Oh, October! A month of brisk weather, cozy sweaters, falling leaves, pumpkin flavors, enticing costumes, and embracing our fears. Let’s celebrate fall in Montreal! This month there are loads to do. Whether you’re looking for a scare, a party or a casual fun day with the family, keep on reading…Oh, October! A month of brisk weather, cozy sweaters, falling leaves, pumpkin flavors, enticing costumes, and embracing our fears. Let’s celebrate fall in Montreal! This month there are loads to do. Whether you’re looking for a scare, a party or a casual fun day with the family, keep on reading…Oh, October! A month of brisk weather, cozy sweaters, falling leaves, pumpkin flavors, enticing costumes, and embracing our fears. Let’s celebrate fall in Montreal! This month there are loads to do. Whether you’re looking for a scare, a party or a casual fun day with the family, keep on reading…

1.LA RONDE FRIGHT FEST

Looking to indulge in the spooky vibes of the year’s creepiest holiday? All month long, Fright Fest is back for select days between October 5-October 27 at La Ronde. Get scared by roaming around the park with convincing zombies, ghouls, and other creatures of the night as they take over the park.

Not your thing? Don’t worry! You can still enjoy the normal activities of the park before sunset, but after 6 pm when the sun goes down, the monsters come out for a fun frightening evening. In addition to creepy monsters roaming around you can also get your thrills by visiting several of their haunted houses, scare zones and of course the rides! The stuff of nightmares lurks around every corner as the dark of night washes over the park. BEWARE! There is no place to hide!

For more information, click here.

2.HAUNTED HOUSES IN MONTREAL

Maybe you’re in the mood for some scares and haunted houses, but not in the context of an amusement

park? Then check out many of Montreal’s haunted house attractions across the city:

The Smitheman Family Haunted Yard

Located in the West Island, theSmitheman Family Haunted Yard (Oct 25-31) has become an annual fundraising event for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. It began as a competition between brothers 15 years ago, to see which sibling could decorate the best for Halloween and has since evolved into a great cause and an entertaining Halloween attraction.

There is no fixed admission cost for the haunted yard tour, however all donations are welcome, and the goal is to surpass last year’s raised amount.

Malefycia

Regarded as Montreal’s horror festival, Malefycia comes to Montreal this October. Presale tickets are now available for this year’s show, Verset 5. Known in the past for featuring a Horror Zone, an interactive haunted house, performers, merchandise and Halloween-themed foods and drinks… Be sure to visit their website to stay tuned for what’s in store this year! 

For more of their story, click here.

Haunted Montreal

Looking to experience more than just one haunted location? The Haunted Montreal Ghost Tour offers 4 different ghost tours: Haunted Griffintown, Haunted Mountain, Haunted Downtown and the Haunted Pub Crawl. Visit haunted hotels, creepy churches, and other locations where ghosts have been spotted!

3.APPLE PICKING / PUMPKIN PICKING

Quinn Farm

Quinn Farm is located 20 mins from Montreal and offers both apple and pumpkin/squash picking. Their Fall Festival is every weekend from September 21st to October 14th. Activities include Pony Rides, live music, animal barn and play yard, tractor rides and a food truck.

La Magie de la Pomme

Located in St-Eustache is La Magie de la Pomme, owned by the Dubeault family for 200 years! Attend their Pumpkin Festival (Oct 12, 13, 14) for Thanksgiving weekend and feel free to dress up in costume as well. Apples and pumpkins are available for picking! There are 100 different varieties of pumpkin and squash to choose from, as well as fresh apple juice, donuts, a pumpkin decoration station and so much more!

Verger Labonté

Verger Labonté, 25 mins away from Montreal offers an amazing corn maze, playground and farmyard, homemade specialties for sale, and of course apple/pumpkin picking!

