Two indoor outings. November in Montreal is often grey and cold, and it's also the month of two fairs families tend to enjoy. One is all about animals, the other about board games. Both run over a weekend, a few weeks apart.
The pet expo, November 7 and 8. The Salon national des animaux de compagnie (SNAC) sets up at Olympic Park, near Pie-IX metro station. It's open Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On the program: a championship cat show with more than 90 cats, dock-diving dogs, rare animals such as hedgehogs, and hundreds of rabbits, rodents, fish and birds.
Tickets. According to the organizer, admission is $17.50 for adults, $15.50 for seniors and students, $13.50 for children aged 5 to 11, and free for children under 5. A $2.75 service fee is added to each ticket. You can buy online to skip the line. Note that you can't bring your own pet: no animals from outside are allowed on site.
The board-game fair, November 28 and 29. The Montreal Board Game Fair (Salon du jeu de société de Montréal) holds its 9th edition at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal. The exhibitors' hall is open Saturday, November 28, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, November 29, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can try new games before they're out and meet publishers and designers. On Saturday evening, from 7 to 11 p.m., a prototype zone and a game library stay open, after the Prix des Lys awards at 6 p.m. The full program hasn't been published yet, and tickets are sold on the fair's website.
Good to know for newcomers. Board games are a low-pressure way to practise French: you talk through the rules, laugh, and play again. If you have kids, both fairs make an easy outing for a November Saturday. For more ideas, see our fall outings in Montreal.
