May 1st to May 10, 2009
Elektra Montreal
Montreal's international digital arts festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2009. Be on the lookout for Lucy, a performance artist whose "emotions will be captured and transmitted through the website" as they "physically manifest" while she explores the fest's various performances and installations.
May 1st to May 30th, 2009
Montreal Chamber Music Festival
The Montreal Chamber Music Festival is back for the 14th time with classical and jazz performances from Montrealers Florence K, Oliver Jones and Socalled, Chicago's Rachel Barton Pine and more. Pick of the fest? Your last chance to see Guarneri Quartet play in Canada, with plans to retire in 2009.
May 1st to May 31st, 2009
Biennale Montreal
Montreal's 6th edition, and response to therest of the world's biennials, features projects inspired by the popularity of open source software (e.g., openoffice.org), using the concept in the context of design, cinema, music and visual arts. For example, the film project 8 Courts 1 Collectif features a protagonist whose characteristics and quirks were defined by internet users' answers to an online personality questionnaire. The open-sourced character is then interpreted eight different ways by eight actors according to the vision of eight emerging filmmakers.
May 1st to May 31st, 2009
The Good Conspiracy
Intent on spreading goodness, happiness, hope and joy to the Montreal masses, the first wave of The Good Conspiracy encourages Montrealers to compliment each other, give a helping hand, smile at a stranger and raise each other's spirits. Website in French. Part of Biennale Montreal (but someone please make this a year long thing!)
May 1st to June 6, 2009
Accès Asie
Check the program for the full lineup.
May 3, 2009
Au coeur de la mode
Buy from local designers at half price and support a great cause. Everybody wins at Au coeur de la mode at the Palais de Congrès, especially people living with AIDS who will benefit from the proceeds of Quebec's largest fashion charity event.
May 3 and May 4, 2009
Color Mundo
Two days of bodypainting, makeup, fashion, hairstyling and more, at the Bonsecours Market.
May 5 and May 7, 2009
Télé Sans Frontières
A grass roots film collective showcases their latest short films critiquing and examining social issues including video game addiction, medical marijuana, food waste and more on May 5th at Divan Orange and May 7 at L'Hémisphère Gauche. In French.
May 8 to May 10, 2009
D-Clic: Photo and Video Show
More than 70 photo and video workshops, from beginner to advanced are open to the public with purchase of a $12 three-day pass. There's also a photo exhibit of Monreal athletes, including shots of Alexandre Despatie, Émilie Heymans, Alexei Kovalev.
May 9 and May 10, 2009
Free Compost!
Get the details on accessing the heap.
May 10, 2009
Mother's Day
From brunches to tea rooms, spa treatments to live shows, there's plenty of ways to show Mom you care. Take these six suggestions for starters ...
May 15 and May 16, 2009
Messmer le fascinateur
Quebec's best known "fascinator" (Messmer doesn't feel the term hypnotist fully describes what he does) is doing his thing two nights in a row. And he's left more than a few skeptics wondering ...
Buy tickets.
May 17, 2009 through September 2009
Piknic Electronik
One of Montreal's top outdoor summer events is kicking off its 2009 season!
May 20 to June 6, 2009
Festival TransAmériques
Your guide to Montreal's only performance festival combining contemporary dance and theater, the Festival TransAmériques, showcases international talent as well as homegrown performers, from the renowned to the emerging. Check out TransAmériques' performance highlights at this year's edition.
May 22 to May 24, 2009
Montreal Outdoor Festival
Some great outdoor activities for kids and the whole family with most happening at Parc Jean-Drapeau. And don't forget to check out these top free activities at the 2009 Montreal Outdoor Festival.
May 27 to May 31st, 2009
MUTEK
MUTEK, Montreal's cutting edge electronic arts festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the likes of Detroit's Carl Craig, a stimulating collaboration featuring Modeselektor and Apparat (i.e., Moderat), two Piknic Electronik events with among others, Ricardo Villalobos. Check out more MUTEK hightlights for more details.
May 28 to September 8, 2009
Gay Village Goes Car-Free
The Gay Village portion of Ste. Catherine Street will also be host to events including live storytelling, music and busking of all sorts.
May 30, 2009
Total Crap 6
I don't know where these guys find their stock shots, but you're guaranteed to see some of the worst audiovisuals ever to come out of Quebec and elsewhere for only $10 ($15 at the door) at Club Soda. It's horrible. Truly truly horrible.
May 31st, 2009
Montreal Museums Day
Thirty-ish museums. Six circuits. All free, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check out my favorite itinerary from 2008 (and hopefully they'll offer it again in 2009!), the Yellow Route.
May 31st to June 7, 2009
Montreal Bike Fest
Un Tour la Nuit features 20km of nighttime city biking with 12,000 cyclists, Tour de l'Île is the most popular event with 30,000 cyclists biking 52 km (Cirque du Soleil is planning a little something for the beginning of the event and Daniel Bélanger is wrapping things up, both at Jeanne-Mance Park), and if you want to bike all the way, opt for the The Metropolitan Challenge, with "gentle" routes varying from 75 to 150 km. And there's Operation Bike-to-Work week, also held during the fest.
Through July 19, 2009
Cirque du Soleil's OVO
Easily the most anticipated event of the season, creepy-crawler bug-eyed inspired OVO commemorates the Cirque du Soleil's 25th anniversary.
Not in May 2009
Montreal Beer Fest
Sorry Montreal, you'll have to be patient this year. Canada's largest beer festival, le Mondial de la Bière, is in June this year.
Through Spring. And Summer. And Fall.
Your Montreal Pothole Survival Guide
It's not over.
