The Bulletin: One foot into fall, one on the dance floor [Issue #146]

You feel it, right? The city’s slipping into fall, but not without putting up a fight. Streets are still alive with open-air parties, DJs, and block-long celebrations—from BMX battles and back-to-school friperies to café chess tournaments and queer finales on the dance floor. On the food front, it’s a parade of pop-ups, harvest menus, birthday beers, and final summer collabs before everyone starts pretending squash is exciting again.

Meanwhile, the news cycle’s been anything but quiet: Mayoral hopefuls are circling, public transit is bracing for disruption, and the city’s cultural memory—its artists, icons, signage, and sounds—is surfacing in headlines with the weight of everything we’ve built, lost, or forgotten.

Call it a seasonal shift, or just another very Montreal week. Either way, there’s plenty to move through.

Art that will transform you

Three international artists are transforming PHI this fall with exhibitions that go way, way beyond hanging on walls: Jellyfish sculptures that pulse with voices, haptic technology that lets you feel whale songs through your skin, and collaborative rituals involving hundreds of handmade ceramic spheres.

Josèfa Ntjam began the season on September 10 with a cosmic ocean installation. Then, British collective Keiken follows on October 23 with a mystical video game designed to teach compassion and "haptic wearable wombs" that translate underwater sounds into touch. Manuel Mathieu rounds out the trio on October 23 with his most comprehensive show to date, featuring a hypnotic single-shot video of matches lighting each other and his first major scent-based work.

The new PHI+ membership ($40) gives unlimited access through March 2026—perfect timing since these pieces reveal new layers each time you experience them.

See the full lineup and what makes each exhibition worth the trip.

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

Thursday

🖼️ Fonderie Darling launches its fall season with the free MOMENTA Biennale — guided tours, open studios, and a DJ set will carry the night.

👣 The Montreal Sign Project spotlights the city’s iconic vintage signage in their walking Fall Signs Tour. 

☕ The Barista League comes to Montréal with top baristas competing head to head in latte art, espresso craft, and coffee skill, all for the title of champion.

Friday

🦌 JACKALOPE Festival returns with Canada’s biggest action sports showcase: Skateboarding, bouldering, BMX, base jumping, FMX—plus food trucks, pop-ups, and concerts all weekend. 

🚲 Celebrate the Grand Prix Cycliste weekend with Passerelle and Argon 18’s After Hour party at Bar Wills, featuring the world premiere of the Nitrogen Pro 2026 bike, DJ sets, and drinks from 8 PM to midnight.

🎂 For Outremont’s 150th anniversary, Laurier Ouest transforms into a festive hub, with family activities, open-air performances, concerts, fashion shows. 

🎬 Cinéma du Musée launches Films with Style, a series celebrating the reopening of the MMFA’s Decorative Arts and Design Collection—kicking off with a screening of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Saturday

🚴‍♂️ Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal hits the mountain with elite cyclists tackling Mount Royal’s brutal loop—plus food, fun, and fan zone action all day.

🏛️ The MMFA marks the grand reopening of its Decorative Arts and Design Pavilion with a full day of celebrations: Family activities in the morning, a festive afternoon, and gallery guides on hand. 

🪩 Montréal’s newest LGBTQ2IA+ spot, Club DD’s, celebrates its official opening with a launch party promising drag, dancing, and a fresh chapter.

💖 Ausgang Plaza hosts the BLUSH Finale—a last dance for the beloved queer party with DJs, go-gos, pole dancers, and a community send-off to remember.

👕 Kapara Vintage is hosting their back to school Friperie Géante complete with tooth gems, tattoo, vintage clothing, and accessories.

🎨 🍂 The No Clue Collective brings Art in the Park to Parc Westmount for a fall afternoon of creativity—with extra art supplies on hand for those who need them.

🎉 Filipinos of Montréal host a community Block Party at Lacombe Piétonne—an all-ages celebration to close out summer with music, family, and good vibes.

🌃  OSMO x Marusan is hosting Bien Joué into the night with Grand Huit and Walla.

Sunday

🎥 Last chance to see the staff pick, The Devil’s Backbone, at Cinema Moderne. 

🍵The Together Club gets conversation and creative juices flowing at Make & Meet held at Les Faisures—expect pot pinching and pottery painting with a laid back atmosphere and friendly vibes. 

♟️ Isle de Garde teams up with ChessBar for quick-play chess tournaments — five 10-minute games open to all levels.

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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.

MANGETOUT festival runs at the Society for Arts and Technology from Sept 12 -13, celebrating Québécois culinary creativity with chef-led tastings, artisan showcases, and conferences. 

Dieu Du Ciel celebrates its 27th anniversary on Sept 13 with a special beer menu, a festive dish by Chef Corentin Perrot, and a surprise birthday brew, followed by DJ sets and dancing to keep the party going into the evening.

