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The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office
    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
    InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin

    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office
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      --°C|Saturday, March 28, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.ROYALMOUNT Wants to Be Your Dining Destination for a Whole MonthGet 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      The Main Logo
      Magazine
      Categories
      • Arts & Culture

        Creativity, heritage, and expression.

      • Beyond Montreal

        Travel, adventure, and global perspectives.

      • Design

        The best of Montreal design.

      • Food & Drink

        La bonne bouffe.

      • History

        Stories, lessons, and context.

      • Newsletter

        Our weekly newsletter.

      • See all original stories
      Explore Montreal
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
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      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
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      Arts & Culture

      Why Doesn't Montreal Have Its Own Halloween Parade?

      Halloween parades are a staple in cities like New York, Chicago, Salem, and Atlanta—not to mention a litany of small towns—so why not Montreal?

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      October 30, 2024 · 4 min read

      Why doesn't Montreal have its own Halloween parade?
      A scene from Trouble-Fête, a Halloween event held during Montreal’s 375th anniversary. | Photograph: Veronique Dussault

      I don’t understand why Montreal doesn’t have a Halloween parade. Full stop.

      Halloween has been celebrated in places like Scotland and Ireland for centuries, and major cities like Sydney and Hong Kong embrace it. In North America, Halloween parades are almost a staple in places like New York, Chicago, Salem, and Atlanta—not to mention all the small towns rallying for the season.

      Montreal’s primed for this. For a city known for its festivals, nightlife, and an embrace of the offbeat, a Halloween parade seems like more than a natural fit.

      Photograph: Veronique Dussault

      Montrealers know how to host celebrations, filling the streets with costumes, music, and energy. Even now, as I write this sitting in a café in Old Montreal, people are already out in daylight with costumes on, hinting at a city-wide Halloween spirit with no central place to gather.

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      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

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      The Main

      Advertisement

      Follow on Google
      What to do this weekend (03.26–03.29)
      Arts & Culture
      The Main

      What to Do This Weekend (03.26–03.29)

      From immersive Japanese tea listening parties and a Burning Man in the Plateau to a new jazz club: March 26 to 29, 2026.

      Meet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown
      Arts & Culture
      Toula Drimonis

      Meet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown

      Years of tavernas, bouzouki nights, and freddo coffee joints have left traces that remain to this day.

      Project Hail Mary Makes the Case That Cooperation Beats Survival
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      Project Hail Mary Makes the Case That Cooperation Beats Survival

      Hope isn’t a quality most blockbusters lean on anymore. Project Hail Mary builds an entire mission around it, and against all odds, it works.

      Gore Verbinski's Gloriously Unhinged AI Movie Is a Mess Worth Making
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      Gore Verbinski's Gloriously Unhinged AI Movie Is a Mess Worth Making

      Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die both comments on and replicates technological overload in this unhinged sci-fi comedy about an AI gone rogue.

      Requiem for Il Bolero: When the Plaza Lost Its Leather
      Arts & Culture
      Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

      Requiem for Il Bolero: When the Plaza Lost Its Leather

      Thirty-five years of tailoring desire.

      The Most Predictable Oscars in Years Were Still Pretty Damn Good
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      The Most Predictable Oscars in Years Were Still Pretty Damn Good

      One Battle After Another swept, PTA got his due, and Montreal snuck onto Hollywood's biggest stage.

      Arts & Culture

      Why Doesn't Montreal Have Its Own Halloween Parade?

      Halloween parades are a staple in cities like New York, Chicago, Salem, and Atlanta—not to mention a litany of small towns—so why not Montreal?

      ByJ.P. Karwacki

      October 30, 2024 · 4 min read

      Why doesn't Montreal have its own Halloween parade?
      A scene from Trouble-Fête, a Halloween event held during Montreal’s 375th anniversary. | Photograph: Veronique Dussault

      I don’t understand why Montreal doesn’t have a Halloween parade. Full stop.

      Halloween has been celebrated in places like Scotland and Ireland for centuries, and major cities like Sydney and Hong Kong embrace it. In North America, Halloween parades are almost a staple in places like New York, Chicago, Salem, and Atlanta—not to mention all the small towns rallying for the season.

      Montreal’s primed for this. For a city known for its festivals, nightlife, and an embrace of the offbeat, a Halloween parade seems like more than a natural fit.

      Photograph: Veronique Dussault

      Montrealers know how to host celebrations, filling the streets with costumes, music, and energy. Even now, as I write this sitting in a café in Old Montreal, people are already out in daylight with costumes on, hinting at a city-wide Halloween spirit with no central place to gather.

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      The Main

      Advertisement

      Follow on Google
      What to do this weekend (03.26–03.29)
      Arts & Culture
      The Main

      What to Do This Weekend (03.26–03.29)

      From immersive Japanese tea listening parties and a Burning Man in the Plateau to a new jazz club: March 26 to 29, 2026.

      Meet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown
      Arts & Culture
      Toula Drimonis

      Meet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown

      Years of tavernas, bouzouki nights, and freddo coffee joints have left traces that remain to this day.

      Project Hail Mary Makes the Case That Cooperation Beats Survival
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      Project Hail Mary Makes the Case That Cooperation Beats Survival

      Hope isn’t a quality most blockbusters lean on anymore. Project Hail Mary builds an entire mission around it, and against all odds, it works.

