Between the Halloween decorations going up everywhere and Thanksgiving weekend sitting right in the middle of the schedule, this stretch of October is actually packed with genuinely good family outings in and around Montreal. Several of these have nothing to do with pumpkins, which is a refreshing change.

🎪 Wolf at La Tohu (Through Oct 11)

La Tohu’s current production is a contemporary circus show for ages 12 and up, blending acrobatics, aerial work, and storytelling in a format that tends to win over even teenagers who claim to be too cool for this sort of thing. La Tohu is Montreal’s purpose-built home for circus arts and the venue itself is reason enough to visit. A few shows left before it closes on Sunday, so this one is time-sensitive.

📍 Where: La Tohu, 2345 rue Jarry Est, Saint-Michel (Metro Jarry, Blue line)
🗓️ When: Through October 11. Check latohu.ca for showtimes and tickets.

🎡 Old Port Fall Fair (Through Oct 18)

The Old Port Fall Fair is back for its second edition, running on the waterfront through October 18. It’s a proper autumn carnival with rides, illuminated installations, and daytime and evening programming, and the Thanksgiving long weekend (Oct 10-12) falls right in the middle of the run. Kids who’ve done the summer version of the Old Port get a noticeably different atmosphere here. The Clock Tower Quay setting is worth the walk through Old Montreal even before you get to the rides.

📍 Where: Clock Tower Quay, Old Port of Montreal (Metro Champ-de-Mars, Orange line)
🗓️ When: Through October 18. Hours and ticket info at oldportofmontreal.com.

🌾 Fête des récoltes at Musée de Lachine (Oct 10)

A one-day autumn harvest celebration at the historic Lachine Museum on the Lachine Canal, with farm animals installed in the museum’s outdoor grounds for kids to meet up close. It’s a free-with-admission event and a good excuse to explore the Lachine neighbourhood along the canal on a fall day. The grounds are genuinely lovely when the leaves are turning, and the museum itself is one of the older stone buildings in Greater Montreal.

📍 Where: Musée de Lachine, 1 chemin du Musée, Lachine (25 min by bus or a scenic ride along the Lachine Canal path)
🗓️ When: Saturday, October 10. Check ville.montreal.qc.ca/lachine for times.

🏃 Marathon Beneva 1K Kids’ Race (Oct 10)

The full Marathon Beneva de Montréal takes over Parc Jean-Drapeau this weekend, and Saturday October 10 is when the shorter races happen: the 1K at 11:15 a.m., the 5K at 8:30 a.m., and the 10K at 9:45 a.m. The 1K is designed for young kids and first-timers, and even as a spectator outing the start/finish area at Espace 67 on a crisp fall morning is genuinely exciting, with the Biosphere as a backdrop. A free Marathon Expo also runs October 9-10 at the same venue with kids’ activities and gear displays.

📍 Where: Espace 67, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Île Sainte-Hélène (Metro Jean-Drapeau, Yellow line)
🗓️ When: Saturday, October 10. 1K at 11:15 a.m. Register at marathondemontreal.com.

🎭 Phénomena: Puppets, Cabarets and Happenings (Through Oct 22)

Phénomena is a bilingual festival running through October 22 at La Sala Rossa in Mile End, showcasing performances that are hard to put in a box: theatrical cabarets, puppetry, dance happenings, and installation art from artists who don’t fit the standard categories. The older-kid and teen crowd tends to respond well to this kind of “what exactly is this?” programming. Worth checking the schedule at electriques.ca to find the right night for your family.

📍 Where: La Sala Rossa, 4848 Boulevard Saint-Laurent, Mile End (Bus 55 from downtown or walk from Metro Laurier)
🗓️ When: Through October 22. Schedule and tickets at electriques.ca/phenomena.

🎪 L’Impro Cirque at La Tohu (Oct 17)

After Wolf closes, La Tohu keeps going on Saturday October 17 with L’Impro Cirque, an all-ages circus improv show where the performers take audience requests and invent routines in the moment. It’s exactly as chaotic and delightful as it sounds. A great option for kids who’ve already seen a polished circus show and want the unpredictable, messy version of it.

📍 Where: La Tohu, 2345 rue Jarry Est, Saint-Michel (Metro Jarry, Blue line)
🗓️ When: Saturday, October 17. Tickets at latohu.ca.

🦕 Ciné-récré: Mary Anning at Théâtre Outremont (Oct 18)

For the fossil-obsessed kids (or the dinosaur phase that never quite ended), the Théâtre Outremont screens a Ciné-récré film about Mary Anning, the 19th-century fossil hunter who discovered multiple species of prehistoric marine reptiles before anyone took her seriously. It’s designed for ages 6 and up, runs on a Sunday afternoon, and is a rare chance to make a cinema trip feel genuinely educational without anyone noticing it’s educational.

📍 Where: Théâtre Outremont, 1248 avenue Bernard, Outremont (Metro Outremont, Blue line)
🗓️ When: Sunday, October 18. Check theatreoutremont.ca for times and tickets.