Summer is handing off to fall, but Montreal isn’t going quietly. The Labour Day stretch brings a breakdancing festival with a dedicated kids’ competition, alleyway performance art spreading through city blocks, one of Quebec’s oldest agricultural fairs about 90 minutes south, and a full-on taco fiesta in the Old Port. Pick one, pick all four; school starts next week.

💃 JOAT International Street Dance Festival (Sept 1 to 7)

The largest street dance festival in the Americas rolls into the Quartier des Spectacles for a full week of breaking, hip-hop, popping and krump. The free outdoor stage at Place des Arts runs daily from 1 p.m. onward, with battles that kids absolutely love watching. The ticketed competition nights at Club Soda and MEM go later and hit harder, with more than 250 artists from across the world. The standout for families: JOAT Kidz Battle on Saturday, September 6 at Place des Arts. Kids compete in their own divisions in a competition that is genuinely electric to watch. Tickets are $30 per child. Introductory workshops are also available through the week for kids who want to learn the moves.

📍 Where: Quartier des Spectacles, free outdoor stage at Place des Arts, 175 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest (Metro Place-des-Arts); Club Soda and MEM for ticketed events
🗓️ When: September 1 to 7. Free outdoor programming daily from 1 p.m. Kidz Battle September 6, $30. Full schedule and tickets at joatfestival.com.

🏘️ Le FAR Festival des arts de ruelle (Aug 29 to Sept 13)

FAR turns Montreal’s back alleys into performance spaces. Now in its ninth edition, this multidisciplinary festival sends circus artists, dancers, musicians and installation artists into the lanes between buildings across the Plateau, Rosemont and Montreal Est. The effect is odd and wonderful: you walk through a ruelle expecting nothing and find a trapeze rig, a percussion ensemble or a puppet show squeezed between two fences. Most events are free, many run in the afternoon, and the whole thing is built for stumbling upon rather than planning. Check festivalfar.com for a map of venues and performance times, then let yourself wander.

📍 Where: Various ruelles (back alleys) in Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont and Montreal Est
🗓️ When: August 29 to September 13. Mostly free. Schedule and venue map at festivalfar.com.

🌾 Brome County Fair (Labour Day Weekend, Eastern Townships)

This one has been running since 1856. The Brome County Fair is one of the oldest agricultural fairs in Quebec, held every Labour Day weekend in Brome, a small municipality near Knowlton about 90 minutes southeast of Montreal via Autoroute 10. Livestock competitions, tractor pulls, midway rides, local food stalls, draft horse shows and a proper small-town fair atmosphere. It is the kind of outing that is hard to replicate anywhere else in the Greater Montreal area, and it tends to stick with kids for years. Worth the drive.

📍 Where: Brome, Québec, about 90 minutes southeast of downtown Montreal via A-10 toward Magog, then toward Knowlton
🗓️ When: Labour Day weekend, September 5 to 7, 2026. Admission at the gate. Check bromecountyfair.com for hours and event schedule.

🌮 Taco Fest MTL (Sept 5 to 7, Old Port)

Three days of tacos, tequila, mariachi bands and salsa dancing on the Old Port waterfront. More than 125 taco creations from Montreal restaurants compete for the People’s Choice award, with DJs and live entertainment running from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and until 9 p.m. on Monday. The setting at Clock Tower Pier gives kids something to look at even between bites. The event is outdoors, casual and genuinely good for families who want a festive Labour Day outing without committing to a full road trip. Entry tickets do not include food; grab them at thetacofest.com.

📍 Where: Clock Tower Pier (Quai de l’Horloge), Old Port of Montreal (Metro Champ-de-Mars, 15-minute walk to the waterfront)
🗓️ When: September 5 to 7. Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets at thetacofest.com.

One bonus: Le Burger Week runs September 1 to 7 across more than 50 Montreal restaurants, each competing with a special one-week-only burger. Great excuse to try a new spot, and it pairs nicely with a pre-JOAT dinner. Full list at leburgerweek.com.