The Bulletin: Surfboard Swaps, Poutine Karaoke, Wheelchair Races, and The Big Lebowski [Issue #189]

Morning, Montreal.

This week, we’re excited to reveal a project that we’ve been quietly working on in the background for the past month and change: A special collab summer micromag with our pals over at URBANIA, presented by PHI.

Check URBANIA’s website for its imminent launch and subscribe so you can find out when it will be imminently released online. While we’ll be publishing its stories on themain.com, the micromag itself will contain exclusive content, including city itineraries from singer Claudia Bouvette and author/illustrator Arizona O'Neill among other curiosities.

Having spent weeks combing forums and having lively discussions about what to include (everything from century-old businesses in the city to nightlife recommendations from a photographer who spends their nights capturing it), we’re excited to see this project finally come to fruition, and we hope you enjoy it.

— JP Karwacki, Managing Editor

PRESENTED BY PLAZAPALOOZA

PlazaPalooza is back.

Uniting visitors, residents, merchants, and artists alike, Plaza Saint-Hubert hosts its 4th annual summer bash, PlazaPalooza, from July 9 to 12, offering free live music, dancing, entertainment, and fun for the whole family.

Check out the full list of programming to see what catches your eye.

The Editors' Picks

The places our editors keep coming back to. Every one has earned an editorial badge.

One Story to Read This Week

An over-300-year-old religious building, restaurants that have served food since the end of the First World War, and retail stores dating back to the Gilded Age: the streets of Montreal are no strangers to time-honoured institutions.

One of the most distinctive relics of Montreal’s past that still stands today, however, is the esoteric Bain Colonial. In this story, author Daisy Le Corre gets first-person insight into Bain Colonial and its identity as a de facto social club for the Plateau’s queer community while still serving as a bathhouse proper with communities for whom bathing is part of the culture.

PRESENTED BY FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL NUITS D’AFRIQUE

Save the date: The FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL NUITS D’AFRIQUE returns July 7 to 19 for its 39th edition, with free concerts, an artisan market, children’s village, and more.

Thursday

🌍 Head to the Quartier des Spectacles for the Festival Nuits d’Afrique, showcasing over 700 artists from over 30 countries across Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.

👨‍💻 Startupfest’s three-day founder-focused festival arrives, bringing founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across the world together in Old Montreal.

🎸 SoulFest returns for its third edition with soul, Motown, R&B, and gospel music at Square Saint-James and at Le Balcon.

🎆 Watch fireworks light up the sky when Hungary performs at this year’s edition of the International des Feux Loto-Québec.

🎨 Art Battle Montreal hosts its City Championship at ESC, with twelve of the best local live painters going head to head for a chance at regionals.

Friday

🎉 Les Quartiers du Canal is having its 5th edition of À l’ouest de la Dame, a three-day festival on Notre-Dame West Street with music, food, and activities.

🏀 Watch the Montreal Alliance vs Brampton Honey Badgers at Verdun Auditorium.

🌊 Brainchild is hosting its second Surfboard Sale and Street Party, where you can buy or swap surfboards, enjoy food, and meet other surf enthusiasts.

🚶 Learn about the history of The Main with a walking tour from Parc du Portugal to Mile End led by Montreal tour guide Justin Bur.

🍿 Radio-Canada’s Ciné dans L’Parc kicks off this year’s season tonight with À vos marques… Party!, complete with free poutine, karaoke, and a meet-and-greet with actor Jason Roy Léveillée.

Saturday

⚾ The Montreal Alouettes play their next home game against the Calgary Stampeders at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium.

🛵 Watch scooter, quadricycle, and wheelchair users compete for the gold medal at the Hochelaga Scooter Race.

📷 Pack your cameras and set out for a photowalk through Mount-Royal, ending at the St. Joseph’s Oratory to watch the sunset.

🥳 Plaza St-Hubert is reopening its streets to pedestrians for PlazaPalooza, a weekend packed with musical and cultural programs.

🛼 Rolling Tribes is having a Saturday Night Roller Disco at Willibrord Park in Verdun.

🎌 Attend Festival Matsuri in Villeray and celebrate Japanese culture: dancing, taiko, workshops, food, and vendors.

🛶 Parks Canada is having a free paddling and lockage event on the Lachine Canal.

Sunday

🎳 The 10th edition of Film Noir au Canal opens today with a free screening of the cult classic film The Big Lebowski.

