That 17°C day yesterday got us thinking about this passage:

"Every year there is a day, usually in March, where the clouds part and the sun gets right up in our collective grill. It’s so unseasonably warm on this day that you have to remove layers so you don’t cook in your clothes. It’s glorious!... Do not be fooled by this day, it is a trap." — 12 things about Montreal that will never change, Dave Jaffer

He wasn't wrong. We were fooled. Our neighbours were out cleaning their cars and blasting Ghanaian highlife, we saw people in shorts, a few restaurants put tables outside, but—and we hate to say it—we're in for a couple more cold days it seems.

But spring undoubtedly be springin'. We've got tons of sugar shacks and cabane festivals working at full tilt right now (this guide has ideas on where to go), a ton of new cafés have opened in the last month to check out, dance parties are filling our weekend itinerary, there are pop-ups to keep us fed, and lots of deep reads to keep us company during a lazy Sunday.

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

🍁 Cabane Panache et Bois Rond transforms Verdun’s Promenade Wellington into the ultimate sugar shack party, featuring axe-throwing, live folk music, maple-infused feasts, and a full lineup of performances, all in celebration of Quebec’s lumberjack heritage.

💿🍷✨ Pavillon Sessions returns with Duchesse, bringing a dynamic mix of vibrant and smooth sounds to the decks—expect great food, drinks, and deep grooves all night.

🐉 Dirty Rhythms returns with an electrifying lineup of DJs spinning Afro House, Tech-House, Minimal Techno, and more at Le Red Room, delivering a night of deep grooves, high energy, and immersive sound.

🎷 Le Cypher X delivers a one-of-a-kind live hip-hop and soul experience, featuring a high-energy jam session with top musicians, freestyle performances, and an electrifying dancefloor.

Friday

🫣 Cinéma du Parc kicks off its 9th Minuit au Parc season with a David Lynch retrospective, featuring his surreal cult classic Eraserhead (1977)—an unforgettable journey into nightmarish visuals, eerie soundscapes, and existential dread.

📽️ FIFA comes to an end on March 23; go see its celebration of the intersection of film and the creative world with stories behind artistic movements and visionary creators before it's gone.

🖼️ tīná gúyáńí (Glenna Cardinal and seth cardinal dodginghorse) present agency, an exploration of forced displacement, healing, and reclamation through film, music, and visual art—free admission.

Saturday

🌴 A high-energy night of African, Latin, Brazilian, and Caribbean grooves (1950-1980) at La Sala Rossa, featuring original vintage vinyl selections by Philippe Noël and La Mano Peluda—expect rare cumbia, afrobeat, salsa, kompa, zouk, and more.

🇵🇭 A vibrant celebration of Filipino culture at Pavillon Jacques Cartier featuring a Sari-Sari Market with diverse vendors, live performances, and delicious food, followed by a concert.

⛪ STIMULANT VOL. 2 launches with a live music party at St. Kevin’s Parish, featuring performances by Omar Musa, INODI, Art Grey, and Fleeting Colours.

Sunday

🎶 ☕ Join akrenim for an afternoon DJ session where music, coffee, and community collide—limited tickets available, including a complimentary pastry to enjoy while you vibe.

🏖️ The Museum of Jewish Montreal presents Shtetl in the Sun: Andy Sweet’s South Beach 1977-1980, an evocative photo exhibition capturing the vibrant, snowbird-filled South Beach of the late ’70s.

↘️ Go explore Montreal’s underground city as it transforms into a sprawling art gallery with contemporary installations lining its corridors thanks to Art Souterrain.

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WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

Café PB & Joy is now open in Saint-Henri, bringing locally sourced coffee, pastries, and soon, vibrant, flavour-packed sandwiches inspired by the classic PB&J to the neighbourhood.

Phin Café brings Vietnamese coffee culture to the Plateau with authentic phin-brewed coffee and specialty teas.

