THURSDAY DECEMBER 13 TO SUNDAY DECEMBER 30

Les Grands Ballet Canadiens presents The Nutcracker @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts, 175 St-Catherine West. A Montreal Christmas tradition opens this week for roughly 15 days of performance: The Nutcracker ballet. Tickets for both evening and matinee performances can be purchased here. Tickets begin at $57 for adults and $41 for children, and fluctuate based on performance and seat selection. Buy tickets for your boyfriend or your mum a wonderful gift idea!

THURSDAY DECEMBER 13

8pm. Annual Holiday Piss-Up @ Grumpy s, 1242 Bishop. This little gem is the best bar in town, hands down, and even more so at Christmas time when there is holly hanging from the bar and blue-grass musicians lighting up the stage with their banjos and melodies. Come out to celebrate the season with this great gang! Drinks are $3 for three hours (from 9pm to midnight). Snacks will be served, if you get there early enough to grab them. Free.

11pm. Simian Mobile Disco [Live] w/ JDH & Dave P + Mike Mind @ Club Soda, 1225 St-Laurent. I LOVE NEON bestows an early Christmas gift upon Montrealers: UK-based production and remix team Simian Mobile Disco at Club Soda! Yes. Accompanied by Brooklyn s own JDH & Dave P, and Montreal s Mike Mind. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased here.

FRIDAY DECEMBER 14 TO SUNDAY DECEMBER 16

Holiday Puces POP Fair @ glise Saint-Enfant-J sus, 5035 St-Dominique. POP Montreal s much beloved Christmas craft fair takes place this weekend, just in time for the holiday shopping season. The usual array of fabulous local and Canadian art/sewing/jewellery-making/illustrating/potting/baking (and many more -ing s) will be on hand with their latest wares. Dumplings (yes, DUMPLINGS) will be served up by the canteen. I just drooled. The Fair will feature an opening party on the Friday evening with drinks and a DJ. The craft fair s hours are Friday – 6pm to 9pm, Saturday – 11am to 6pm, and Sunday – 11am to 6pm. The full list of vendors can be found here! Free entry.

10pm. CULT MTL Christmas On the Rocks @ Salon Officiel, 351 Roy East. The Cult MTL crew host their first Christmas party (since they technically didn t exist last Christmas) at Salon Officiel, with great music and even better barstaff and drinks! Free.

SUNDAY DECEMBER 16

8pm. A Midnight Poutine Christmas @ Quai des brumes, 4481 St-Denis. One of our favourite (other) Montreal blogs, Midnight Poutine will host a lovely Christmas party at the equally lovely Quai des brumes with several local musicians and exquisite company. Check their Facebook event page for updates and additions to the set list. $5.

8pm. Tegan and Sara @ Metropolis, 59 St-Catherine East. My very favourite female duo, Tegan and Sara, hits up Montreal for a night of lovely new and old music (they have a new album coming out in January!) Both women are lovely performers with amicable stage presence and delightful voices/lyrics. Get on this, gang. Tickets are $41 and can be purchased here.

~Tyler Yank