Whether it’s all-night parties as part of POP Montreal you’re after, or maybe one of the city’s most renowned social soirees is more your thing, you’ll find no shortage of excuses to get out of the house and stay there in this edition of the Weekender…
THURSDAY
POP Montreal officially kicked off yesterday and the program this year is bonkers. Now entering its 13th year as a permanent fixture on the Montreal festival map and the international music circuit, this festival will host more than 600 artists to audiences of over 50,000. Delivering a bold cross-section of art forms and events, the festival includes concerts, symposium discussions, artisan and visual art exhibitions, fashion shows, ?lm screenings, and as always, a few all-night parties.
About Girls for the Cure is celebrating their 20th anniversary today and we really encourage you to join them. Launched in 1995, Girls for the Cure brings together over 2,000 students who walk five kilometers from their participating school campuses to the summit of Mount Royal (Chalet du Mont-Royal). The students work tirelessly to gather pledges from family, friends and neighbours in hopes of finding a cure for women-related cancers. All funds are directed to the Community Cancer Care Centre at St. Mary’s Hospital Center, which treats one of the largest cancer patient populations on the island of Montreal.
Shoppers, rejoice. Bath & Body Works at Montreal Eaton Centre is now open and is celebrating with LOULOU Magazine and Yeh Yogurt! Pop by to meet a LOULOU Editor and discover their favourite scents of the season; Yeh will be providing delicious treats and the first 200 customers to arrive get a free swag bag.
FRIDAY
If you haven’t heard of the Wonder Ball by St. Mary’s. we can tell you that it has been a pillar of the Montreal community for 90 years. Pretty big deal, right? And to honour such a milestone anniversary, young professionals from the medical, corporate and artistic realms will come together to celebrate St. Mary’s in an unprecedented fashion at Galerie LeRoyer Centre-Ville. Over 400 community leaders between the ages of 28 and 45 will network, socialize, dance and celebrate the night away. Tickets might still be available – and if they are, consider yourself very lucky.
All we want to do is have some fun. Does that little diddy sound familiar? If you guessed Sheryl Crow, ding, ding you won. Despite being a sensationally seasoned nine-time Grammy Award-winner, Crow’s new album delivers the honest, girl-next-door sound that she’s been perfecting since the early 90s and will be sharing with fans live at L’Olympia tonight.
SATURDAY
Here is something you don’t see often. POP Montreal is working with Win Butler of Arcade Fire and Dexter John of DJ Sports Club to bring you their second annual POP vs JOCK charity basketball game. All proceeds from this game will go towards DJ Sports Club, a non-profit charity organization in Montreal’s southwest borough that offers programs in sports and education to youth 7 to 17 years old. The game will feature Grammy Award-winners Win and Will Butler of Arcade Fire, leading a team of musicians and entertainers (team POP) against an all-star team comprised of standout players from the current McGill Redman and Concordia Stingers (team JOCK). Guests will include Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, NBA champion Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs, former NBA slam dunk champion Brent Barry, and Nikolai Fraiture of The Strokes. This will be the crossover sports-culture event of the year in Montreal – don’t miss out.
Everyone’s favourite house party-inspired bar, Apt 200 on the Main, is celebrating their one-year anniversary tonight. We know these boys love to party, so expect a lot of fun. Make sure to fill up on food because the drinks will be pouring in waterfalls. DJs Truspin and T.Williams will be on the turntables providing some legit headbopping.
SUNDAY
In anticipation of the Royal Victoria Hospital’s move to the new Glen campus, the Royal Victoria Hospital Foundation’s Youth Movement (YOMO) invites you to lace up for the YOMO Run-Walk-Crawl Mini Marathon. It’s only 5K and you’re even allowed to crawl. Skilled athletes, you will definitely break a sweat as professional boxers will lead the run. Registration, t-shirts, snacks, water bottles, refreshments by ACTIVATE Vitamin Water, Hype Energy Drinks and Aquahydrate electrolyte will be on site and more goodies will be provided for free.
Sunday is always a good day for a parade and party with music legends. In partnership with the Starlight Children’s Foundation, the newly titled “Silver Star Hampstead Centennial Parade and Concert” will be celebrating the town’s 100th anniversary. The Silver Star Hampstead Centennial Parade & Concert will kick off from 12:00pm to 1:30pm followed by a concert in Hampstead Park at 2:00pm and fireworks at 7:30pm. The entertainment is endless, featuring NSX cheerleaders, Pamana Fillipino dancers, San Tropez salsa dancers, The Segal Centre for Performing Arts, steel drummers, Chinese Lion & Dragon Dance, RCMP Mounties on horses, The Royal Montreal Regiment (100 soldiers plus marching band) and so much more. The concert lineup is stellar with a lineup of Ginette Reno, Martha Wash, Crystal Waters and The Damn Truth. Get there early – it’ll be a packed day.
#NOTABLE
Images: popmontreal, smhc.qc.ca, imageevent.com, Facebook
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Cover image courtesy POP Montreal