It’s still fall in Montreal, and the city is red and green and a little chilly. But the wind is picking up—it’s icy—and soon it will be winter.
Quebec’s fir forests and small mountains will be blanketed in a thick layer of snow; the colorful country homes with their wraparound porches will look like dollhouses; and the air will always carry a faint scent of a wood fire.
And in Montreal, the holiday season will warm the asphalt and the tall gray towers of downtown, and it all begins on November 13, 2026, with the opening of the city’s largest Christmas market.
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THE GREAT MONTREAL CHRISTMAS MARKET
It’s a Christmas market with a slightly European flair—ultra-traditional and redolent of cinnamon and the holiday spirit from ’90s movies. There are wooden stalls, pots of mulled wine, and wood fires.
This year, for the first time, the Grand Marché de Noël will be adorned with a large Christmas tree (we’re promised a very, very large tree) that will be lit up for the market’s opening on November 13.
We’ll head to the market, which is right in the heart of downtown and almost makes you forget the tall, cold towers that freeze over quickly under the first snowflakes of the year. There will be pretzels and mulled wine, stalls selling ribbons and syrups to decorate our apartments for the holidays, and Christmas music blaring at full volume right through the holiday season.
There will also be Quebec classics—poutine, craft beer, a bit of fiddle music, and plenty of melted cheese. And, for the kids, visits from Santa Claus—of course. And this year, we’ve been good.
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PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Where? Place des Arts, in downtown Montreal
When? Starting November 13, 2026
What? Free admission
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