If you like art house movies, then make it Labor Day weekend and have a great time at the Montreal Film Festival. I've been to it 3 or 4 times, and each time saw some incredible stuff (as well as the occasional clunker) that never made it to the States.

It's also the Cirque du Soleil's home, and they've got a tent set up near Old Montreal.

Even if nothing is going on, it's a good choice for a weekend -- you definitely get the sense of being in a foreign place, but you don't have to spend 6 or 10 hours on a plane to get there. (Apologies to Mileage Run enthusiasts.)

In the unlikely event that you'd be looking for a decent sit-down dinner, Restaurant La Chronique is a terrific place, in a pleasant residential neighborhood not far from the city center.

If you like football, the Montreal Alouettes are the hottest ticket in town. They won the Grey Cup last year, and it's expected that they'll sell out this year. Still, tickets can be finagled, and Canadian football can be wide open and lots of fun.

Public transportation is excellent, though a bit limited. In terms of places to stay, I'd suggest either the Inter-Continental to be near Old Montreal, or the Loew's or Omni on Sherbrooke to be near the artsy places.