Verger du Flanc Nord

Come to Flanc Nord and choose from their beautiful orchard. They’re hosting a Halloween event (Oct 19, 20, 26) also referred to as La nuit des citrouilles. It’s fun for the whole family! And after apple/pumpkin picking head on over to their website for tons of helpful and delicious recipes!

4.Festival du Thé de Montréal 2019

Presented by DavidsTea (Oct 5) come check out The Festival du Thé du Montréal. This 1st edition event will host nearly 40 exhibitors, a dozen conferences and a multitude of discoveries. Anyone who has an interest in tea or would like to discover the delicious varieties of tea is welcome! The goal of this festival is to make tea accessible to everybody. Activities and conferences will be offered so that everyone can learn new knowledge about this magnificent beverage.

5.ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

If you’ve never heard of the Rocky Horror Picture Show well, it’s a movie, a musical classic! At this event (Oct 31 & Nov 1, 2) when the movie comes on, the party erupts! This annual show features a live action cast performing in front of the screen, while audiences join in by yelling and throwing props around the room!

Dress up like the characters from the film, bring a prop and partake in this fun-filled thrilling showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show like you’ve never seen it before!

6.MONTREAL BURLESQUE FESTIVAL

The Montreal Burlesque Festival (Oct 17-18-19) is 3 nights and entails 3 exceptional events of Burlesque & Cabaret! Modern burlesque isn’t just a striptease. This event features variety shows with music, comedy, dance and song celebrating women in all their feminine glory. The underlying message is always to empower women and promote freedom of expression in all its forms.

Come step into a champagne-filled world of fantasy and fancy at the Montréal Burlesque Festival, a full weekend of sensuality, tease and empowerment! Dress up in full glam because YOU are part of the show! Click here for tickets!

7.BARCRAWLERZ TRICK OR DRINK

Barcrawlerz is a Montreal Halloween Bar Crawl like no other. Featuring the BEST drink specials at the BEST bars in town! This 2 day event happening Saturday, October 26th and Thursday, October 31st takes place at participating bars: Sir Winston Churchill Pub, Mad Hatter Pub, Jet Night Club, Ziggy’s Pub, and more to be announced…

How it works: Pre-Purchase your bar crawl wristband. Check in at (VENUE TBA) to get your wristband and map with participating bars, their location, and their drink specials. Registration on Saturday, 10/26 is from 4PM-10PM and Thursday, 10/31 from 6PM-11PM. Your wristband gets you into any of the participating bars with no cover, plus gets you drink specials all night.

Sample Drink Special:

$3-$4 Beers

$4-$5 Well Mixed Drinks $5-$6 Shots

8.CELINE DION

The Canadian legend herself, Celine Dion, is performing 3 nights at the Bell Center this October. Check out her Courage World Tour, her fourteenth concert tour, in support of her upcoming English-language studio album, Courage, scheduled for release on November 15, 2019. She will be performing at the Bell Center October 1, October 4, and October 5.

9.FESTIVAL DU NOUVEAU CINÉMA

The Festival Du Nouveau Cinéma (Oct 9-20) is all about the spirit of good company, revelry and fun. Celebrating its 48th edition it’s a chance to get together and celebrate a shared passion for film around each new lineup. The eleven-day festival is,designed as a space devoted to discussions, meetings and sharing, where film fans can come together with artists and professionals to exchange ideas in an informal setting.

This festival is a showcase for cinema of all types: from offbeat, one-of-a-kind niche works to crowd-pleasers to daringly innovative big events. Films that make your heart race, bowl you over and change your life. Films that break down the language of cinema only to reinvent it; films that leave you breathless on the edge of your seat.

SPASM FESTIVAL

Celebrating its 18th edition,SPASM (Oct 17-26) is an annual short film festival promising unconventional content and a novel cinema experience. Encouraging diversity and exploration of different genres in Québec cinema and the international Francophonie, from horror, science fiction, fantasy, action, suspense, comedy, and trash movies to those that are simply unclassifiable! An event to set the mood for Halloween.

By Makyla Coulombe