Thanksgiving dinner and more

Montréal satisfies the seasonal palate with classic and non-traditional dinners alike, including fine-dining luxuries and local delicacies at Montréal’s award-winning restaurants. For excellent Thanksgiving and seasonal means, dine at these top Montréal restaurants for the gourmet traveler, such as Chef Normand Laprise’s Restaurant Toqué! and Beau Mont, Daniel Boulud’s  Maison Boulud, and Old Montreal favourites Le Club Chasse et Pêche and Monarque.

For twists on tradition, try classics at Europea and Leméac, Impasto for Italian comforts, or incredible creative meals at Jatoba, Marcus and Vin Papillon, as well as Liverpool House, Nora Gray, Candide or Perles et Paddock in the city’s south-west. Find Parisian flair at these authentic French restaurants or tap into Montréal's DIY spirit at these cheerful bring-your-own-wine eateries.

Whether you’re in Montréal this fall for a weekend with your sweetheart or a solo excursion, you’re sure to find food you’ll love – and for families exploring the city, Montréal has plenty of great places to eat with kids. By day, go for an excellent brunch, pick up something sweet or savory at Montréal's best bakeries and pastry shops, and sip the perfect latté at the city’s indie cafés. For something light, check out these health-conscious restaurants, great sushi restaurants and our ultimate guide to vegan eating in Montréal.

Discover more Montréal neighbourhoods on a local food tour. Visit Montréal’s public markets, including Jean-Talon Market and Atwater Market for in-season fruit and vegetables, meats and cheese and all manner of Thanksgiving-worthy pies. And visit Montréal’s First Fridays gourmet food truck gathering on October 6 at the Esplanade of the Olympic Park: dive into new food creations with a “smoke show special” theme, along with outdoor bars, DJs and more activities.

Outdoor and family time

An enchanting autumn must-do, visit the Botanical Gardens to walk along the illuminated paths of exhibition Gardens of Light, featuring hundreds of colourful lanterns inspired by Chinese, Indigenous and Japanese cultures. By day at the Botanical Gardens, join harvest and Halloween activities. Roam through nature in the city at Mount Royal Park and see all of downtown and the St. Lawrence River from the lookout and chalet. Watch the leaves fall in beautiful Parc La Fontaine in the Plateau and cross the St. Lawrence River to visit Parc Jean-Drapeau and the famed geodesic Biosphère, Environment Museum.

See the city from great heights on La Grande Roue de Montréal in the Old Port. Even take a boat tour on the St. Lawrence River with Croisières AML and Navark. Or take a day trip dedicated to fall harvest activities, like apple picking, pumpkin picking and finding your way through corn mazes.

Also in the Old Port of Montréal, climb high at the Voiles en Voiles adventure park every weekend in October, wander through the SOS Labyrinthe (dressed up for Halloween all month) or visit the Montréal Science Centre for science activities, interactive experiments and 3D IMAX films. And add extra adrenaline to your month at La Ronde amusement park, featuring a pumpkin festival for kids and Fright Fest weekends in October.

Urban sights and festival fun

In the heart of downtown Montréal, explore the Quartier des spectacles during the tour Quartier Latin Tasting Tour and stop at different spots to grab something to eat. And cheer on the CFL action as the Montréal Alouettes play the Ottawa Redblacks on October 9 at Percival-Molson Stadium.

For film fans, watch new films from around the world at Festival du nouveau cinéma, from October 4 to 15. The Montréal OFF Jazz Festival returns with live jazz at Place des Arts and several other venues from October 5 to 14, and MUZ brings live music to at Le Studio TD from October 5 to 8. Go for dinner and live soul and jazz music at Le Balcon. Or simply relax for an extended moment at Bota Bota, spa sur l’eau and other world-class spas. 

Long-weekend art excursions

While the trees provide their own colourful display, Montréal’s galleries and museums pop with bright offerings as well. Among this year’s fall exhibitions, see Marisol: A Retrospective, the most comprehensive survey devoted to the legendary artist who passed away in 2016 which runs October 7, 2023 to January 21, 2024 in its world premiere, plus more inside and outside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal presents Fluid fossils by Anna Binta Diallo, a series of silhouetted figures whose surfaces are a collage of patterns drawn from nature.

Experience virtual reality at the Phi Centre in Sex, Desire and Data, an immersive exhibition that explores the connections between sexuality and technology. Explore the space during Space Explorers: THE INFINITE, where you'll be transported in an out-of-this-world experience. Step into another immersive exhibition Sweet folie at OASIS immersion at the Palais des congrès de Montréal. Search out public art everywhere in the city, including murals and more. Bring a work of art home with you while gallery hopping and antiquing, and even pick up arts and crafts at these genuinely cool souvenir shops.

History then and now

Downtown, check out the McCord Stewart Museum’s exhibition Mother memory cellophane by Séamus Gallagher, which is inspired from an event that took place in 1939, at the New York World’s Fair, whose theme was “World of Tomorrow”. While you are there, be sure to go to the permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience. History buffs will also love Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex’s major exhibition Egypt. Three Millennia on the Nile with 300 authentic objects displayed throughout an exceptional exhibition layout that takes you on a journey through history. The Château Ramezay Québec history museum, features the exhibition Québec City landscapes. And in Old Montréal on weekend nights, look for the historic projections of smart-phone enhanced tour Cité Mémoire.

With so many things to do, sights to see and amazing food to eat, a Thanksgiving long weekend in Montréal is truly something to be thankful for.