With RAW WINE completely taking over the What to Do this Weekend—and the reason you see tipsy people walking the streets of Old Montreal midday this weekend—the curation of this week's edition of the Bulletin's no different than a fine bottle of wine.

We invite you to savour the unique, artful, authentic, and profound stories that swirl within our vibrant community.

Uncork the richness of our city and its life through this central cultural hub, a carefully aged blend of creators, businesses, curators, and tastemakers.

Enjoy this weekend's worth of well-aged vintages, offering the slow pleasures of in-depth stories, fast attractions, timely news, and everything in between—all of life's finest narratives.

...ok, enough with the half-baked metaphor. Time to chugalug everything you need to see, do, eat, drink, and think about this weekend.

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

Thursday

• Go see unheralded and emerging bands with M pour Montréal, a showcase for new artists that's set to catapult them into the international sphere—you'll see 'em here first, folks.
• Le Monastère's avant-garde circus venue downtown has a new underground project to let circus artists experiment their new creations in front of a public: l'annexe.
• Experience Jon Hopkins' acclaimed beatless record in all its immersive glory at the inaugural Pitchback Playback listening sessions held at the PHI Centre.
• Théâtre aux Ecures is hosting a performance by Iranian designer and puppeteer Sayeh Sirvani entitled L’Ivresse des profondeurs.
• The 2023 edition of the Gala IDEE, highlighting the impact of ethno-culturally diverse entrepreneurs in Canada, is taking place at the Windsor Hotel.

Friday

• Plateau gallery LIVART is holding the event Labyrinthe, a benefit that'll take over the entire building, with a dance party by Sans Soleil and catering by Fleurs & Cadeaux.
• image+nation, Canada’s pioneering LGBT2SQ+ film festival and a dynamic platform for telling Queer stories of all types and all stripes, is underway.
• Designed by artists from queer communities and offered to everyone, the  Accents Queers Cabaret at Usine C is an opportunity to discover how LGBTQ+ people experience the world, how they feel it and how they hope for it.

Saturday

• Montreal International Documentary Festival is back to screen more than one hundred films made by filmmakers from all over the world, as well as Virtual Reality installations.
• It's that time again: For over 60 years, every autumn, the Austrian Society of Montreal holds its signature event, the Viennese Ball of Montreal. Tickets are stiffly priced at $300 a pop, but damn is it ever fancy.
• Festival Bach Montréal, North America’s premiere destination for the timeless musical genius of Johann Sebastian Bach, continues: Scope their showcase of elite musicians from here and abroad.

Sunday

• The beginning of the Quartier des Spectacles' holiday festivities has begun, starting with the reopening of the Esplanade Tranquille skating rink.
• Listen to the musical hits of the ol' Rock'n'Roll years, or dance to them, at Bar Le Record's free Boogie Woogie event alongside free dancing classes.
• Portugal. The Man is going to be playing MTELUS—need we say more?

WHAT TO DRINK (AND MAYBE EAT) IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

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

...not gonna lie, there's a lot of wine this time around. 🍷🍇

• RAW WINE's celebration of some of the best wine talent in the world making natural, low-intervention, organic and biodynamic wines is finally arriving in Montreal and will run from November 19 to 20.
• Coinciding with RAW WINE, new kid on the Villeray block Casavant is hosting a very special menu night with the slick winemakers @les_salicaires & @thorstenmelsheimer on Nov 17.
• Join Cafe Dax for an evening of Beats & Bulles with the delightful and talented Alessandra Divella and the posse from Le vin dans les voiles on Nov 16.
• Parc Avenue's Pullman is hosting well-renowned Quebec winemaker Pinard & Filles for the release this year's Novembre on Nov 16.
• On Nov 18, Supernat is welcoming Mersel Wines and Pépin as well as the @dieu.du.vin team to celebrate RAW WINE's arrival in the city.
• Feel like toasting and chatting with some OGs of Italian nature? Saša Radikon @radikonwines, Giusto Occhipinti @aziendaagricolacos and Emma Bentley de @la_biancara—kings and queens of their respective regions—will be taking over Gia Vin & Grill on Nov 18.
• vinvinvin is bringing back their Rosato Italo Disco for a third edition on Nov 17 and there's so much wine involved that we lost track.
• Established on Beaubien Street in 2016, Caifan has moved to a new and bigger space on Saint-Denis to offer its authentic Mexican eats to an even wider audience than before.
• Bar WILLS is hosting a good old fashioned block party alongside friends from Vermont's Kalchē Wine Co and natural wine social club Palm Wine.
• Menu Extra has returned from a tour of restaurants and vineyards of France to offer a new twelve-course tasting menu based on autumn flavours with wine pairing.
• Crowd-favourite Denise partnered up with Ward & associés to host a handful of winemakers on Nov 16. Reserve for dinner or stop by for a glass after 10pm.
• The Frelighsburg-based cave à manger Passe-Montagne is inviting the Quebec pioneer in wine and cider Clos Saragnat to its dining room for special tastings and menus on Nov 16.
• ...aaaaaaand if you've had enough wine? Check out the participating restaurants and book your tables at MTLàTable, an opportunity to discover new restaurants and revisit favourites that's going strong until November 19.

