make plans, as the schedule is so packed
that you have no hope of sampling it all. In
addition, some events sell out weeks in
advance, so the wise book ahead.
Highlights include special menus at local
restaurants, some created in cooperation
with visiting chefs; a wide range of concerts;
and free shows and activities in the Quartier
des Spectacles sector of downtown.
ART COMES TO LIFE
Two other free arts events overlap with
Montréal en Lumière. As the name suggests,
Illuminart (Wednesdays through Saturdays,
February 22 to March 4) features glowing
outdoor artworks. In 2017, highlights
included huge inflated humanoids clam-
bering over office buildings and a
kaleidoscopic sound-and-light show pro-
jected on a church façade. The other event,
Art Souterrain (March 3 to 25), displays con-
temporary works by some 70 Canadian and
international artists along a five-kilometre
stretch of Montréal's underground city.
Entertaining as these events are, they're
just the beginning of the fun to be had in
Montréal in winter. Montréalers don't let
the city's sometimes bone-chilling temper-
atures slow them down one bit.
For instance, one free outdoor attraction
that runs all year is the captivating Cité
Mémoire installation. It's like nothing else
I've seen anywhere in the world, and it
sheds fascinating light on the city's history.
Here's how it works: You download the Cité
Mémoire app onto your phone, then head to
various sites around Old Montréal. Once
you're at a site, click a button in the app and
OPPOSITE: Montréal en Lumière is a two-week
festival. Montréal en Lumière, Frédérique
Ménard-Aubin LEFT: Nuit Blanche, an all-night event
in Montréal. © Nuit Blanche à Montréal, Frédérique
Ménard-Aubin BELOW: Winter paddlers near Habitat
'67 in Montréal. Laura Byrne Paquet
