The weather report seems to be disappointing this weekend as clouds and a bit of drizzle is in the forecast, but if Montreal can hang out in -30 flurries in February, rain has never stopped us before!
THURSDAY
Thursday comes in with two legends.The first one sent to us from the culinary world. International star Chef Theo Gumbs, who has cooked for such celebrities and dignitaries as President Carter, President Clinton, Denzel Washington and many others, will be putting his culinary skills on display at Terrasses Bonsecours starting at 5pm. How often do you get to taste what a past president has? Not often, so here is your chance to get up close and personal. The menu will consist of such goodies as Red Snapper Passion Fruit and Cilantro Ceviche, Pan Seared Dove Spiced Skirt Steak Roulade and, what we are looking forward to the most, Upside-Down Drunken Bread Pudding. Eat up!
Once your done satisfying your tasting palette, the biggest free outdoor event of the summer at the Olympic Park finally arrives. It will play host to the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal for a concert that calls on the participation of musicians from the Canadian Armed Forces. Legendary Kent Nagano will conduct a program juxtaposing two dazzling classical works, the spectacular 1812 Overture by Tchaikovsky and Respighi’s Pines of Rome, along with a work for taiko (Japanese drums) and orchestra with Japanese master Eitetsu Hayashi. This will truly be a magical evening.
FRIDAY
Friday is host to the opening of a new restaurant in our city and we all know how much Montreal loves its food! Not much is known about the concept of Brasero Hardi on 139 St. Paul Ouest in the Old Port, except that it carries a New York-style feel with a beautiful patio and hip vibe. It’s mysterious and we are intrigued. Pop by tonight to see what the fuss is about.
Velvet was host to an incredible evening of disco and dance last week. The feedback was so great that they are bringing it back again tonight. This time hosted by DL Jones with DJs Wilcox & Promise and a special TBA DJ, this A Pon Le Disco event will be one for the books. Platforms and Travolta moves are not required.
SATURDAY
This Saturday, make sure and take a long walk on Montreal’s favourite shopping strip, Saint Catherine. Between Bleury and St. Lawrence, the street will come alive with all kinds of fun. What can you expect? Daily street entertainment featuring music, circus acts, street theatre, puppetry, dance and art installations. One musical highlight to note is Résurrection, a group that brings beat-boxing, electronically processed sounds and a little craziness. This will be one fun walk to take with a lot of extraordinary pit stops on the way. The Animation Of Saint Catherine starts at 2pm and goes until 7pm. ()
For all you rock heads, Heavy MTL starts today! It’s one of North America’s premier destination heavy music festivals taking place at last weekend’s Osheaga venue, Parc Jean-Drapeau.
This year’s lineup includes Marilyn Manson, System Of A Down, Deftones, Suicidal Tendencies and a whole lot of other head-banging artists. The festival is known to draw large crowds and has been growing strong since its start in 2008. Dirt resistant wear is strongly recommended here as you will come out covered in dust, sweat and rock fever.
SUNDAY
Get up early and spend all day at the Rogers Cup. The Rogers Cup presented by National Bank is a prestigious professional tennis tournament organized by Tennis Canada. Since 1881, the best players in the world have showcased their skills on Canadian courts. This year, Montreal is host to the world’s best female tennis players. You will see the likes of Aleksandra Wozniak and Maria Sharapova battling it out on one of the many courts scattered across the Uniprix Stadium. This is a great event to go to with a bigger group. Aside from the games, there is an abundance of interactive activities taking place on the grounds that you can all participate in, food courts and even a Grey Goose Bar. We attended last year and truly had a blast from the morning until the evening. Sunday is host to the semi-finals so you are bound to see the highest quality games. For passes, click here.
Photo courtesy Terrasses Bonsecours