Halloween is packed away, the clocks have fallen back and November is officially here. Good news: the calendar didn’t get the memo about slowing down. This week in Montreal brings the opening of North America’s biggest French-language film festival, three days of wine and spirits tasting at the Old Port, a 20th-anniversary Bach festival, three Habs games and a sold-out Alouettes playoff game. Here’s our day-by-day pick for Monday, Nov. 2 through Sunday, Nov. 8. Dates and times were checked on Oct. 29; confirm with organizers before you go.
Monday and Tuesday: last altars and the Jets
Monday, Nov. 2 is the final day to see the free Manalli Día de Muertos altars at the Saul-Bellow library in Lachine, open until 6 p.m. On Tuesday, the Canadiens host the Winnipeg Jets at the Bell Centre at 7 p.m. (TSN2, RDS), the second and final meeting between the teams this season.
Wednesday: CINEMANIA and Bach kick off
CINEMANIA (Nov. 4 to 15)
CINEMANIA, the largest French-language film festival in North America, opens its 32nd edition on Wednesday and runs through Nov. 15. Expect features, documentaries and shorts from across the Francophonie, plus master classes, talks and red carpets. Many screenings have English subtitles, which makes it one of the best weeks of the year for anglophones to dive into French cinema.
Festival International Bach Montréal (Nov. 4 to Dec. 9)
The Bach festival celebrates its 20th edition with free and ticketed concerts at venues including the Maison symphonique, Saint Joseph’s Oratory and the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, according to Tourisme Montréal’s November guide. Hundreds of musicians are involved, from organists to full choirs.
Also Wednesday: the Laval Rocket open a three-game homestand at Place Bell against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at 7 p.m. (full schedule on the Rocket’s calendar).
Thursday: Utah, MICO and a tasting for the pros
The Habs welcome the Utah Mammoth on Thursday at 7 p.m., the last game of a three-game homestand. Across town, MICO plays MTELUS at 8 p.m. Thursday is also the start of Veterans’ Week, which leads to Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.
Friday and Saturday: La Grande Dégustation
Wine, spirits and beer lovers, this one’s for you. La Grande Dégustation de Montréal returns to the Grand Quai of the Port of Montréal for its 16th edition. Thursday, Nov. 5 is for industry professionals (11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) followed by an evening session; the public days are Friday from 2 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 1 to 9 p.m. General admission is $23 plus taxes for one day, and tasting workshops take place upstairs on Friday and Saturday. Go hungry, go with a plan, and take the metro home.
More Friday picks
- Laval Rocket vs. Cleveland Monsters: 7 p.m. at Place Bell, with a rematch Saturday at 3 p.m.
- Sullivan King: a late show at MTELUS, 10 p.m.
- Caravanes du son: an evening of Arabic music, “De la Mésopotamie vers le monde,” at the Maison symphonique on Friday and Saturday.
- DDO Art and Craft Market: Nov. 6 to 8, with 80-plus vendors at a new location this year, Galeries des Sources in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
Saturday: Eastern Final day
The big one. The Alouettes host the Eastern Final at Percival Molson Memorial Stadium at 3 p.m., with a trip to the Grey Cup in Calgary on the line. The game is sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket, find a bar with the TSN or RDS broadcast and a good view. Then at 7 p.m., the Canadiens visit the Maple Leafs in Toronto (Sportsnet, TVA Sports). Pick a spot from our list of bars to watch the Canadiens and make it a doubleheader.
Elsewhere on Saturday, the Tibetan Bazaar and Montreal Cultural Fair fills the Santa Cruz church on the Plateau with Himalayan crafts, music, dance and momos; Palace plays MTELUS at 8 p.m.; and Montreal West holds “A Walk to Remember” at 11 a.m.
Sunday: a quieter close
Sunday, Nov. 8 is the last day of Festithéâtrecréole, a festival of Creole cultures through theatre, readings, humour and poetry. Montreal West holds its Remembrance ceremony at the cenotaph at 12:30 p.m., and the DDO market wraps up its weekend.
All week long: ongoing events this week in Montreal
- MTLàTABLE continues until Nov. 15. See our MTLàTABLE 2026 guide for menus and booking tips.
- ELEKTRA Biennale, a month devoted to video games as contemporary art, runs to Nov. 15.
- Free culture: our list of free things to do in November covers museum free days and more.
Looking further ahead? Our November festivals calendar has RIDM, image+nation, Mundial and the Salon du livre. And for more ideas any day of the week, head to our Things to Do section. Bonne semaine!
More on MTL365
- Montreal Sports Week Ahead: Alouettes Eastern Final, Three Habs Games and the Rocket at Home
- The Best Dumplings in Montreal: 9 Spots for Steamed, Fried and Soup Dumplings
- Clocks Fell Back Overnight. Was It Quebec’s Last Time Change?
- More things to do in Montreal on MTL365
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Sources: CINEMANIA, Tourisme Montréal, La Grande Dégustation de Montréal, evenko (MTELUS), evenko (Bell Centre), Laval Rocket, Town of Montreal West