      Gore Verbinski's Gloriously Unhinged AI Movie Is a Mess Worth Making
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      Gore Verbinski's Gloriously Unhinged AI Movie Is a Mess Worth Making

      Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die both comments on and replicates technological overload in this unhinged sci-fi comedy about an AI gone rogue.

      Requiem for Il Bolero: When the Plaza Lost Its Leather
      Arts & Culture
      Jean Bourbeau @ URBANIA

      Requiem for Il Bolero: When the Plaza Lost Its Leather

      Thirty-five years of tailoring desire.

      The Most Predictable Oscars in Years Were Still Pretty Damn Good
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      The Most Predictable Oscars in Years Were Still Pretty Damn Good

      One Battle After Another swept, PTA got his due, and Montreal snuck onto Hollywood's biggest stage.

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      Nuit Blanche 2026: A guide to the city's favourite all-nighter
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      Nuit Blanche 2026: A Guide to the City's Favourite All-nighter

      The 23rd edition runs February 28. The metro's open late. Here's where to be.

      What Happens When a Skate Shop Refuses to Act Like One
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      Elizabeth McLellan

      What Happens When a Skate Shop Refuses to Act Like One

      Since 2018, the Plaza St-Hubert shop Lopez has been a gathering point for skaters, designers, and artists who'd rather build something than buy into it.

      Sirāt Is Hypnotic, Frustrating, and One of This Year's Best Oscar Nominations
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      Oliver Laxe's desert thriller follows a father into the Moroccan wilderness and past the limits of grief and obsession.

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      A private dinner on the water followed by billiards and natty wine: Montreal doing what Montreal does best.

      Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade: A 2026 Guide to the Oldest in Canada
      Arts & Culture
      The Main

      Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade: A 2026 Guide to the Oldest in Canada

      The 201st edition runs Sunday, March 22 along De Maisonneuve. Here's the route, the honourees, and the history behind it.

      Parquette Proves How Nightlife Can Work on Borrowed Time
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      Megan Pietrus

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      The queer nightlife hub knew the building would be demolished. They signed the lease anyway, and built something that will outlast it.

      Latest from The Main

      DesignStop Building Sad CitiesNewsletterThe Bulletin: Downtown Gets a Jazz Room, Blasting Pink Floyd in a Church, and Girl Dinners [Issue #174]Beyond MontrealMontreal's New Second Airport Is Nearly 100 Years OldArts & CultureWhat to do this weekend (03.26–03.29)Arts & CultureMeet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown

      More Arts & Culture

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      From our archive.

      Nuit Blanche 2026: A guide to the city's favourite all-nighter
      Arts & Culture
      The Main

      Nuit Blanche 2026: A Guide to the City's Favourite All-nighter

      The 23rd edition runs February 28. The metro's open late. Here's where to be.

      What Happens When a Skate Shop Refuses to Act Like One
      Arts & Culture
      Elizabeth McLellan

      What Happens When a Skate Shop Refuses to Act Like One

      Since 2018, the Plaza St-Hubert shop Lopez has been a gathering point for skaters, designers, and artists who'd rather build something than buy into it.

      Sirāt Is Hypnotic, Frustrating, and One of This Year's Best Oscar Nominations
      Arts & Culture
      Gianni Fiasche

      Sirāt Is Hypnotic, Frustrating, and One of This Year's Best Oscar Nominations

      Oliver Laxe's desert thriller follows a father into the Moroccan wilderness and past the limits of grief and obsession.

      An Inside Look at the night before Red Bull's Heavy Metal
      Arts & Culture
      Joe Kanzangu

      An Inside Look at the Night Before Red Bull's Heavy Metal

      A private dinner on the water followed by billiards and natty wine: Montreal doing what Montreal does best.

      Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade: A 2026 Guide to the Oldest in Canada
      Arts & Culture
      The Main

      Montreal's St. Patrick's Day Parade: A 2026 Guide to the Oldest in Canada

      The 201st edition runs Sunday, March 22 along De Maisonneuve. Here's the route, the honourees, and the history behind it.

      Parquette Proves How Nightlife Can Work on Borrowed Time
      Arts & Culture
      Megan Pietrus

      Parquette Proves How Nightlife Can Work on Borrowed Time

      The queer nightlife hub knew the building would be demolished. They signed the lease anyway, and built something that will outlast it.

      Latest from The Main

      DesignStop Building Sad CitiesNewsletterThe Bulletin: Downtown Gets a Jazz Room, Blasting Pink Floyd in a Church, and Girl Dinners [Issue #174]Beyond MontrealMontreal's New Second Airport Is Nearly 100 Years OldArts & CultureWhat to do this weekend (03.26–03.29)Arts & CultureMeet the Old Roots and New Blood of Mile End’s Greektown
      Family and the weight of change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's latest novel, The Reeds

      Previous

      Family and the Weight of Change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's Latest Novel, The Reeds

      Next

      The Bulletin: Halloween Part 2, a High-speed Train, and Killing Daylight Savings Time 🔪⏰ [Issue #101]

      The Bulletin: Halloween Part 2, a high-speed train, and killing daylight savings time 🔪⏰ [Issue #101]
      Family and the weight of change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's latest novel, The Reeds

      Previous

      Family and the Weight of Change in Montreal's West End: Arjun Basu's Latest Novel, The Reeds

      Next

      The Bulletin: Halloween Part 2, a High-speed Train, and Killing Daylight Savings Time 🔪⏰ [Issue #101]

      The Bulletin: Halloween Part 2, a high-speed train, and killing daylight savings time 🔪⏰ [Issue #101]