Downtown Montreal is full of family-friendly adventures, whether you’re looking to get out and about outdoors, or indulge in some of the best food Montreal has to offer—from cheap eats and bakeries to some of the top tables and buffets.
From a ski hill in the middle of downtown Montreal to a free illuminated playground—with a stop in between at some of the city’s best chefs and restaurants under one roof—check out our top 3 activities for your best break ever.
1. Go skiing in downtown Montreal
Free snowboarding in the heart of the city? Sign us up. Apik, a new sports-themed winter event, is transforming Saint-Denis Street into Mont Saint-Denis. Check out the series of activities happening on Saint-Denis St., between Sherbrooke St. W. and Sainte-Catherine St. W. in the Quartier des Spectacles.
With winter excursions (like the epic treetop trail and tower Le Sentier des cimes Laurentides) just a short drive from the city, plus some of the best skiing in the province nearby, having a ski hill in the heart of the city feels like the ultimate winter luxury.
2. Eat one of the city’s best sandwiches
Bossa, Montreal’s favourite family-run sandwicheria, is now open at Time Out Market Montréal. Where fine Italian grocer meets ready-to-eat sandwich counter, Bossa has brought its lip-smacking sandwich empire with a cult following (the line-ups outside of their Wellington Street sandwicheria say it all) to downtown Montreal.
Cheap, iconic eats don’t get better than this: Wrap your mouth around the Porcetta—think luscious layers of provolone, porchetta, caramelized onions, hot peppers, eggplant and slaw with a generous drizzling aioli—or the Philly Hoagie (tiers of salami, capicollo, mortadella, prosciutto, mozzarella, provolone, hot peppers, marinated eggplant, lettuce, O.G. House dressing and balsamic reduction). Make sure to hit the Market's retro arcades before you leave.
The Market gets extra-fun on the weekends. Stop by on Saturdays with the whole family for brunch—one of the biggest menus under one roof in Montreal—and stay for the temporary free tattoos for the kids (12:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.).
On Sundays from noon until 3 p.m., dig into your favourite dish from the Market—or sip and afternoon cocktail—while enjoying live music.
3. Light up your life
Montréal en Lumière brings a slew of outdoor activities for its 24th edition focused on skating and the joys of winter. The festival features luminous public art, outdoor projections, performances, thrilling rides, and a skating trail in Place des Festivals. Check out all the incredible installations on Sainte-Catherine St. W. and on Esplanade Tranquille, in the Quartier des Spectacles.
The 13th edition of Luminothérapie also invites everyone to have some outdoor fun with a series of six interactive and luminous installations, four original video projections and an on-ice interactive experience. The free gigantic skating rink comes alive with images of sea creatures that follow skaters around the rink, along with music on select evenings.
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