The Bulletin: A butcher shop opera, neo-vaudevillian nights, block parties, and more [Issue #85]

The Bulletin is a collection of what's happened, what’s happening, and what’s to come in and around Montreal.

The Main

July 11, 2024- Read time: 10 min

PSA: It's your last weekend to see Montréal Complètement Cirque. | Photograph: Andrew Miller

Sure, you've got your amazing, formal festivals with big acts completely taking over the downtown core this weekend, but what about the in-betweens?

We're talking about a weekend festival like a Quebecois Burning Man, riverside parties with secret locations, one-off pop-ups with Newfoundlander guest chefs, a butcher shop opera, and other weird fun stuff.

You're here to have a good time. That's why you've subscribed to this newsletter: To know more about what's going on around town than anyone else. You've got bragging rights.

As you read on, you'll find that we've collected not only all the greatest hits but all the B-sides too. Happy hunting for those hidden treasures, y'all.

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

Thursday

@soulfestmtl, Montreal's festival celebrating the very best in Soul, Disco, Funk, Gospel, and Motown music, is taking place at @lebalconcabaret.
@avenuemontroyal's RU festival returns from July 11 to 21 with a diverse programming of music, visual arts, theater, slam, and dance with established and emerging artists.
The 38th edition of L’International des Feux Loto-Québec at @larondesixflags continues with performances by Austria on July 11 and Mexico on July 14.
@shazamfestival, a unique four-day cornucopia of exhilarating neo-vaudevillian entertainment, is coming to the riverside woods and natural amphitheatre skirting the Eastern Townships from July 11 to 14.

Friday

@lesguinguettesmtl is bringing the party to Notre-Dame Street West and @lesquartiersducanal from July 12 to 14 with a festive atmosphere full of kiosks, food, and activities.
The 38th edition of the biggest world music festival in North America,@nuitsdafrique, is at @quartierdesspectacles_mtl until July 21.
Old Montreal's @laffichiste is hosting its first-ever “Not-So-Perfect” sale, selling various vintage and contemporary posters of all kinds of themes from 9 am to 5 pm.
@cieleathletics is inviting everyone for a run during the @lesquartiersducanal street fest this weekend, Friday at 6 pm and Saturday at 4 pm.

Saturday

Pop-up organizers at @espace.canevas are hosting a multicultural alley event full of music and gastronomy, featuring seven different DJs and seven varied purveyors of international cuisine from 11 am to 4 pm.
DJs from @ferias.mtl will be holding a block party at @bar.wills with artists like Brooklyn-via-Washington DC’s @lovie.world and Montreal’s @glowzi as of 9 pm.
@grandhuit_ is bringing ZamalFunk, a Montreal collective and label, to @osmo_x_marusan with 20 artists performing from 12 pm until 3 am with live and DJ sets from some of Montreal's finest selectors—expect a wide range of styles from abroad.
There's going to be a riverside party under the stars all night long with friends @vasimolo.mtl @zamalekmontreal @memento_cycles; info to RSVP's available on Vasimolo's Insta.
@marchemaisonneuve is hosting Le Grand Marché, an event with dishes and tastes from twenty artisans and restaurateurs alongside music by @_djkelly and @cidoine.music from 10 am to 5 pm.

Sunday

Check out performances from MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE (@mtlccirque), running from July 4 to 14.
@museemtljuif is hosting the summer exhibition “The Past Is Before You” by Montreal-born artist Arnie Lipsey, depicting everyday Jewish life in Eastern Europe and Montreal from his family’s vantage point.

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Breakaway from the pass at La Spada, a new Roman-Italian restaurant in Saint-Henri. | Photograph: Rachel Holly Cheng / @rachelhollycheng

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.

From Rome to Montreal

From the atmosphere and menu to its service and sense of style, La Spada is a love letter to Rome in Montreal. It is an electric restaurant theatre and a source of experiential dining seldom found in the city, and it is now open. Read all about it. (The Main)