Celebrate the 2.0 version of Pâtisserie Zébulon on March 20 from 6 PM to 9 PM, featuring a new menu, free coffee, a bartender on-site, music, and a selection of sweet and savoury treats for sale.

The elevated Korean food of Giwa has officially opened in Verdun, serving bold Korean flavors and creative small plates in an elevated dining experience.

Go scope out SUGO in Vieux-Longueuil, bringing Italian-inspired flavours to the area with a focus on great food, good drinks, and warm hospitality.

A new spot called Pierogi Head opened in Rosemont, serving up handmade, authentic Polish pierogis, soups, and classics, with gluten-free and vegetarian options available.

Cup MTL turns one! Join them March 20 to celebrate their first anniversary with a night full of good vibes and special surprises.

Every Wednesday at La Courtepointe, enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with the chef’s daily special for just $20.

Brasserie Bernard is holding a sugar shack brunch on March 22 and 23 with a special cabane à sucre-inspired menu in a cozy setting—reservations recommended!

Renoir unveils its reimagined space inside the Sofitel hotel downtown on March 24, bringing a new masterpiece to life.

Hey, restaurant and bar owners! Join The Main’s managing editor, JP Karwacki, for Get Your Sh*t Together, a roundtable at Bisou Bisou on March 26 from 2:30pm to 4pm, focused on making media easier for local businesses.

Happening Gourmand continues until March 30, offering prix-fixe menus at some of Old Montreal’s top restaurants, making fine dining more affordable without compromising on flavour.

Cabane à Buboy is back with an all-you-can-eat brunch, blending cabane à sucre classics with bold Filipino flavours—March 29-30 and April 5-6.

On March 30th from 6 PM till late, Open Kitchen returns to Bisou Bisou with friends from Bona Fide for pasta, oysters, and cocktails for a night of good food and great company.

Join chefs from Lawrence, Cara Mia, and Monarque for a special six-course fundraising dinner on March 31 at Lawrence, with all proceeds benefiting Mission Mile End.

How's a whole basket of free & healthy groceries sound? 🛒

As a reader of The Main, you’re eligible for a free $40+ grocery basket! All you need to cover is a $6 delivery fee.

How? We’ve partnered with Lufa Farms to bring fresh, sustainable groceries directly to your door. Bonus: Your first basket will have everything you need to make an awesome BLT with a side salad.

Don’t miss out—baskets are available while supplies last.

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Are cafés preferred over bars when it comes to hanging out? An uptick in morning caffeinated DJ sessions seems to suggest so. Read more.

NDG is Montreal's unofficial Koreatown. Just take a look at how the community has developed there over time, and Korean culture in the city overall. Read more.

Every time you see a parade float in town, it came from here: Au Pays des Géants, located 1.5 hours outside Montreal, builds them from scratch. Read more.

How exactly do you pull off the 200th St. Patrick's Day parade, anyway? Turns out it's an entirely volunteer-run, non-sponsored affair. Read more.

This ain't your usual white wall affair: The new Foil Gallery in Mile-Ex is challenging traditional conventions of exhibiting art—and it has a café! Read more.

Airbn-begone! Montreal has new rules limiting short-term rentals to the summer in an attempt to ease the city's shortage of affordable housing. Read more.

AND IN THIS CORNER! Weighing in at 185 pounds, Plateau-Mont-Royal borough mayor Luc Rabouin becomes Projet Montréal leader for the next mayoral race. Read more.

This is the full story of Henri Henri, the famous Montreal hat shop (and source of the term 'hat trick') that's creeping up on 100 years in business. Read more.

How many doggies will we see in the window? Montreal is launching a pilot project allowing dogs on certain buses during off-peak hours. Read more.

Tourism this year is set to be bigger than ever, and that means you should probably be booking anything you want to do in Quebec, like, now. Read more.

The city's decided to add a bigger police presence and reduce loitering in the metro to curb the presence of disadvantaged populations. Read more.

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And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

If ever you catch something we should know, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Amber Spector, Social Media Manager