🪶 Support Indigenous pride at the Kahnawake Powwow: traditional singing and dancing performances, food, and cultural products.

💃 Celebrate Portuguese culture with food, workshops, music, and dancing at the International Portugal Festival of Montreal

⚽ The Montreal Roses play the Halifax Tides at Stade Boréale.

🎵 La Rama Records is doing a Little Getdown at Parquette, a special day of DJing and jams curated especially for kids.

PRESENTED BY G PIZZAS

Summer's here, and G Pizzas is the hottest spot in NDG.

Giuseppe Sacchetti spent over a decade chasing a specific dough — cold-fermented for a minimum of 36 hours, carefully baked, then loaded with toppings. This summer, cool off with a slice on the terrasse, or pack a pie for the park.

G’s is available for takeout, delivery, or pre-order. Readers of The Main can use code Gpizzas20 at checkout for 20% off all purchases over $35.

Valid until August 30, 2026. Maximum discount of $25. Order here.

Learn more about G Pizzas' Giuseppe Sacchetti

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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.

Nonno, a new pizza place in Villeray, is currently in soft opening from Wednesdays to Sundays.

Chinatown welcomes Café Civil, a new spot serving up your café classics, some unusual suspects, and music.

Chez Teta’s second location has officially opened in St-Henri.

Bootlegger Cocktail Bar has happy hour on Thursdays from 5 pm to 7 pm.: $13 signature cocktails, $10 glasses of wine, and $5 pints of beer and cider.

Enjoy a drink surrounded by the lush trees and florals of Île Notre-Dame at the Buvette des Floralies. Open from noon to 7 p.m.

Bar Dominion has launched its downtown terrasse, open daily from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., with a new tequila-forward cocktail menu.

Discover Caribbean food with the Taste of the Caribbean Festival. July 9 through 12 from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.

The Asian Night Market makes its return to T&T Supermarket in Brossard from July 9 to 12 with over 120 unique Asian dishes.

Celebrate Quebec’s products and passion for beer with the Festival des bières de Laval from July 10 to 12.

Chez Josie is having a sip & taste of five natural wines on July 10 in collaboration with Le vin dans les voiles.

Mellon Brasserie launches its new beer inspired by Barcelona on July 11 from 5 p.m., along with Spanish tapas from Carino and Tinto Verano.

Parisian Bouillon Week returns to Le 9e from July 14 to 19 for six days of classic French cuisine. Reserve here.

Porcine Frelighsburg will be preparing a 3-course shareable meal featuring their best products at Clos Saragnat on July 18. Get your tickets here.

Bistro La Franquette’s third annual summer BBQ, prepared by Patrick Cormier, is happening on July 19. Reservations are now open.

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

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Built on tanneries and factory labour, Saint-Henri now navigates gentrification and reinvention. Here's a local's guide to the neighbourhood and all its endearing contradictions. Read more.

A Filipino-inspired coffee program, specialty roasts in a dance studio, and ceremonial matcha in a 19th-century Old Montreal building: these are Montreal’s 13 best new cafés, updated for July. Read more.

Jazz cellars, converted banks, DIY punk basements: Montreal's live music venues encompass a vast range. Here’s where to catch a show of every genre and size. Read more.

On Montreal’s busiest moving day, July 1, social workers advocate for city residents as The Rover’s Chris Curtis rides along with them. Watch here.

The Globe & Mail compiles “The Real Dish List,” with an overview of the nation’s best local, neighbourhood eateries. Read more.

A certain popular Canadian singer is the main subject of a new Concordia course exploring the conventions of art, celebrity, and culture. Read more.

Social inequality and tree canopy distribution throughout Montreal are closely linked, according to a Concordia PhD student. Read more.

The iconic Steve’s Music is finally shuttering its last storefront after more than 60 years in the business. Read more.

Montreal-based indie band knitting talks about their sophomore album, childhood music memories, and what inspires them in their Our Culture spotlight. Read more.

For the first time in four years, Saint-Denis is not pedestrianized for the summer. This is how it’s impacting local businesses on the stretch. 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 & Editor-in-Chief / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Whitney Domingo, Community Manager / Samuel Vadnais, Head of Partnerships / Anahi Pellathy, Editorial & Production Coordinator / AnnaClare Sung, Junior Staff Writer / Kristina Stamkopoulos, Editorial Intern