The Bulletin: Who's going to define the future of Montreal? [Issue #152]

If you didn't think election season in Montreal was heating up before, it sure as shit is now: Our feeds are swamped and then some with stories by local journalists out there doing the good work, holding truth to power and providing detailed analyses where we need it most. Hats off to 'em.

Now, while we here at The Main aren't exactly a bull pen of reporters (we're more like storytellers around a campfire by comparison), we too are jumping into the fray: Starting today on our website, you'll find new election coverage every morning at 8 a.m. done our way from a cultural perspective.

In the days leading up to Election Day on November 2, you'll find what each mayoral candidate has to say about everything from nightlife to public space and the identity of Montrealers, what it takes to start a political party in the first place, and a broad platform examiner to refresh your memory on promises and perspectives.

Stay tuned for that: It's been a ride to better show the complete, multifaceted gem that this city is from all of its angles (even if those facets are chipped or scratched to all hell). In the meantime, don't forget advance polling takes place on Oct 26.

Until then, let's look at what's coming up this week.

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

🪩 Start your weekend with a little aperitif gathering and live music at Parquette.

🎥 Festival Spasm returns for its 24th edition, filling Théâtre Plaza with horror, sci-fi, comedy, and the downright unclassifiable.

🎭 Repercussion Theatre parts ways with the unique garments in their storage at their costume sale where you can leave with pieces from past performances. 

🍄 Concordia’s edition of Fungi Fest is here, with a day full of interactive fungi-related workshops, presentations, and other fun activities for all audiences. 

🎧 Enjoy the experience of being the DJ for one night with Groov, who brings their services to Burgundy Lion and allows you to control the music.

Friday

🎃 The Masson Promenade transforms into a full-fledged Halloween Village for its 21st edition, complete with spooky decor, candy, mascots and cult characters, and four themed tunnels to wander through.

🎬 Experience Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey on the silver screen at Cinema du Musée—a visionary classic celebrating modernist design and cinematic artistry. 

🦇 Step into the shadows of the ‘80s at Cabaret Berlin’s latest dance party, featuring the best of New Wave, Britpop, Synthpop, Goth, Alternative, and Italo Disco. 

🧵 Join the volunteers of the Textile Repair & Creation Circle for a cozy community gathering of sewing, knitting, crochet, and embroidery.

🩰 The Brothers Grimm classic Snow White is reimagined at Place des Arts through a spellbinding ballet performance that explores themes of truth, illusion, and identity.

🪨 The Annual Montreal Gem & Mineral Show returns with a dazzling showcase of stones, fossils, jewellery, crystals, and minerals from around the world.

🏰 Explore the rich world of medieval music with concerts, workshops, and a banquet led by passionate musicians.

Saturday

🏃‍➡️ Altitude Sports pairs up with Smartwool and September Surf Cafe and calls all early birds for a 5k run with free coffee, pancakes, and gift bags to give away.

🛍️ Ostrya Equipment and Eden Corp release archive pieces and samples from previous collections at their warehouse sale.  

🍂 Rosemont’s Autumn market is back for its last event of 2025, with over 60 artisans offering vintage antiques, clothing, jewelry, sweets, and a whole array of unique creations.  

🎶 Celebrate the timeless legacy of R&B icon D’Angelo at Pamplemousse, with a live DJ spinning smooth Y2K-era neo-soul all night long. 

🎞️ The 17th edition of Massimadi begins, spotlighting Afro-Queer art and film through screenings, panels, and performances.

🕰️ Find your latest and most special vintage piece at the vintage market from a wide selection of over 35 vendors as a DJ spins your favourite vinyl, all in one locale.

Sunday 

🎵 Join a global community of producers for a live beatmaking jam at Nirvana’s next Loop Sessions.  

📸 The Pounding the Pavement: Montreal Street Photography exhibit comes to a close—seize the last opportunity to learn about its history throughout 400+ images from the 19th century to today.

🧥 WINTER FASHION SHOW X ROYALMOUNT ❄️

See Fall & Winter collections from eight brands—Boss, Mackage, Moose Knuckles, Rudsak, Quartz Co., Michael Kors, Sports Experts, and M/2 Boutiques—alongside upcoming seasonal wear from Rennaï and Tom Ford at a ROYALMOUNT event soundtracked by a live Milk & Bone performance and a DJ.

Watch from a heated terrasse, get up close in the Urban Park, or reserve a table at Balam for runway-adjacent dining.

Come see what's worth wearing this winter tonight at 7 p.m.!

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

Le Red Tiger offers exclusive Vietnamese fare on Oct 23 with an evening of dishes you cannot find on their original menu.

Siboire kicks off the winter season on Oct 23 with a thrift sale and winter launch party where you can shop for secondhand sportswear and enjoy a beer.

Le Nestor Bar celebrates its 10th birthday over the course of two evenings with oysters, cocktails, and throwback 2015 tunes on Oct 23-24.

Café Éclair's pour-over menu gets a makeover on Oct 24, featuring specialty coffees from Guatemala, Panama, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica. 

Miss Tacos Birrieria opens Oct 25, bringing Montrealers authentic Mexican cuisine, signature cocktails, and a lively party with DJ and tequila.

Lulu Épicerie serves their infamous shawarma and falafel past closing hours, with a live DJ and drinks 'til 3AM on Oct 25.

