With a history of having some of largest and oldest running festivals in the world, Winnipeg has an offering that caters to just about everyone. From the folksy global rythms of Folklorama to the smooth output of the Jazz Winnipeg Festival, Winnipeg has a variety of outstanding festivals and must-see events to choose from.
Cool Jazz Winnipeg Festival
The world’s best jazz, blues, funk and urban artists converge on Winnipeg for the COOL Jazz Winnipeg Festival. Featuring outstanding local, national and international performers, the festival happens every June in theatres, clubs and outdoor stages in and around downtown Winnipeg.
Exchange District – Noon Hour Concert Series
The Winnipeg Folk Festival, together with the Exchange District BIZ, is offering free entertainment Thursdays during the lunch hour at Old Market Square. These musical events will begin on the first Thursday in June and continue to the last Thursday in August (except for the Thursday during the Jazz Festival), making a total of 11 concerts.
International New Music Festival
The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra presents the best in cutting-edge music at the annual New Music Festival. Music by living composers from Canada and around the world is performed by the WSO and guest soloists.
Fort Gibraltar and the Maison du Bourgeois
Visit historical Fort Gibraltar from May 20 to August 30 and witness the fascinating history through the eyes of the voyageurs that lived it! Costumed interpreters transport you back in time to the exciting age of the fur trade. Tour a reconstructed nineteenth-century fort and discover the diverse cast of characters that call it home.
NSI Film Exchange Canadian Film Festival
“Canada’s coolest film festival†is the largest established festival featuring 100% Canadian short and feature films. Audiences rub shoulders with filmmakers and stars and catch the best Canadian films of the year. The opening night event is SnowScreen – animated shorts shown on a screen carved from snow at The Forks.
Festival du Voyageur
Join in Western Canada’s largest winter festival! Le Festival du Voyageur is a celebration of the heritage ’joie de vivre’ of the Voyageurs. Choose from various activities for the whole family, meeting fascinating personalities at historic Fort Gibraltor, admire world-class snow sculptures and much more.
Folklorama
Experience the energy of Folklorama, the largest and longest running multicultural event of its kind in the world. From traditional home-cooked meals to electrifying nightly performances by local, national and international entertainers, Folklorama will create a feast for the senses as you experience 40-plus cultural pavilions. Delight in 14 summer nights in one extremely diverse and impressive city.
Harbour View Recreation Complex
Enjoy a day of play with a nine hole par 27 golf course, miniature golf, driving range, lawn bowling, tennis, horseshoes, shuffleboard, sand volleyball and paddleboats. During the winter enjoy ice skating on the lake, tobogganing, cross-country skiing and broomball. Professional golf and cross-country ski instruction and rental equipment is available. Open year-round.
Birds Hill Provincial Park
Featuring hills and ridges formed by ancient glaciers, this 35 square kilometer / 22 square mile Park has a lake, oak and aspen forests, native prairie wildflowers, deer, waterfowl and songbirds. Facilities include camping, swimming, picnic sites, a riding stable, a restaurant, a beach concession and a convenience store. There are 30 km / 18.5 miles of trails for walking and cross-country skiing and 7.2 kms/4.5 miles of paved bicycle and roller blading trails. Every July the park hosts the Winnipeg Folk Festival.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
The Teddy Bears’ Picnic , in support of the Children\’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba ia always a fantastic day in the park. Thousands of adults, kids, and stuffed animals will make their way to Assiniboine Park. With over 50 tents to choose from, this is sure to be a day of fun activities, important health and safety education, and wonderful entertainment on the Main Stage.