a classic-classical music lover or know all the moves to Britney Spears’ Toxic, you’ll be able to find what you’re looking for – and dance the night away…
Saint-Jean-Baptiste is celebrated every year on June 24. Originally a Catholic holiday celebrating the birth of the eponymous saint, the date corresponds to the summer solstice (June 21 in the northern hemisphere) and – what interests us most in Montreal – it’s Quebec’s national holiday.
In the regions, St. John’s Day is celebrated with huge bonfires (if the fire department comes to put it out, it means it was really glorious) and barbecues, block parties and concerts by local old-timers. If we’re lucky, there’s also a cotton candy fair and the kind of rollercoasters that are going to be hard to look in the eye after the release of the new Destination Ultime.
In Montreal, it’s more of the same, only more urban – and we’ll be partying it up in Quebec at one of the island’s neighborhood block parties .
We’ve got the list of Montreal block parties for Bastille Day 2025 for June 23 and 24 here;
We’re going to put on our best blue-and-white outfits – fleur-de-lys makeup optional but recommended – and drink lots of water, because it’s going to be the start of a hot hot hot summer. ..
Winter has been looooong and cold and we’ve hibernated enough, and this summer, in the very characteristic mix of Montreal’s summer vibe -freewheeling construction, scorching concrete, century-old trees swaying in the breeze, kids screaming (for joy), music blasting from invisible speakers on every corner- we’re going to need to experience all the ice cream we can…
We did a very serious survey to make a list of Montrealers’ favorite crèmeries, and we’ve got the results here to plan all our ice cream stops this summer…
Eating strawberries dipped in a chocolate bar that’s melted in the sun, little sandwiches without crusts, warm Petit Québec , a bottle of white wine from someone who’s invested in a cooler… Picnics are fun, aesthetically pleasing and a great opportunity to test the effectiveness of our new bug repellent spray .
Sundays are traditionally spent picnicking at the Tam-tams in Parc du Mont-Royal, while other days are spent on any grassy area (there are plenty of parks in the city) that’s still free. For those worried about a stinging blade of grass, there are picnic tables all over Montreal’s parks!
We’ll also be taking a tour of the Premiers Vendredis food truck festival and picnicking to music on July 4 and 5, August 1 and 2 and September 5 and 6…
What we also like to do (we’ve been thinking about it all winter) is first shop at one of Montreal’s public markets, then sit down on the banks of the Lachine Canal, on a picnic table or on the patio of a friend with a small garden, to eat in the shade of a century-old tree.
Montreal is great in summer, but even if you’re not going on a long vacation at the cottage, you still want to take a trip into the forest, why not go camping (or glamping) with friends, lovers or family.
For destinations that are easily accessible if you’re only going away for a weekend (or three days), we have a few recommendations;
- To sleep under the stars, we’ll camp at Mont Mégantic, because its observatory (the most efficient in the country) makes the mountain a National Dark Sky Reserve where you can see the stars without light pollution.
- If you want to sleep between berry-picking fields, camp in Frelighsburg at Camping Écologique.
- To sleep in the mountains, along the river, and for those who want to rent a microchalet to camp with all the comforts, we go to Baie-Saint-Paul.
- For camping on a natural beach, go to Parc Naturel d’Oka.
Montreal is a city (never green enough), rich in biodiversity, and in summer we appreciate our island’s green spaces so much that we want to help protect them…
Under the direction of the Espace pour la vie Insectarium, the Mission Monarque program was born, which is “a participatory science program that documents the reproductive success of the monarch butterfly”(kinky).
All joking aside, the data collected is invaluable for research that is helping to save monarch butterflies from extinction. Send your monarch photos to the Mission Monarque website to participate! Go here!
With or without alcohol, whether it’s the iconic pitcher of Sangria, a beer, a juice, a cocktail or a diet coke, we’ll be spending time with friends on the terrace. Terraces are everywhere in Montreal, and we can follow the sun’s rays to be there all day (or at least part of the afternoon).
We’ll be on the terraces of Montreal streets that become pedestrianized in summer, because a street without construction is a rare find, in the Village, in Westmount or on Wellington Street in Verdun…
In and around Montreal, you’ll be able to go to the drive-in cinema with or without a car, and watch films in the most nostalgic and romantic setting possible – you’ll be dreaming about it, already smelling of oil, weed, popcorn and the projectionist’s joint…
And you won’t have to leave town to enjoy the experience:
Starting June 18, the Livart will be hosting the Bleu Soir outdoor cinema, Monday to Thursday (program to be announced).
From June 25, there will be Cinéma sous les étoiles in 18 Montreal parks, with free screenings of socio-conscious and documentary films. On June 30, we’ll (re)see the film we loved to open the Rendez-Vous Québec Cinéma festival, Jenny Cartwright’s Les Perdants .
From June 21, the City of Montreal is organizing Cinéma à la belle étoile and Cinéma en plein air screenings in the city’s public parks, and for the program it’s here and here!
Have a great summer in Montreal!