Knox Taverne’s cozy spirit meets Lecalvier Petrone’s elegance with a collaborative menu on Oct 25 consisting of European flavours, slow braises, handmade pastas, and decadent desserts.  

It's World Pasta Day on Oct 25 and to celebrate, Pastificio Etna is serving fresh and handmade tortellini in brodo for their lunch service.   

IN:FUSION kicks off on Oct 26, combining high-grade teas, ambient music, and immersive visuals at Foil Gallery.

Montreal’s beloved Knuckles heads to Saint-Sauveur’s Les Vieilles Portes on Oct 26 for an evening of panzerotti filled of steak, foie gras, and truffle (vegetarian options available too). 

The Culinary Ambassador of Tlaxcala arrives on Oct 26 for an exclusive workshop at Carlota Boulangerie to teach how to make calaveritas and tlaxcales.

Mauve hosts a wine-tasting night on Oct 26—sip and socialize with the winemakers and others as a DJ spins the perfect soundtrack. 

Ma Mère En Feu is throwing a Halloween party on Oct 27, with 4$ spaghetti and some pumpkin cake. 

On Oct 29, it’s aperitivo evening at Café Gelato—treat yourself to an Italian-inspired drink and plate combo.

Tickets are going fast for Canada’s Great Kitchen Party at Le Mount Stephen on Oct 29, where five of Montreal’s top chefs face off for culinary glory and a good cause.

🍜 Ramen Ramen Fes ends this weekend

Montreal’s citywide ramen crawl comes to an end on October 26, marking the end of two weeks of slurping, voting, and arguing over which broth reigns supreme. That leaves you with only so many days to dig in.

Now in its fourth edition, Ramen Ramen Fes gathers some of the city’s best ramen chefs (and a few wildcard contenders) for a friendly, flavour-packed showdown. Each restaurant rolls out a one-off bowl—from creamy tonkotsu to vegan miso—and you decide the winner. Just show up, eat, and vote online.

👉 Read The Main’s full guide and plan your noodle crawl. 👈

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of our stories from the past week, plus the latest local news.

Here's how Ferias grew into Montreal’s most vital DIY dance collective—bridging scenes, defying policy, and proving community can outlast the venue. Read more.

After nine years running bars in Old Montreal, Kevin Demers argues the city’s crown jewel is being gutted by bad policy, high rents, and neglect—and it’s time to fight for its soul. Read more.

Poutine comes smothered in a creamy white sauce that Outaouais locals swear by and outsiders call blasphemy—a mystery recipe passed down in snack bars, never written, only remembered. Read more.

After two decades of rip-offs, Raymond Biesinger has turned his losses into a weapon—9 Times My Work Has Been Ripped Off is part memoir, part self-defence manual for creatives tired of getting screwed. Read more.

In a Laurentian forest, the pottery collective Goregama fires ceramics in a hand-built anagama kiln for 40 hours straight—a ritual of endurance, unpredictability, and communal craft. Read more.

When Miss Vickie’s asked Nora Gray to turn its pepperoncini and focaccia into a chip, chef Emma Cardarelli spent a year tasting prototypes under NDA—proof that even snacks can have R&D drama. Read more.

Jake Greenberg turned a pandemic smoked-salmon hustle into Chez Greenberg, a no-frills Mile End deli built on fish, knishes, and family legacy—honest food for a city that craves it. Read more.

November is hitting that sweet spot between the last leaves and the first deep freeze—film and food fests plus early holiday markets keep the city alive before winter really lands. Read more.

From postwar labourers to piri piri chicken legends, Azorean immigrants reshaped the Plateau into Little Portugal—a neighbourhood built on hard work, flavour, and community that still defines Montreal’s identity. Read more.

Starting Nov. 17, the REM’s long-awaited Deux-Montagnes branch will finally open—14 new stations linking the North Shore to downtown and extending Montreal’s driverless train network across the island. Read more.

Montreal’s transit maintenance workers say a deal with the STM is finally within reach—four mediators have revived stalled talks, raising hopes the month-long Halloween strike can be avoided. Read more.

Dozens of Montreal artists—including Bibi Club, Bon Enfant, Corridor, Choses Sauvages, and Magi Merlin—will unite at Club Soda on Dec. 2 for a Palestine benefit concert, with proceeds supporting children and refugees in Gaza. Read more.

At HEC Montréal, Shopify’s Harley Finkelstein and DavidsTea’s David Segal urged founders to stay put—arguing Montreal’s immigrant-rooted grit makes it the ideal launchpad for global ideas. Read more.

M for Montreal turns 20 this November, spotlighting nearly 100 artists and proving the city’s DIY, government-backed music scene rivals any in North America—if only the rest of the continent would notice. Read more.

La Ronde is dismantling La Spirale, the 100-metre observation tower from Expo 67 that’s stood idle since 2018—a piece of Montreal’s skyline lost to rust, cost, and neglect. Read more.

Montreal calls itself an AI hub, but the people shaping its technologies don’t reflect the city they serve—women, non-binary, and racialized voices remain sidelined, raising the question: a hub for whom? Read more.

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And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

If ever you catch something we should know, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Amber Spector, Social Media Manager / Samuel Vadnais, Head of Partnerships / Anahi Pellathy, Editorial & Production Coordinator / Phylida Tuff-West, Editorial Intern / Kaitlyn DiBartolo, Editorial Intern / Jeremy Cox, Editorial Intern