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Montreal Fall Bucket List

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Olivia Lifman
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Sofia Mazzamauro
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at McGill chapter.

If you are looking to venture outside of the ‘McGill bubble’ this fall, here are nine places to go before the blizzards begin. 

FOOD


Jean Talon Market
Exploring the bustling lanes of the Jean Talon Market will be the most fun–and most budget-friendly–grocery-shop you do in Montreal. This farmer’s market is a photographer’s dream and the little cafés are terrific spots to people-watch. There are endless displays of fresh produce to choose from (vibrant fruits and vegetables are particularly awesome at this time of the year) and generous free samples abound.


Point G
This delightful and colorful macaroon boutique is in the heart of Montreal’s trendy Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood. The shop boasts twenty-two innovative flavors ranging from lavender-blueberry to lime-basil to poppy-flowers! And the macaroons’ textures are flawless: each confectionery has a crisp, eggshell-like exterior and a soft, almost meringue-like interior that dissolves on the tongue. Sexual innuendo aside, a taste of Point G is well worth the trip.
 
Jean Talon Market
7070 Henri-Julien
www.marchespublics-mtl.com/English/Jean-Talon
 
Point G
1266 Mont-Royal East
514-750-7515
www.boutiquepointg.com

FASHION
 
Reborn
This store has the best avant-garde fashions in town. Expect to find some fabulous vintage clothes and accessories inside, as well as a wide selection of exclusive prêt-à-porter and casual brands. For those searching for unique pieces to add to their wardrobe, Reborn is the place to go. 


RixRax
RixRax is a Mecca for Montreal’s designer-types. Managed by Juliette Trolio, the store contains over half a million buttons, ribbons, feathers, flowers, laces, brooches and trimmings that can give a unique flair to any ensemble. This small space will inspire even those who are not the most creatively-inclined to spruce up their older outfits.
 
Reborn
231 Saint-Paul West
514-499-8549
www.reborn.ws
 
RixRax
801 Gilford
514-522-8971
www.rixrax.ca
 
CULTURE


The Magic of the Lanterns
For its 19th annual Chinese lanterns festival, Montreal’s Botanical Gardens chose the theme “The First Emperor’s Procession.” Visitors can marvel at over 900 lanterns—200 thematic and 700 traditional—that pay tribute to China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. Among the display’s best pieces are a giant reproduced section of the Great Wall and the larger-than-life renditions of the Emperor’s impressive cavalry. This spectacle is best seen at night; the gardens are open until 9 p.m.
 
Apple Picking
Visiting one of the many orchards just outside of Montreal is something every McGill student should add to their list of things to do. Although it is a bit of a trek and a bicep workout on the metro-ride home, country air and crunchy apples offer a welcome break to the downtown traffic and crowds. What’s more, apple picking is an adorable fall date: gather apples together and then head back to home to bake an apple pie.
 
The Magic of the Lanterns
Until October 31st at Montreal’s Botanical Gardens
4101 Sherbrooke East
514-872-1400
www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/jardin/en/propos/lanternes.htm
 
BOOKS


Argo Bookshop
Argo’s prides itself on being “among the oldest new bookstores in the city.” Covering only 200 square feet, the shop is small but pleasantly packed with books, especially for those with an interest in the Beat Generation. There is also a monthly book signing called ‘Authors at Argo’ to check out.


Odyssey Bookstore and S.W. Welch
For literature-lovers with a little time, Odyssey has some astonishingly rare first editions hidden on its wooden shelves. The store also offers classical and jazz vinyl records and is conveniently located only a couple of streets from campus.

Similarly, S. W. Welch has an impressive selection of antiquarian volumes in addition to its large stock of used books. Here, there is also a gigantic, round table at the center of the shop, which conveniently displays books in an eye-catching fashion.

Argo Bookshop
1915 St- Catherine West
514-931-3442
www.argobookshop.ca
 
Odyssey Bookstore
1439 Stanley
514-844-4843
www.odysseybooks.qc.ca
 
S.W. Welch
225 St-Viateur West
514-848-9358
www.welchbooks.com

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Olivia Lifman is in her final year at McGill University, where she is completing an Honours BA in English Literature with a minor concentration in International Relations. Passionate about writing, reading, and the Arts, she is the Editor-in-Chief of both Her Campus McGill and McGill's English Department's Undergraduate Academic Journal, The Channel, as well as a literacy tutor. She has coached tennis for five years and is an avid haf-marathon runner. Olivia is very much looking forward to extending McGill's campus beyond its university borders and into the city of Montreal at large as she works more closely with Her Campus this year.
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Sofia Mazzamauro, born and raised in Montreal, is majoring in English Cultural Studies and minoring in Communication and Italian Studies. Along with being the editor-in-chief of Her Campus McGill, she is a writer for Leacock’s online magazine’s food section at McGill University and the editor of the Women’s Studies Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Journal. After graduation, she aspires to pursue a career in lifestyle magazine writing in Montreal.