@sataybrothers is launching its first-ever Sataypalooza, a series of street food pop-ups celebrating Montreal’s vibrant gastronomy scene. The first event on July 11 is with the chef from @resto_palme.
@tt_supermarket Montreal's Asian night market with @nightmarketmtl will feature 100+ dishes from more than 30 restaurants and stores from July 18 to 21.
@motelontario_mtl, a new restaurant and wine bar in Hochelaga with sharing menus that evolve with the seasons and fine selections of wines, cocktails, and beers is open at last.
On July 14, @barhenriettamtl is hosting a party with small grilled good, ice cream by @maria.summmmmer, and lots of good booze by the glass.
@bistrolafranquette's regular salvo of pop-ups continues on July 14 when they'll host @pcormier and their BBQ skills. Perfect for the summer.
@namesontheway is doing a pop-up over at @buboymtl that'll pull on Filipino flavours and the sounds of @chops.wunda all night long.
A new restaurant focused on Moroccan street food, chawa.mtl, is open as of July 11 in the middle of the Plateau.
@cafesandrino is collaborating with @sazonflorell on July 14 for a birria tacos pop-up from 11am to 4pm.
@beaversheeperd of @mamereenfeu will be cooking up a storm of seasonal vegetables and seafood at @kabinetmtl from July 11 to 13.
@verdun.beef is hosting an “apéropéra” night featuring young opera artists from Montreal, plus a menu of wines, beer, & homemade charcuterie.
On July 14, @robinbierenaturelle will host @jus.sec's 3rd birthday with beer, food, a DJ, and a whole lotta cider.
@ameacafe and @maisonalcan are bringing their Wednesday 5 à 7s back—trust us when we tell you that they're more than extra.
@lespacepublic's guest dining series continues with @maison_close_mtl, a new Hochelaga wine bar, with delicacies on July 17.
Little PSA for you: From Tuesday to Saturday, 9 pm til late, @cabaret.lenfer is serving three-course menus for only $40.

A standout figure in Montreal’s culinary scene

Janice Tiefenbach’s a dynamic force behind Montreal's celebrated restaurants Elena and Gia Vin & Grill. A virtuoso whose journey has been anything but conventional, these are Janice Tiefenbach’s favourite restaurants in Montreal. (The Main)

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

(No) Power for Hours

A deluge of heavy rain due to remnants of tropical storm Beryl forced the closing of several highways in the Montreal area on Wednesday afternoon and knocked out power to thousands in the city. Here's the latest. (Montreal Gazette)

Go on then! We don't want you anyway! 😢

Come June 2025, businesses with between 25 and 49 employees will have to enforce the French language charter or face penalties of up to $30,000. Will businesses put up with OQLF inspections, or will they find loopholes, or just leave altogether? (The Logic)

An obstacle course for local sports events

Montreal is considered internationally as a leader in sporting events, but for how much longer? Things are getting real after the cancellation of several major sporting events in recent weeks. What's to be done about this loss of momentum? (Radio-Canada)

Our motto is: "Too bad, so sad."

We missed this story a few weeks back (thanks @fucknomtl!), but it's no less nuts: Residents living in the Village have had to throw out dozens of appliances and electronics because of a power surge that hit the area in late May. Hydro-Quebec says it's not their responsibility. (CTV News)

We make this look good

A look inside RDØ Solar's design-forward, DIY-friendly solar kits, solar panel awnings, colourful solar lamps, and tasteful enclosures such as EV charging stations and heat pumps. Crazy what an application of aesthetic can do. (NUVO)

Archipelagos, jungle gyms, and canopies!

Montrealers can now vote on what to do with the Olympic Stadium's defective roof: The Olympic Park has unveiled the international design competition finalists for repurposing the doomed dome with more than 20,000 tears that's made the iconic stadium unusable for part of the year. (Montreal Gazette + Parc Olympique)

Lauréats et vote -

Dans le cadre d’un concours international d’idées, des étudiants et professionnels ont proposé divers projets pour réutiliser, recycler et valoriser une

Jean-Sébastien Richer

We are all s̶t̶a̶r̶d̶u̶s̶t̶ plastic

A process developed by researchers at McGill University not only instantly detects micro and nanoplastics suspended in water, but also differentiates them from other materials, even when they are covered by other particles. (Radio-Canada)

They paved a parking lot and put up a paradise 🎶

Citizens across Quebec have undertaken tearing up the asphalt and concrete on sites chosen by a program called "Sous les pavés", one square metre at a time, to remove heat island and develop green environments. (Le Devoir)

Small team, big dreams

The small but mighty Montreal-born agency Wedge was not only the Studio of the Year winner at Dieline Awards's worldwide package design competition, but also broke the record for the most awards ever received by a SOTY, claiming nine awards across a range of categories, from health and beauty to food and beverage. (PRINT Magazine)

This one spoke to us

"I travelled to Montreal to better understand why it’s one of North America’s best places to cycle, not just as a sport but as a means of everyday transportation and leisure." (Toronto Star)

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.

The Bulletin: What's Montreal got that other Canadian cities don't? [Issue #84]

The Best of Montreal's Festivals, July 2024