Fireworks Competition

The International Fireworks Competition is always a fun affair!  This year the festival runs from July 1st to August 1st on Saturdays and Wednesdays.  Officially it is run by Laronde and with a ticket to the amusement park on a fireworks day you can get up close and personal to the fireworks.  You don't have to spend all that money to enjoy them though.  At the old port is a great place to view them as well as on mount Royal.  You can even enjoy them with the music by tuning into 105.7 FM.
The fireworks usually start at 10pm and last half an hour.

https://www.sixflags.com/larondeen/linternational-des-feux/program

International Hot Air Balloon Festival- Saint Jean sur Richelieu

The International Hot Air Balloon Festival is an annual event about 30 minutes away from Montreal in St. Jean sur Richelieu. There are 115 hot air balloons, including many special shapes, major shows, and a huge site that hosts an incredible variety of animation activities. There is a fair with rides for older kids and adults as well as a designated area for toddlers. There is face painting, a petting zoo, mini putt, concerts... too many things to describe in one post. It's also a family friendly area with changing tables, breastfeeding room and stroller rentals available.
Their website is very extensive and even offers tips for families with young children.
My kids loved this festival!  There was so much for them to do and see that they didn't get bored.
Address:

• 5, chemin de l'Aéroport, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, J3B 7B5

Phone #:

• 450-347-9555

Price:

• 0-2: free
• 3-12: $7.00
• 13 +: $20.00 ($25.00 on Sat.)
• **Family rates available
• **Nine day passes available
• Parking: $7.00

Hours:

• Aug. 13 -21, 2011
• Weekends: 12:00 pm - end of the show at night
• Week: 1:30 pm - end of the show at night

Website: http://www.ballooncanada.com/

Virgin Radio- Movies in the Park 2011

Virgin radio 96 is offering movies in the park again this year in different parks across the city. All you have to do is bring your lawn chair and they provide the movie and even free food! Typically they are on Wednesday nights and the food starts around 7pm.

Price: free!!!

Locations:

July 20th - Parc Berthiaume-du-Tremblay (Laval) for the screening of Due Date

July 27th – Centennial Park (D.D.O) for the screening of Never Say Never

August 3rd – Hampstead Park (Hampstead) for the screening of Arthur

August 10th – St-Thomas Park (Hudson) for the screening of Something Borrowed

August 17th – Pierre-Laporte Park (Greenfield Park) for the screening of Life As We Know It

August 24th – Bellevue Park (Pincourt) for the screening of No Strings Attached

August 31st – Vanier College for the screening of TBD

September 7th – John Abbott College for the screening of TBD

Website: http://montreal.virginradio.ca/Events/MoviesInThePark

Shakespeare in the Park: Macbeth

Free theatre in the park from July 28, 2011 - Aug. 21, 2011. Bring your older kids and teens to see a Shakespeare play right in your own neighborhood park. This year the repercussion theatre is performing the tragedy "Macbeth". It is absolutely free - although donations are accepted to help the troupe keep running. Just bring yourself a folding chair and enjoy the show!

Location: various parks around the city

July 28: Dorval, Parc Pine Beach, 7:30pm
July 29: Outremont, Mount Royal Cemetary, 8:00pm
July 30: Ville-Marie, Cabot Square, 8:00pm
Aug. 2-3: Westmount, Parc Westmount, 8:00pm
Aug. 4: Verdun, Parc George O'Reilly, 7:30pm
Aug. 5: Pierrefonds, East Community Centre, 8:00pm
Aug. 6: Parc La Fontaine, theatre de verdure, 8:30pm
Aug. 7: NDG, Parc NDG, 8:00pm
Aug. 9: Hudson, Parc Thompson, 8:00pm
Aug. 10: Kirkland, Parc Ecclestone, 8:00pm
Aug. 11: Cote St.-Luc, Parc Pierre Elliott Trudeau, 8:00pm
Aug. 12: Senneville, Parc Senneville, 8:00 pm
Aug. 13: Morin Heights, Parc TBC, 4:00pm
Aug. 14: Saint-Laurent, Parc Philippe-Laheurte, 7:30pm
Aug. 16: Parc Extension, Parc Howard, 8:00pm
Aug. 19: Beaconsfield, Centennial Park, 8:00pm
Aug. 20-21: Westmount, Parc Westmount, 8:00pm

Price: free!!

Dates: July 28, 2011 - Aug. 21, 2011

Website: http://repercussiontheatre.com/productions/shakespeare-in-the-park/

Fireworks in December!

