Autumn in Montreal: Colours, Traditions and Student Life

Montreal is one of the best cities to experience autumn, with its colours and unique atmosphere. The temperature gets colder, the days get shorter, and something changes in the city. What people love about this season is the vivid colours Montreal displays. The whole city turns into a mix of bright, warm colours like orange, yellow and red, and some trees look like real fireballs.

The leaves fall, and people gather in sunny spots to enjoy the last moments of warmth and escape the shade. Everyone is out, active, breathing the fresh autumn air. Children jump into piles of leaves, and older gentlemen finish their last games of pétanque before winter arrives.

For international students who have just arrived in Montreal, especially those coming from warmer countries, seeing the city change like this can be quite a surprise. Autumn colours usually begin appearing in late September and become especially beautiful in October. It’s a good time to get outside, explore the neighbourhoods and discover a different side of Montreal before the long Canadian winter sets in.

Halloween, Apple Picking and Autumn Traditions

Autumn is also home to Halloween, a big event in Canadian culture. Kids dress up and go trick-or-treating, houses are decorated with pumpkins and spooky decorations, and students head to costume parties and music events across the city. For someone experiencing Halloween for the first time, seeing entire neighbourhoods get involved can be pretty entertaining.

Giant figure with glowing red eyes outside a brick house decorated for Halloween

The coffee shops get fuller, and pumpkin season just flows into the Montreal lifestyle because it’s everywhere. You’ll find pumpkin decorations, pumpkin-flavoured drinks and seasonal treats in cafés and shops all around the city.

It’s also the season when apples are ripe. People go apple picking and make delicious apple desserts like crumbles, pies or even homemade applesauce.

Apple picking is a particularly popular tradition in Quebec. There are plenty of orchards outside Montreal where you can spend an afternoon picking apples, enjoying the countryside and, of course, eating a few along the way. For students, it’s a fun weekend activity to organize with friends or classmates, especially if you’ve never visited an apple orchard before.

Enjoying Montreal Before Winter Arrives

Hiking Mount Royal is probably one of the best activities to do in Montreal in autumn. You climb this colourful hill, rich in history, and at the top you get a beautiful view of the city. When the trees are covered in red, orange and yellow leaves, the view is even more impressive.

And the best part? You don’t need to spend anything to enjoy it.

Even when it gets cold, people still find sunny spots in the many parks around the city to play soccer, talk with friends or read a book on the grass. The running groups keep going outside, enjoying the fresh air until the very end of the season.

Red and orange trees beside a garden path under a pink sky
Autumn trees and a small waterfall beside a pond

Walking through neighbourhoods like the Plateau-Mont-Royal or Mile End is another great way to experience autumn. The colourful trees, old buildings, small cafés and busy streets give these areas a particular charm at this time of year. Sometimes, simply wandering around without a specific destination is enough to discover something interesting.

Of course, autumn in Montreal also means unpredictable weather. A beautiful sunny afternoon can quickly turn into a chilly evening, and the temperature can change quite a bit from one day to another. If you’re new to Montreal, it’s worth getting into the habit of dressing in layers and keeping a warm jacket nearby. You’ll appreciate it when the sun disappears behind the buildings!

Fortunately, enjoying autumn doesn’t have to cost much. Between the parks, neighbourhood walks, seasonal events and outdoor activities, there are plenty of ways for students to discover the city without spending a fortune.

A City That Brings People Together

That’s what’s great about Montreal’s weather. The cold comes, and the community gets back together. We all find each other in the same places, hiding from the cold. It’s hard to explain, but people just get back together, and it’s a beautiful thing to see.

People finally get to wear their colourful scarves and leather jackets again. Friends meet in coffee shops, students gather after class, and roommates spend more time cooking and sharing meals together.

A bright orange tree and people walking past stone buildings

For international students, these everyday moments are often an important part of settling into a new city. Getting to know your neighbourhood, finding your favourite coffee shop, making friends and discovering local traditions can make Montreal feel a little more like home.

And having a comfortable place to live makes a difference, too. At Lamimo, we work with international students looking for accommodation in Montreal, whether it’s with a host family, in a student residence or in a shared apartment. Finding the right place to stay is one part of the experience; discovering the city and making it your own is another.

Autumn is a good time for both.

As the days continue to get shorter and the trees slowly lose their leaves, Montreal begins preparing for winter. The terraces become quieter, the jackets get heavier, and everyone knows that snow isn’t too far away.

But until then, there are still sunny afternoons to enjoy, colourful streets to walk through, and plenty of reasons to spend a little more time outside.

That’s autumn in Montreal.

By Lamimo Team