Montreal on the Cheap

For as much as this fine city may have plenty to offer to those with the big bucks, there are also other activities for those visiting with very little in the piggy bank.

The Tam Tam Jam happens every Sunday at the monument in Parc Mont-Royal and is known amongst locals as a weekly hippie festival. Thousands flock to beat their drums, dance barefoot, lounge on beach towels and soak up the sun in the park while chilling out to the beat. This free event attracts tens of thousands annually and is entirely free-spirited. You can even purchase your own hippie digs, pipes and jewellery (if you’re really dying to fit in) from the many street vendors who swarm this event.

http://www.membres.lycos.fr/tamjam/

If the tam tam jam just isn’t your scene but you are still looking for a place to dance outdoors on a Sunday afternoon, check out Piknic Electronik. Some of Montreal’s best DJ’s spin as patrons dance in the sun around the park monument all afternoon while enjoying a spectacular view of the city. But if bopping around isn’t your fancy, bring a blanket and luxuriate in the sun to the techno beats. Patrons are welcomed to bring everything from a picnic lunch and beverages to the family dog. This is a weather-permitting event, so it’s best to consult their website prior to venturing out. The event goes down every Sunday at Parc Jean Drapeau from May 22 through Sept. 25. Don’t forget your sun block! http://www.piknicelectronik.com/#

It just wouldn’t be summer in Montreal without Shakespeare in the Park. Now in their 18th season and under new artistic direction, Repercussion Theatre will once again be delighting audiences with various Shakespeare classics. Though they have yet to announce what masterpieces they will be presenting over the coming months, last year audiences were treated to A Midsummer Night’s Dream and francophiles were also in luck with a presentation of Molière’s L’Amour Médecin. At parks throughout Montreal, for dates and show times consult: http://www.repercussiontheatre.com/

Twice throughout the summer months the three-day St-Laurent Street Festival closes the Main to traffic from Sherbrooke to Mont-Royal. Vendors line up to hawk their wares as do a great deal of more of the high-end merchants. There is no end to the street eats at this affair either, as the scents of everything from pad thai noodles to oysters on the shell to fresh-made potato chips permeate the air, beckoning hungry stomachs for miles. At night this event heats up with dancing in the streets and sometimes even outdoor film screenings. There is something for everyone at this free street festival and it goes down not once but twice June 15-18 and again Aug. 24-27. http://www.boulevardsaintlaurent.com/en/explorez/evenements/index.html