Telus is sponsoring Fire on Ice : Free fireworks at the Old Port every Saturday between December 4 and January 8.  The great thing about these fireworks is the time:  the show is on at 8.  This means that I can actually bring my small kids without worrying that they will be cranky from missing their bedtime.  The fireworks at 10 in the summer was a little too late for them.

Where:  Old Port of Montreal

When: Saturdays:
                 December 4, 11,  18, 25 at 8 pm
                 December 31 at midnight
                 January 8 at 8 pm

Website: http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/telus-fire-on-ice.html

Cirque Estival

The Circus is in town!  The Cirque Estival will be back for it's 7th season in May in Laval and Verdun.  It will be a show full of jugglers, clowns and even elephants and horses.  It should be a great event for the whole family.  The tickets are $27 for adults and 22$ for children but if bought in advance are reduced by 2$ each.

When:

• Laval: May 8th - 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm
• Verdun: May 9th - 11 am, 3 pm

Where:

• Laval: Colisee, 1110 Desnoyers, Laval‚ H7C 1Y5
• Verdun : Auditorium, 4110, boul. LaSalle, Verdun‚ H4G 2A5

Cost:

• Adults: $27 ,  **$25 in advance
• Child: $22, **$20 in advance

Website:
http://cirqueestival.ca/index3.php?lang=en

Place des Arts - Junior Theatre

Place des Arts has a whole range of programming geared for families with children of all ages for very reasonable prices. Known as 'PDA junior', families with kids as young as 3 can enjoy a fun, interactive play for just 8$ a person, or 25$ for a family of 4. I think it sounds like a great way to introduce children to theatre. It seems like most of the programming is only French but since a lot of families in Montreal are bilingual or want to expose their children to more French, it should be a great experience. Some things are a little more expensive but for the most part seem pretty reasonable.

Where:

• Place des Arts, various theatres
• 175, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Montréal, QC H2X 1Z8

When:

• check the program on their site to see when the various shows are available.

Cost:

• 8$ and up

Ages:

• various shows have different age specifications but start at 2 and up.

Website:

• http://pdajunior.com/

Butterflies Go Free

The Botanical Gardens is once again having the wonderful exhibit "Butterflies Go Free".  It's a great chance to get to see a great variety of butterflies live and flying around.  It's presented in the main greenhouse of the botanical gardens and should be a fun activity for children and parents alike.  It's quite hot in the greenhouse (about 29oC) so it's important to bring layers of clothing that can be removed.  To really pique the interest of the older kids, you might consider renting "The Blue Butterfly", a beautiful movie about a boy in search of the rare blue butterfly.  It was filmed partly in Montreal!

Dates:

• February 18 - April 25, 2010

Hours:

• Tues. - Sun. : 9 am - 5 pm
• ** Will be open Monday, April 5 (Easter Monday)

Cost:

• Adults: $12.00
• Seniors and Students: $9.00
• Children 5 - 17: $6.00
• Children 2 - 4: $1.75
• Children under 2: free
• ***  Note: fees are reduced by 15% because the insectarium is closed due to labour disputes.
• *** These are the rates before the reduction

Address:

• 4101, rue Sherbrooke Est, Montréal (Québec), Canada, H1X 2B2

Phone:

• 514-872-1400

Website:

• http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/propos/papillon.htm

The Centre de la Nature - Laval

The Nature Center in Laval is a really nice place for famillies with young children to go. It has a little farm with pigs, cows, horses, donkeys... you name it! Kids can even take a pony ride for $3.00. There is also a little train that takes you around the park for $3.00/person. Aside from a lot of green space there is a lake where you can rent canoes or kayaks and two great parks with a lot of different games for kids. There are also two pools on the edge of the park (for big and little kids). It truly is a place you can spend the whole day in! Bring a picnic lunch or grab some lunch at the little restaurant.
My kids review: They had a great time! There were so many little activities for them that they couldn't get bored. We went from looking at the animals, to riding on the train, to playing in the park, to looking at fish and turtles in the lake and back to the animals... It was a busy and very fun day!

Address:

• 901, avenue du Parc, Laval (Québec) H7E 2T7

Telephone #:

• 450 662-4942

Price:

• Entrance to the park is free! $3.00 fee for pony rides and train rides.

