The Bulletin: Burn the jack-o'-lanterns, put up the stockings! [Issue #154]

RSVP to The Main’s First Annual Holiday Market | Partiful

We’re launching The Main’s First Annual Holiday Market, and it’s happening November 21–23 in Griffintown. Entry is free all weekend, and if you RSVP, you’ll be entered to win a $250 gift card for a shopping spree at the event. Why are we doing this? Look, Montreal has holiday markets. Lots of them. But most fall into one of two camps: charming but exhausting, or corporate and forgettable. We wanted to split the difference—a market where every vendor has a real story and every product is something you’d actually keep. So we’re taking over a 4,000-square-foot event space in Griffintown with 13-foot ceilings and street-level access. The full vendor lineup will be launched soon, but expect a mix of established local names and newer makers who deserve more love, plus a few surprises we’re keeping quiet for now. There’s live music throughout the weekend, and @brasseriedieuduciel will be there with cans to crush. Friday (Nov 21) kicks off with a VIP members-only reception. If you’re a paid subscriber to The Main, you get early access, complimentary drinks, and first pick before doors open to the public. Saturday and Sunday (Nov 22 to 23) are open to everyone. Every vendor here is someone we’d vouch for. Every product belongs in your home—or someone else’s, if you’re already thinking ahead for the holidays. Which you should be. Presented by @lightspeedhq.

Partiful

What to expect: we're taking over a 4,000-square-foot Griffintown space with 13 established and emerging local makers, live music, and Dieu du Ciel beer—vendors we'd vouch for, products you'd actually keep. Friday, November 21 kicks off with a VIP members-only reception for paid Main subscribers (early access, complimentary drinks, first pick). Saturday and Sunday (Nov 22-23) are open to everyone.

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

Thursday

🎤 Sing your emo heart out at Turbo Haus' Emo Karaoke Night, featuring a live band with a repertoire of over 125 classic early 2000s pop punk songs. 

🎷 Keep warm inside Datcha’s intimate, dimly-lit atmosphere as you get your tarot read and enjoy live jazz.  

📜 The Encore Poetry Project throws its first open mic night, convene with Montreal's literary scene—or share a poem and become a part of it.

🎬 Immerse yourself in CINEMANIA, North America's leading francophone film festival, running until November 16 with curated features, documentaries, and shorts from across the French-speaking world.

Friday

📚 Drawn and Quarterly host a Double Book Launch where you can get your hands on signed copies of Cathlon's Fruit Salad and Pascal Girard's Pastimes while enjoying a drink.

⛏️ For the first time in 30 years, experience Montreal-born artist David Altmejd's experimental sculptures that question transformation and identity at Galerie UQAM’s latest exhibition. 

📖 Book Fair in the City makes its annual return with an abundance of activities such as  performances, discussions, creative workshops, book signings, and story times.

🎲 Ludicon takes over Palais des Congrès from November 7 to 9 with three days of board games, tournaments, and demos—from strategy classics to tabletop RPGs for all levels.

Saturday

🤠 Partake in some queer line dancing at Champs, with beginner lessons starting at 7– then put your skills to the test and join the regulars at 9. 

🛸 Rave 'til the wee-hours of the morning at Nightshift's latest Star Wars themed rave, featuring a program full of hard techno, industrial, and trance beats.

📰 Expozine, Montreal’s international festival of independent publishing, returns for ten days of readings, exhibitions, and free workshops celebrating the art of the printed word.

Sunday 

💸 Boost your morale with a new look courtesy of MTL Tattoo's latest promotion– in solidarity with those affected by the transit strike, they’re offering tattoos at 15% off and piercings at 20$ off. 

📚 Go book hunting at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library used book sale and find a world to immerse yourself in for a relaxing beginning to the week.

🌍 The Arab World Festival presents dance, music, theatre, cinema, and cultural forums exploring identity, memory, and the dialogue between Arabic and Western cultures.

Win 2 tickets to M pour Montréal!

Two decades after its debut, M pour Montréal continues to channel the city’s restless creative energy into a global stage. What began as a bold experiment is now a cornerstone of the Canadian music industry, amplifying Montréal’s most exciting voices and connecting them with the world.

