When the sun dips below Montreal's skyline, a world of affordable adventures comes alive. If your evenings are more microwave meal than Michelin-star, and your bank balance is begging for a breather, we've got a treat for you.
Bid adieu to monotonous weekdays and run-of-the-mill weekends with a different activity for each day of the week – all for $15 or under.
From star-gazing to salsa, here are seven exciting nightly events that'll give your week a glow-up without flattening your wallet:
Ping Pong Mondays
Where: TT Café, 5544, rue Saint-Patrick
Reason To Try: If waking up on Monday feels like you've been in a five-set ping pong match with your alarm clock, you can bounce back at this Sud-Ouest café. For $15, trade in your week-start blues for an evening of high-speed serves. Grab a paddle (bring your own or rent gear for $5), and prepare to serve, spin, and smash. Fumbling novice or secret pro, it doesn't matter. With premium coffee flowing and Vietnamese delights on offer, even the most epic miss-hit has a delicious silver lining.
Cheap Movie Tuesdays
Where: Cineplex locations
Reason To Try: Overpriced popcorn, step aside! For $7.50 on Tuesdays, you can nab a regular admission ticket, a whole five bucks cheaper than any other day. 3D screenings are only $10.35 and, if you're after a touch of luxury, VIP 3D and D-Box screenings are a smooth fiver less too. So, save your hard-earned cash for something really important – like a jumbo-sized soda.
Art Museum Wednesdays
Where: Musée des Beaux Arts, 1380, rue Sherbrooke Ouest
Reason To Try: Swap hump-day blues for high-art hues every Wednesday afternoon at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. With $12 in your pocket, you can saunter into an oasis of tranquility after 3 p.m., when the museum extends hours for major exhibitions. While the midday crowds trickle out, you'll have two quiet hours to explore the vast permanent collections in peace before diving into the engaging temporary exhibitions. It's the perfect midweek retreat to feed your soul without starving your wallet.
Planetarium Thursdays
Where: 4801, ave Pierre-de Coubertin
Reason To Try: Why hitch a ride on a billionaire's space rocket when you can saunter through the cosmos on a shoestring budget? For $8 on Thursdays, the Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan catapults you into celestial splendour faster than you can say "meteor shower." It's a 360° immersive experience that's lightyears ahead of your regular movie night. You'll get up close and personal with twinkling stars, rogue planets, and an ever-elusive moon, all without leaving the comfort of your theatre seat.
Latin Fiesta Fridays
Where: Casino de Montréal, 1, ave du Casino
Reason To Try: Slap on your dancing shoes and shimmy your way to Le Terrasse Jardin — a sun-drenched, salsa-infused, well-kept secret on Île Notre-Dame. Doors swing open at 4 p.m., perfect for an aperitif and a bout of sun-worshipping. But hold onto your maracas, because at 9:15 p.m. the real party gets into swing. We're talking sultry salsa rhythms, the hypnotic sway of merengue, and the vibrant beats of reggaeton, all courtesy of top Latin acts like the Chico Band, DJ Montana, and The Cuban Martinez Show.
More at Casinos.lotoquebec.com
Laugh Out Loud Saturdays
Courtesy of MTL Comedy Club.
Where: Muzique, 3781, boul. St Laurent
Reason To Try: Abandon your half-hearted Netflix comedy special and dive headfirst into an evening of live comedy on the rooftop of Muzique, one of Montreal's trendy nightclubs. For a cool $17 (if you're savvy enough to book online), an evening of uproarious humour awaits you. The show starts at 8 p.m., but with doors swinging open at 7:20 p.m., there's ample time to nurse a cocktail, soak in the stunning views, and prepare your laugh muscles for a workout.
More at MTLcomedyclub.com
Skill Shot Sundays
Where: North Star, 3908, boul. St-Laurent
Reason To Try: When the couch is trying to swallow you whole on Sunday, wrestle free and spend an evening that won't ding your budget or your dignity. For a lean $10 (plus tax), Northstar Pinball is offering an evening's worth of whizzing metallic joy. From 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., the machines are all-you-can-play. So put on your game face, bring out your inner pinball wizard, and challenge yourself, your friends, or that bearded guy who claims he "used to be a champion."
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