Hours:

• Everyday from 8:00 am - 10:00 pm

Website: http://www.info.ville.laval.qc.ca/ms/centre_nature/index.html

Labyrinth in the Old Port

The Labyrinthe du Hangar 16 is a huge maze right in Old Montreal. There are lots of winding hallways to go through with obstacles to climb, slide down or figure out! Kids and parents of all ages will enjoy this adventure with a pirate theme. It takes between an hour to an hour and a half to complete it. They are open from mid-May to Halloween. Unfortunately, due to the obstacles, strollers or wheelchairs cannot go through the maze.

Location:

• The Shed 16 Labyrinth is located at Clock Tower Pier Entrance of the Old Port of Montréal, near Berri Street.

Phone #: (514) 499-0099

Price:

• 3 and under: free
• 4-12: $10.50
• 13-17:$13.00
• 18-59: $14.00
• 60 +: $13.00
• ** Coupons available on their website and the POM guide as well as family rates

Hours:

• Everyday from 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Website: http://labyrintheduhangar16.com/en/index.html

Montreal Science Center and Imax

The Montreal Science Center is located in Old Montreal. It is a museum filled a wide variety of with science related interactive games and displays to completely engage both children and adults. The science center is also the place to watch the latest IMAX 3D movies. The current movies are "Under the Sea 3D" (where you can explore the deep waters of Australia, New Guinea and other exotic South Pacific regions) or "U23D" (a live U2 concert in 3D).

Location:

• located on King Edward Pier, in the Old Port. The Pier is essentially the extension of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, south of de la Commune Street.

Phone #:

• 514 496-4724

Price:

For exhibits and Under the Sea 3D movie:

• 4-12: $15.00
• 13-17: $18.00
• 18-59: $20.00
• 60 +: $18.00
• *** other prices for only IMAX movie
• *** rebates available (info on website)

Hours:

• Mon- Sat: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
• Sun: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
• ** Check IMAX schedule online

Website: http://www.montrealsciencecentre.com/en/index.htm

Circus school

Montreal has a circus school! It offers courses for children, teens and adults but also has Sunday family workshops. From the website: "These activities allow families to have fun together in a circus ring which has been completely laid out with specialized equipment. Family workshops give both young and old an opportunity to try out 6 circus techniques such as acrobatics, trampoline, juggling, fixed trapeze, fabric, balance on balls, spools, and rola-bola as well as the tightrope. Each workshop is supervised and safety is ensured by a qualified animator." The workshops last 3 hours and children as young as 3 can participate. It only runs about 6 sundays a year so you have to check the website for the dates.

Location:

• 5190, boul. LaSalle Verdun (Québec) H4H 1N8

Phone #:

• 514 768-5812

Price:

• 3-4: free
• 5-17: $11.50
• 18 +: $13.50

Website: http://e-cirqueverdun.com/home

Skating Rink - Atrium Le 1000

Here's a great place to bring the family- an indoor skating rink in the middle of downtown! This indoor rink is open year-round and is always a lot of fun. You can rent skates for $5.50 and even children's helmets for $1.00. For beginning skaters they have supports that you can hold on to. There is lively music to skate to and plenty of restaurants around if you get hungry. There is also a special hour Saturday and Sunday mornings from 10:30 am - 11:30 am for children 12 and under and their parents.

Address: Atrium Le 1000 De La Gauchetière 1000, rue De La Gauchetière Street West

Price:

• adults (18+): $6.00
• children (12-):$4.00
• students/seniors: $5.00
• ***special family and fidelity prices

Hours:

• Mon - Fri: 11:30 am - 6:00 pm
• Sat: 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
• Sun: 11:30 - 6:00 pm

Website: http://www.le1000.com/en/atrium_intro.asp

SkyVenture Montreal

I came across this activity and I think it could be a lot of fun for older kids and teenagers. SkyVenture is an indoor free-fall simulator. This is the description from their website: "It’s an opportunity to experience the sensation of free-fall. Imagine a 14 foot cylindrical diameter vertical tube that is 45 foot tall in which the airstream is passing at a speed of 175 km per hour. Once inside the wind tunnel, you will have a real sense of what skydivers experience during the free-fall portion of their jump, which is generally done from 13 500 to 3 500 feet of altitude at a speed of 200 km an hour. All of that in an environment so secure that it is even accessible to children aged of 4 years and older."
It's quite expensive at over $60 per person but seems like a really exciting thing to do. The whole session including training should last about 2 hours and it's recommended to reserve ahead of time.

Location:

• Centropolis 2700, av. du Cosmodôme Laval (Québec) Canada H7T 2X1

Price:

• 2 flights: $65.47
• 4 flights: $114.00
• ** Different prices at off-peak times and combined with other people. Check website for details.