To celebrate 20 years of M pour Montréal, we’re giving away two festival passes to this year’s edition running November 19 to 22 to one lucky winner. Experience live showcases, late-night sessions, and insider panels featuring the artists and industry leaders shaping the future of music.

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.

MTLàTABLE is back, friends: From Oct 30 to Nov 16, over 150 participating restaurants are offering a three- or four-course set-price evening menu ($35, $50, $65 or $80). More details here.

Numéro officially opened its doors on November 4, enjoy a drink in Little Italy's newest neighbourhood bar.

Flamme du Sichuan fired up its woks, bringing authentic Szechuan heat to the Concordia area—think mala-numbing spice, fiery chili oil, and dishes that'll have you sweating through your second beer.

Taverne de Noel made its seasonal return on November 5 at Le Petit Dep, where you can sip on holiday-themed cocktails in a truly decked out Christmas cafe.

La vie, la mort, le dessert takes over SAT's Satosphere from Nov 5 to 8 and Nov 12 to 15, where chef Clément Boivin's five-course menu meets Opéra de Montréal performances and 360° immersive projections.

Treat yourself after the workday at Patio Patio's happy hour on November 6, with oysters, drinks, and disco.

La Grande Dégustation de Montreal celebrates its 15th edition just in time for the holidays on November 6, featuring a wide selection of private imports.

Neighbours Renzo Sandwich and Plongeoir pair up on November 6 to put a Mile End spin on the happy meal with their pop up menu: the McRenzo served with a drink and a toy surprise.

Get moving with Saturday café's 5km run club and then slow down with some coffee and baked goods on Nov 8.

Brebis brings the heat on November 8 with 5$ raclette.

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From custom campaigns to sharp, story-driven features, we collaborate to make sure your message lands with the right people, in the right way.

Want to work together? Contact partnerships@themain.com

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

We got your to-do list for the month right here: film festivals dominate, holiday markets sneak in early, and the city finds its rhythm between jazz clubs, indie showcases, and lots more cultural programming. Read more.

Lebanese home cooking meets halal Caribbean fusion, New York-style pizza perfected, natural wine bistros, pop-up delis with house-cured meats—see all of Montreal's best new restaurants. Read more.

After eight years, Valérie Plante leaves office without scandal—having built bike lanes, sponge parks, and a greener city, while rents doubled, roads crumbled, and homelessness exploded. Read more.

Two days at David McMillan's Hayfield Farm vineyard: cold-climate harvests, al fresco lunches for volunteers, crushed grapes underfoot, and the Joe Beef co-founder's pursuit of clean, natural wine from dirt to glass. Read more.\

Phil Grisé is opening a 26,000-square-foot skate shop in the building Archambault couldn't hold onto—because to him, physical retail isn't dead, it just needs to be worth the trip. Read more.

For 30 years, Monkland Tavern has quietly shaped Montreal's dining scene—launching chefs behind Tuck Shop, Sumac, and Mon Lapin while remaining the city's best-kept industry secret. Read more.

Since 1910, Boulangerie Marguerita has hand-rolled loaves in its original brick oven—still telling real estate speculators it's not for sale, just for bread. Read more.

From 2006 to 2016, Mile-Ex's DIY warehouses launched Grimes, Mac DeMarco, and TOPS—then gentrification, rising rents, and police crackdowns killed off one of Montreal's most productive music scenes. Read more.

Talal Sabbagh's Brocard brings traditional Syrian cuisine to Saint-Laurent with an open kitchen, generational recipes from his mother Nahla, and a menu that proves heritage cooking doesn't need reinvention. Read more.

For nearly a century, McGill med students tobogganed stolen corpses down Mount Royal to a folk-hero janitor who paid cash, no questions asked—because the law demanded they learn anatomy but made dissection illegal. Read more.

The Montreal Irish Monument Park will finally make the Black Rock accessible, transforming a forgotten traffic island into a memorial honouring 6,000 Irish famine victims and the Montrealers who died trying to save them. Read more.

Three Montreal funeral professionals on how working with death every day reshaped their view of life—and why talking about death might be the most important thing we're avoiding. 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 / AnnaClare Sung, Editorial Intern