Get ready for a sizzling hot summer in Les Jardins Gamelin

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Les Jardins Gamelin invites you to celebrate summer and to enjoy a host of free activities in the warm and relaxed atmosphere. Daily until September 17, it’s the place to go to discover new artists, learn some new dance steps, take a gardening workshop with the family, or simply spend some quality time with friends on the terrasse.

Here’s a quick look at what you can expect from the 9^th edition’s packed program!

Music first

If the Jardins have one constant, it’s music! Since the beginning, Les Jardins Gamelin have showcased local artists in every musical genre, serving as a springboard for new artists as well as showcasing more established performers. At lunchtime, the Midis à la carte series presents jazz artists on Thursdays, such as Sarah MK on June 8 or Rob Lutes and Rob MacDonald on June 15 and 22, while Fridays are for pop and related genres, for example neo-rapper Miro Chino on June 2 and folk singer Vanille on August 25. Thursday evenings, the Planète Gamelin series presents DJs and musicians from Montreal’s many cultures. Friday evening, the Ce soir on danse ! series gets the weekend off to a great start with dynamic performances guaranteed to get people up and dancing. This year’s iteration of Les Jardins Gamelin includes the return of the Ligue d’improvisation musicale de Montréal (LIMM), which will present three fun and surprising musical improv sessions on three Tuesdays: June 20, July 5 and September 5. Last but not least, amateur singers should save Mondays on their calendars: karaoke night starts at 6 p.m. and everyone is welcome to join in!

Dance the night away

In minutes, Les Jardins Gamelin can be transformed into a giant dance floor. Tuesday evenings, the Donne-moi du funk ! series features DJs who are experts at getting crowds up and dancing to all kinds of music, from disco to hip hop. Wednesdays at lunchtime, DJs specializing in Latin, African and Caribbean sounds raise the temperature a few degrees with the Jardin Tropical ! series. Wednesday evenings, everyone who loves to dance, regardless of their skill level, is invited to learn a range of popular dances including kizomba, swing or bachata with the Bals de l’été series. Finally, Saturday is time for the Soirées Salsafolie series, a celebration of Latin culture that’s a must for salsa lovers, who’ll be able to show off their best moves to some irresistible beats.

Hands-on workshops

More than a recreational destination, there’s also an educational side to Les Jardins Gamelin. New this year, the team from Les Affûtés will run three creative workshops that will teach you how to build a planter for your balcony or even an insect hotel for the garden.

On Tuesday afternoons, as part of the Côté Jardins series, the staff of Sentier Urbain and their guests will present talks about important current issues and the latest trends in urban agriculture. The same series also includes Sunday morning (11 a.m.) workshops for acquiring or honing gardening and eco-responsibility skills.

Outdoor relaxation

At any time, day or night, head to Les Jardins Gamelin to do nothing but relax outdoors amidst lush greenery. It’s even better with the whole family, especially on weekends, because that’s when there are special activities for children. From Friday through Sunday in June and September and Wednesday through Sunday in July and August, young children have access to La Maison jaune, a play space focused on crafting and designed especially for families. Sunday afternoons are dedicated to the T’as de beaux jeux series presented by Randolph. There are freely available board and trivia games for playing alone, in pairs or in groups. At all times, it’s possible to play the self-serve games and use the ping pong tables, but from Wednesday through Sunday, several giant games are also available: Jenga, Scrabble, Connect 4 and more.

Lastly, not only can you plan your Jardins Gamelin visit ahead of time with the online program, you can also go on the spur of the moment knowing you’ll have a good time. There’s even food and drink, thanks to the licensed snack bar run by Les Survenants – an ideal spot to have a drink or a snack while enjoying the neighbourhood’s nicest terrasse freshly revamped by the multidisciplinary design studio EN TEMPS ET LIEU!