Hours:

• Mon - Thurs: 1:00 pm - 11:00 pm
• Fri- Sun: 9:00 am - 11:00 pm

Website: http://www.skyventuremontreal.com/en/home

La Ronde

The major theme park of Montreal, La Ronde is definently a place every family should go at least once. It has over 40 rides and attractions including quite a few rollercoasters. There is a special area designated for younger children but the park is more geared for older kids. It's quite an expensive outing but if you intend to go more than a couple of times you can buy season passes. They are selling mid-season passes right now for $53.00 if you buy it online, which is only about $19 more than a one day pass. Another way to save a little money is to bring your own picnic lunch because the snack areas are pricey.

Price:

• 2 and under: free
• Person 54'' or more: $38.98
• Less than 54'': $25.50
• After 5pm (except fireworks nights): $24.95
• Over 65: $25.50
• **** Most tickets are $5.00 less if bought online
• ****Many coupons available (details on website)

Address:

• 22 Chemin Macdonald Île Sainte-HélèneMontréal (Québec) H3C 6A3

Hours:

• Everyday: 11:00am-9:00pm (until 11:30pm on fireworks nights)

Website: http://laronde.sixflags.com/larondeen/

Loblaws Cooking Classes for kids

Loblaws offers great cooking workshops for kids of different ages during the weekends. They range from as young as 3 to teens of 16. Schedules vary by store so check your local store for what's available.

Website: http://www.loblaws.ca/qcen/4630.aspx

Dollar Cinema

The Dollar Cinema is an affordable movie theater which shows slightly older movies (after other theaters but before DVD release). They also show older movies and looney toon cartoons. The entrance is $2/person and all the snacks are $1 each. It isn't as fancy as the more pricey movie theaters but a great alternative especially if you have quite a few kids to bring.

Address:

• 6900 Décarie Boulevard

Price:

• Admission: $2.00
• Snacks: $1.00

Hours:

• various schedules, check newspapers or website

Website: http://www.dollarcinema.ca/

Beach - Parc Jean Drapeau

A beach right on the island. Great especially for those without access to a car. Nice beach, clean water, volleyball courts and play structures for little kids. There are picnic areas as well as a restaurant on site.

Location:

• Parc Jean Drapeau on Ile Ste.-Helene

Price:

• 5 and under: free
• 6-13: $4.00
• 14 +: $8.00
• 65+: $7.00
• Family: $20.00

Hours:

• June 19 - Aug. 23
• 10 am - 7 pm

Website: http://www.parcjeandrapeau.com/54-The_Beach-event.html

Beach - St. Zotique

The St.-Zotique beach is located about 45 mins from Montreal. It is not just a beach but has lots of activities for young and old. You can rent kayaks, canoes or pedalos. There are also parks for young and old kids, a skateboard, paintball, soccer fields, tennis courts... There is plenty of space to picnic and you can even rent BBQ's. It's also open during the winter where the lake is on ice and many winter activities are offered. It's certainly a full day at St. Zotique beach!

Location:

• 1250 principaleSt-Zotique, Qc. JOP 1ZO
• The beach is located off Hwy 20 west at exits 6 or 9

Price:

• adults 13 and older: $9.00
• seniors :$7.00
• children under 41'' (height): free
• children 42"-50":$3.00
• children 51"-60": $5.00

Hours:

• Everyday from 9am-8pm

Website: St.-Zotique Beach

Aquadome

The Aquadome is an indoor family aquatics center located in Lasalle. It has a special section for small children with a large fountain and small slide. For older children and adults there is also a deep pool where you could swim laps or have fun with the different water toys. Huge windows make it really nice and sunny and very pleasant.

The aquadome also rents party rooms for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Just bring your own food and make sure to clean up after and it makes a great birthday party venue!
My kids review: They absolutely loved it! They went in the water right away and weren't at all scared because they could go in the pool gradually because of the small slope. Just make sure that there is at least one adult per small child!

Address:

• 1411 rue Lapierre, Lasalle, QC

Price:

• 3 and under: $1.50
• 4-16: $2.50
• 17-54: $3.50
• 55 +: $2.50
• ***Reduced rates for holders of the Lasalle Access card

Hours:

• Mon - Fri: 10:30 am - 8:25 pm
• Sat - Sun: 12:00 pm - 6:55 pm

Website: http://www.aquadome-lasalle.com/