April’s barely begun, but with all of the options we've uncovered for things to do in the coming four days and nights, the city’s already out here acting like it’s mid-June—and we’re not mad about it.

This weekend’s got art underground, DJs in cafés, Cambodian cooking in a butcher shop, and fungi fanatics trading spores at the Mycelium Market. From sugar shack season’s last hurrah to some vinyl-fuelled chaos at Foufounes, here’s what to hit, sip, and scope before Monday shows up again.

P.S. thanks to everyone who was a good sport about our April Fool's Day joke, and if you didn't see it, enjoy reading through the comments.

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

Thursday

📽️ The 2025 edition of the Vues d’Afrique International Film Festival begins, spotlighting African and Creole cultures through films, talks, and a Canadian competition.

🛍️ Morphoze celebrates the grand opening of its independent boutique spotlighting bold local design with a 5à7 on April 3, featuring drinks, shopping, and a DJ set by Itsemi at 6595 St-Urbain.

🧙 This is the final weekend to catch Witches: Out of the Shadows at Pointe-à-Callière, an exhibition exploring centuries of myth, persecution, and pop culture.

Friday

🇰🇭🇱🇦🇻🇳 Join the Super Boat People collective for the free opening of More Than Good Refugees!, a new exhibition at the MEM celebrating 50 years of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese presence in Montréal.

🕹️ Arcade MTL celebrates its 9th anniversary with a Mario Kart tournament, DJ Éric Hébert, and a beer special followed by a Saturday night party with DJs.

🎸 Casa del Popolo hosts the jerky rhythms and genre-blending curiosity of Pastel Blank, with DJ Shosho at the bar—and that's not all they've got this weekend.

🩰 Experience S’abreuver des volcans by Alan Lake Factori(e) at Place des Arts until April 5—a powerful, dreamlike exploration of the Orpheus myth through contemporary dance.

Saturday

↘️ Last chance to experience Art Souterrain: until April 6, Montreal’s underground city doubles as a contemporary art gallery, turning everyday commutes into encounters with thought-provoking installations.

☕️ Après-Soleil is hosting a coffee tasting and 5K run to celebrate their new coffee bags and announce the return of the Slow Pace Running Club — with a 5K at noon followed by a tasting of the Amazonie blend and treats from Jungle Torréfacteur.

🍄 The Mycelium Market invites gardeners and fungi lovers to swap seeds, pick up mushroom mycelium, and learn how to inoculate their gardens—plus enjoy community art and green initiatives

Sunday

🤘 Loser Jamboree takes over Foufounes Électriques on April 6 with a free one-day market of booze, vinyl, vintage gear, and punk attitude, curated by Broke & Stoked.

🪴 The exhibition greenhouses at the Botanical Garden reopen this weekend, offering a lush escape into a world of cacti, orchids, ferns, and thousands of exotic plant species.

🏴‍☠️ The Assassin’s Creed Symphonic Adventure concert brings the game series to life with a 100-piece orchestra and choir performing iconic scores alongside synchronized 4K visuals from across the franchise.

🍁 Time's running out to visit a sugar shack—check out our list of vetted spots in and around the city.

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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 Got Soul teams up with Café Mosa for a one-day takeover on April 3, blending Colombian coffee, live music by The Recipe Sessions and jojoFlores, and a community-focused vinyl set.

Korean street food spot Danbi kicks off its soft opening with a promo from April 1–4: get a free Danbi Cup with any menu item at their new Shaughnessy Village location.

Vinorama is hosting a neon-lit Bingo Night on April 3, with four rounds of prizes, discounted bottles, a BTG wine lineup, and a special on their house Pogos.

Lulu Épicerie hosts a one-night transformation on April 5 as the Beiroots Groove Ensemble brings the boogie, with shawarma included in every ticket.

El Sabor de Mexico celebrates its 11th anniversary on Saturday, April 5 with music, cocktails, and high energy—eat, drink, get loco! 🪅🍹🎉

On Sunday, April 6, guest chef Benji Greenberg takes over La Franquette for a special five-course dinner ($75); reservations now open via OpenTable.

Verdun Beef teams up with Street Monkeys for a Table du boucher on April 6, showcasing chef Tota Oung’s Cambodian cooking through a 6-dish, 4-course menu built around the butcher shop’s signature cuts.

Le Violon is thrilled to host longtime friend Dmetro Sinclair of Nora Gray for la hora del vermut on April 6, featuring a $65 Spanish-inspired table d’hôte lunch.

Ciao belli! On April 6, Bar Bello teams up with Mikado for a special Japanese-Italian fusion aperitivo, pairing custom cocktails with inspired small plates.

Mange Dans Mon Hood turns 2 on April 8 and they’re throwing a backyard party with a spring vibe—special menu, DJ sets, drinks, and all the smash burgers you love.

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

A new month = new options. Our latest batch of the best new restaurants in Montreal has dropped, and there are some stellar options. Read more.

True Canadian umami: Out on Vancouver Island, one chef has spent years creating what's currently the only fish sauce in the country. Read more.

What makes someone Québécois? We took a deep dive into a new podcast that's asking that deep question in both English and French. Read more.

New venues on the Montreal scene. The team behind Casa del Popolo has stepped up and opened La Toscadura alongside reviving Martha Wainwright's Ursa under a new name, P'tit Ours. Read more.

Feeding pigs tableside at a Montreal restaurant. That was one of the many drawcards for one dining institution in the city that met a tragic end. Read more.

Montreal is implementing measures aimed at protecting local businesses facing instability amid the threat of tariffs on Canadian products. Read more.

Garbage toss fortune telling has taken off thanks to the weekly videos of Montrealer Ryan Sullivan—more than 3.5 million people on Instagram, to be precise. Read more.

Archaeological adventures in Chinatown! A Montrealer dug up 200 years of history in their courtyard, including a gun and shell casings. Read more.

Pasta subscription, anyone? You can eat as much pasta as you want for as little as $200 a month which just "mathematically works". Read more.

Montreal's facing opposition over plans to pedestrianize Ste-Catherine Street. Critics argue the initiative could harm local businesses and disrupt traffic. Read more.

A world pizza champ in our midst. Pizzaiolo Mirko D’Agata, executive chef of Pizzeria No.900 and Morso, has won the title of world pizza champion. Read more.

Could we be like Paris?? 🤩 Specifically, could Montreal ever realize the massive amount of pedestrianization that city's recently seen? Read more.

Quebec cuts critical anglo support: The community organization YES that assists young Anglophones in their postgrad job searches will no longer receive financial support starting in June. Read more.

Office vacancy downtown's at a record high of 15.4%, and real estate market will need to adapt to attract new tenants and revitalize their sector. Read more.

Brewing discontent: The Montreal brewery Memento along the Lachine Canal caught flack after boasting about using AI to create its beer can labels. Read more.

Some beauty along the river? The Bridge-Bonaventure neighbourhood on the banks of the St. Lawrence will be a densely populated by large residential towers filled with off-market housing, says the city. Read more.

Finally, some answers to age old questions: Does your cat really love you? A Montreal researcher aims to crack that case. Read more.

$1.4 billion. That's how much Concordia University owns in real estate property, something that comes with a litany of considerations. Read more.

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