Home of the sangwich

Older-school Montrealers might remember the Mile End institution Boulangerie Clarke, but you have to know Café Clarke in Pointe-Saint-Charles by now: Home of the sangwich, a simple yet reliable purveyor of Italian imports, goods, and coffee, and a reincarnation of the OG landmark dating back to 1980. (The Main)

A (mostly) spoken history of Clarke Café, Montreal’s home of the sangwich

Italo family history, a Mile End legend, and building a modern institution in the Pointe, as told by Frank Servedio

J.P. Karwacki

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

The kind of people you want here

The CAQ government’s recent decision to double tuition rates for out-of-province students attending Quebec universities has not only rattled English institutions, but caused frustration and unease among once-upon-a-time outsiders who are now full-fledged Quebecers. Take Dyan Solomon, for example. (Cult MTL)

Don’t mess with Montreal’s magic

An interview with Dyan Solomon, the chef-owner of three top Montreal restaurants, about the folly of the Quebec university tuition hike.

Cult MTLToula Drimonis

Insults, fights, gunfire, and fear

Since October 7, Jews and Muslims in Montreal have been afraid to walk in the streets of their own city. Like other major cities around the world, hate crimes are on the rise in Montreal as the fighting in Gaza continues and tensions spread around the world. (La Presse)

Age, grace, and ice

A lot of Montreal's private clubs are often behind the scenes of places like the Golden Square Mile, but this one's out in the open—even if you don't know it. It doesn't run all year as the heritage structure isn't equipped for ice in the summer, but damn—is it ever cool to think about and be inside of of the RMCC. (The Main)

Age, grace & ice: The Royal Montreal Curling Club, North America’s oldest sports club

The oldest established and active sports club—let alone the oldest curling club, period—on the entire continent is right here at home.

Gary Stevens

But... the street they're on is called Old Orchard?

After 27 years of Ye Olde Orchard Pub, the sign outside its Monkland Ave. pub in NDG changed this week to Maison publique Orchard. Owners of the establishment made the changes after a complaint was lodged with the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) last spring. (Montreal Gazette)

Ye Olde Orchard Pub changes sign to ‘Maison publique Orchard’ to comply with Quebec language law

Pub chain co-owner says no one in the government can explain its guidelines on signage, but “we are doing our best to comply.”

Montreal GazetteRené Bruemmer

Gunnin' for the tunnels

The number of cases of trespassing into Montreal's metro tunnels reached 161 last year, an 18-year high likely closely linked to the increased presence of vulnerable populations in the metro who are experiencing homelessness and addiction. (Journal de Montréal)

LET HIM COOK 🐀

There are nearly six million rats in Montreal and they are increasingly present in public places, says the official opposition at City Hall, which proposes providing the city with a control plan against the rodents. (Radio-Canada)

Six millions de rats à Montréal | Radio-Canada Info

Il y aurait près de six millions de rats à Montréal et ceux-ci seraient de plus en plus présents dans les lieux publics, constate l’opposition officielle à l’Hôtel de Ville, qui propose de doter la métropole d’un plan de lutte contre ces rongeurs. Le reportage de Kim Vermette.

Radio-Canada

Absolutely invisible

When homeless people die in Quebec, very little, if anything, gets done with that information. Experts say that's a problem, noting that collecting that data and making it public would help shape policy and potentially save lives. They also say it's a question of dignity and respect. (CBC Montreal)

Quebec doesn’t know how many homeless people die every year. Why some say that needs to change | CBC News

The province of British Columbia has been publishing data about deaths in the homeless population for about a decade. The city of Toronto began publishing its own data in 2017. Experts say it’s time for the province of Quebec to follow suit.

CBCAntoni Nerestant

Hide yo kids, hide yo bikes

The scourge of bicycle theft seems to have started to rise again in the Quebec metropolis after a lull during the pandemic: As many as 2,462 people reported their bike had been stolen, up almost 300 from the figure of 2,167 for the same period in 2022 while 2019 to 2021 was below the 2000 mark. (La Presse)

Ever seen an elegant tattoo shop?

The design for a Montreal tattoo studio offers a fresh and elegant look to break free from the “intimidating tattoo parlour stereotype”, embracing a combination of subtlety and distinction and redefining the conventionally held notion about what these spaces should look and feel like. (Construction Canada)

Novel design of Montreal tattoo studio breaks free from stereotype

The design for the recently opened Montreal tattoo shop, BlackSwan Studio, embraces a combination of subtlety and distinction, redefining the conventionally held notion about the “intimidating” tattoo parlour.

Construction Canadaarslan_ahmed

Answering the big questions

Facetiousness aside, Montreal is behind most major cities when it comes to paying for public transit. For years, the STM has looked into implementing easier payment options, but a series of bureaucratic setbacks have halted the process. (CBC Montreal)

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.