🛶 Pan American Canoe Sprint and Paracanoe Championships

Elite paddlers from across the Americas descend on the Olympic Basin at Parc Jean-Drapeau for one of the continent’s top canoe sprint events. Kids who love speed and splashing will be transfixed by the racing shells flying down the course, and watching athletes who use adaptive equipment in the paracanoe heats adds a powerful extra dimension. The whole event is free to watch from the shoreline.

📍 Olympic Basin, Parc Jean-Drapeau
🗓️ July 13 to 15

🌍 Nuits d’Afrique Children’s Village

The festival inside the festival: while the main Nuits d’Afrique stages heat up after dark, the Children’s Village runs all afternoon with storytelling, dance workshops, percussion lessons and craft activities rooted in African and Caribbean traditions. It is genuinely wonderful for kids aged 3 to 12, with facilitators who know how to make young ones feel welcome rather than just tolerated.

📍 Parterre du Quartier des Spectacles
🗓️ July 14 to 19, weekdays from 3 pm and weekends from 1:30 pm. Free.

🎵 Petit Piknic

The baby sibling of Piknic Électronik, designed specifically for families with small children. Think chilled electronic music at a sensible volume, plenty of space to run around on the grass, activities for little ones, and that gorgeous view of Alexander Calder’s sculpture at Parc Jean-Drapeau. It is relaxed, joyful and very easy to spend three hours at without realising it.

📍 Jardin Le Petit Prince, Parc Jean-Drapeau
🗓️ July 12 and 19, noon to 3 pm. Free.

🍜 Chợ Đêm MTL

Montreal’s Vietnamese night market returns to Bassin Peel for four days of street food, lanterns and that unmistakable summer night market energy. Bánh mì, boba, grilled skewers, Vietnamese crepes and more, all from vendors who know what they are doing. Kids tend to be absolutely delighted by the lantern-lit atmosphere, and there is usually enough variety that even picky eaters find something they love. Entry is $5.

📍 Bassin Peel, corner of Peel and Wellington
🗓️ July 16 to 19. Thursday and Friday 5 to 10 pm, Saturday noon to 10 pm, Sunday noon to 8 pm.

🎬 Cinéma Flottant

Outdoor cinema on the water at Parc Jean-Drapeau, screening at dusk on a floating setup that makes an ordinary movie night feel properly magical. The July 21 session is a great way to wrap up a week of island adventures. Check the full programme on their site as films rotate and some screenings are family-rated.

📍 Aquatic Complex, 130 Chemin du Tour de l’Île, Parc Jean-Drapeau
🗓️ July 21 at dusk