Mellon Brasserie presents the fifth edition of UNE CRISPY DE BELLE SOIRÉE on Sept 13, featuring 14 lagers on tap, collabs and guest brews, special limited glassware, tank pours, and pretzels from Automne Boulangerie. 

Pichai Au Casavant returns for its second edition on Sept 13, serving up plenty of grilled bites, cellar-fresh drinks, and mega DJ sets. 

Deli D’occasion opens its doors on Sept 13. 

Cantine Isle de Garde kicks off Rosemont la Petite Pinterie’s annual celebration on Sept 13, serving a roadside canteen-style menu, beers on tap, a signature cocktail, and live tunes from Sumak Brass Band.

Saelow MTL hosts a pop-up with Bragging Kitchen on Sept 13, serving an afternoon of Korean BBQ with friends, plus signature pickles and house kimchi available for purchase on site.

Chez Aline brings the farm to town at Polari Vin from Sept 13-14 with their chef serving a special harvest menu with countryside vibes, and fine wines—celebrating the end of summer with seasonal dishes. 

Flying Tables and Nouilles Sauvette host a Yunnan takeout-only popup on Sept 14, offering a tasting menu by reservation and à la carte options at the counter, serving bold flavors from one of southern China’s most diverse culinary regions. 

Super Boat People presents BBQ Sans Frontières on Sept 14 at Parc Dickie-Moore, featuring 8 street food kiosks by guest chefs, 10+ music and dance performances, local creators and artisans, a community fair, and a family-friendly wellness zone—all with a focus on delicious food, solidarity, and migrant justice. 

Normal in Saint-Agathe-des-Monts, Québec, celebrates 10 years of La Récolte de la Rouge on Sept 14th with a festive dinner hosted by La Belle Histoire, featuring a shareable menu highlighting the farm’s freshest vegetables and a decade of local terroir.

Full Pin celebrates its 5th anniversary with a pizza alley party at SUPERNAT on Sept 14, featuring 4 mushroom-packed pizzas by Pizza Parazzi and drinks served on site — rain or shine. 

WILLS hosts a festive pop-up on Sept 14 with Majestique’s classic dishes, Crocodile Bar cocktails, and plenty of WILLS beer.

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

Wenhui Zhang’s roaming teahouse Jinjin is rethinking Chinese tea culture through modern culinary techniques, community pop-ups, and a feminist kitchen vibe steeped in “Big Yin Energy.” Read more.

Montreal’s Little Italy wasn’t built on cappuccinos—it grew from immigrant grit, railroad ties, and family legacies that still echo through Jean-Talon Market and beyond. Read more.

Ken Dryden, the towering Canadiens goaltender turned author, MP, and national conscience, has died at 78—leaving behind a legacy that stretched far beyond the crease. Read more.

With Valérie Plante stepping aside, the race to lead Montreal is wide open—between a car-share veteran, a former federal minister, a progressive dissenter, a civil-rights-backed newcomer, and a perennial long-shot. Read more.

The STM is bracing for another maintenance strike—and this time, it means metro and bus service will be slashed three days a week starting Sept. 22. Read more.

Downtown office towers have taken an 8.2% hit in property value, and business owners are blaming public safety while city officials point to remote work—either way, the city’s core is losing ground. Read more.

The STM just unveiled the names of the five future Blue Line stations, marking a rare moment where metro stops pay tribute to Montreal’s builders rather than its geography. Read more.

Léa Stréliski calls out Quebec’s political vacuum with a sharp blend of poetry and exasperation—mourning the state of our opposition, our melons, and maybe even our collective soul. Read more.

Raving meets research as DJs, composers, and AV artists turn nightclubs and theatres into experimental playgrounds for sound, vision, and future-facing ideas at MUTEK. Read more.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts just opened its new Pavilion of Decorative Arts and Design—and yes, that massive glass Soleil by Dale Chihuly is back, fully restored and stealing the show. Read more.

Montreal’s $88.9M plan to revamp Camillien-Houde is now on pause—but taxpayers are still on the hook for a $12.8M design contract that critics say is wildly overpriced. Read more.

Jonathan Wener has spent 50 years tracking down the long-lost paintings of his great-great-grandfather—one of Canada’s first Jewish artists and a forgotten chronicler of 19th-century Quebec—and he’s not stopping until they’re all on the wall. Read more.

Jake Evans could’ve chased a bigger payday elsewhere, but the Canadiens centre doubled down on Montreal—for the culture, the camaraderie, and raising twins in a city he already calls home. Read more.

Nelly Arcan lit up Quebec’s literary scene with autofiction rooted in sex work, beauty, and brutal honesty—then dared us to look deeper, even when it hurt. Read more.

Montreal’s “Sin City” past was built on bootleg booze, burlesque, and neon—and some of it still lingers on Saint-Laurent after dark. 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.

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👋 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 / Anahi Pellathy, Editorial & Production Coordinator / Phylida Tuff-West, Editorial Intern