Winnipeg
Photo Credit: Assiniboine Park.
Hurray!!! Summer is here! Time for fun and frolic! Here is a list of 50+ things you can enjoy this summer in and around Winnipeg. And the best of all, they are FREE!!!
- Head to the Odena Celebration Circle and enjoy the traditional dance and the drum beats at the Tribal Villages PowWows.
- Enjoy free admission (with a donation to the Red River Exhibition Foundation) from 10:30 am to 11:30 am to Red River Ex on Sunday, June 24, 2018. A free pancake & sausage breakfast will be served from 10:30 to 11:30 am (while supplies last).
- Walk The Loop. It is an 8 km long walk with 49 stops connecting the city’s central neighbourhoods.
- Enjoy traditional stroytelling and games, great food, Pow Pow and more at the Indigenous Day Live. Enjoy the day as The Forks bursts with the sounds of some of the most recognized entertainers in Indigenous music and television on Saturday, June 23, 2018.
- Every Tuesday in June, July and August, enjoy a free concert from a local artist on terrace at Cityplace from Noon – 1:00 PM during the Downtown Concert Series.
- When it gets scorching hot outside, you know its time to take a dip in the pool.
- Have you taken the kids to this mystic magical place that are the home of the elves? The rock gardens at the Viking Park, built around the famous Viking statue, in Gimli are home to the mysterious Huldufólk. According to Icelandic folklore these hidden people, live outdoors in rocky caves and nooks. Take a walk through the park and see if you can catch a sight.
- Join in the celebration of Ciclovia. Ciclovia is a Spanish term that means “cycleway” and is a promotion of great cycling routes and a big party at Winnipeg’s favourite meeting place, the Forks! Ride to the Forks on June 24th along suggested routes. At The Forks you can take in activities for all ages, including demonstrations, activities, tabling and a Third+Bird Artisan Market. Families can enjoy free swing dancing, yoga and zumba classes throughout the day all with to the tune of a sweet mix of music by Mama Cutsworth- a dance party for the whole family!
- See some of the world’s best contemporary art works at the Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art.
- Sing Happy Birthday, Canada! There are lots of activities to enjoy this year.
- Enjoy ‘An Afternoon of Russian Music‘ featuring Madeline Hildebrand on July 3, 2018 at the Millenium Centre.
- Winnipeg Fish Festival is here again! This event promises a great time for the whole family including the “how to’s” of fishing, where to fish and how to handle your catch will be some of the seminars offered during the day as well as activities for children of all ages. Saturday July 7, 2018 @ The Forks
- Celebrate the Monarch Butterfly Festival at the Living Prairie Museum on Sunday, July 15, 2018. There will be Presentations by local scientists, storytelling, displays of live monarchs, crafts, guided hikes, a native prairie plant sale with Prairie Flora and more! Participate in free Family Theme Days on Thursdays from July 5th to August 23rd.
- ‘Take a Chance’, attend the 2018 Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival held from July 18 to 29. The Old Market Square brims with entertainment and activity from noon to midnight every day as it comes alive with incredible music, talented street performers, a variety of food options, beverage pavilions and merchant vendors.
- Early August, ‘Gather as Family’ to celebrate Icelandic culture, heritage, and the joy of Islendingadagurinn. Walk around the Viking Village, enjoy icelandic food and everything Viking during August 3 – 6, 2018.
- Its time for Winnipeg Beach’s Broadwalk Days (July 27 – 29, 2018). You and your kids will have a wonderful time enjoying the live band, the parade and of course, the amazing fireworks display. Fireworks on July 28th at dusk. The midway rides are ticketed.
- Hear the story of The Forks during Oral History Walking Tour. This free 90-minute walking tour is held every Wednesdays in July and is led by two Aboriginal Elders.
- Get a trails’ eye view of Winnipeg. Select from over 30 detailed trails created by Winnipeg Trails Association and the Prairie Pathfinders.
- Every Wednesday at noon from June 20th to July 25th, Provencher Boulevard will be buzzing with live music and irresistible aromas from the neighbourhood’s favourite restaurants – Mercredis en musique.
- Petting zoo, Bounce-a-rama, giant parade, face painting are just a few things for kids to enjoy at Altona’s Manitoba Sunflower Festival on July 27 – 29, 2018
- Watch free movies under the stars at Memorial Park every Tuesday in August!
- Join a 19th century sing-along! Get some singing tips and learn some new old tunes to break out at your next party on
- Enjoy magic shows, live animal displays, safari show, petting zoo, games, obstacle course, and other fun activities at the Winkler Harvest Festival on August 10 – 12, 2018. Headliners: Restless Heart, the Ball Brothers and Colton Dixon. This year’s festival also has an exciting new activity! On Sunday afternoon, August 12, take part in a scavenger hunt via your smart phone. Just download the free app called Goose Chase then search for Harvest Festival 2018 Family Goose Chase.
- Embark on a journey through Manitoba’s electrical history.
- Attend a free fitness class. These classes are offered daily on weekends from June – August during the noon hour at Memorial Park, Millennium Library Park and Upper Fort Garry. Fitness in the Park
- Get books from the Winnipeg Public Library and read all summer. There are programs for everyone.
- Enjoy free family fun and be entertained at the Summer Entertainment Series from June 28 – August 26, 2018 at the Assiniboine Park. From movies to live concerts, there is something for every member of the family.
- Fridays in August are movie nights. Movies in the Park screens two free movies every night at the Lyric Theatre. Featured movies this summer include Cars, Wonder Woman, Peter Rabbit, Jumanji, Coco, Black Panther, Ferdinand, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
- Walk amongst Canada’s oldest collection of stone fur trade buildings to experience life of the trappers and traders of the Hudson’s Bay Company at Lower Fort Garry as they lived in the 1850s. Explore the history surrounding the making of Treaty No. 1. In 1871, representatives of the Crown, Anishinaabe, and Muskegon Cree peoples made a commitment to each other with the first of the numbered treaties in western Canada. Join in the Commemoration of Treaty No. 1 on August 3, 2018 (Free admission day).
- Walking or Cycling to FortWhyte to gain free admission as part of their ongoing promotion to encourage healthy and climate-friendly living.
- Discover Manitoba’s Ukrainian heritage.
- Take a Hike . . . on 37 km of Lac du Bonnet Trails.
- Explore magnificently landscaped grounds of the Manitoba Legislative Building. Try to decipher the hidden meaning behind the various displays and statues.
- Enjoy free Brewery Tours most Saturdays at Half Pints Brewing Co. at 1:00 PM.
- Have a fun day with your family in a park in Winnipeg.
- Put on your dancing shoes and join us every Friday and Saturday evening starting June 22nd through August 31st on Corydon Avenue and dance under the stars!
- Come explore Winnipeg by bike! Bike Winnipeg offers a number of guided bike tours (1.5 – 3 hour) between April and October in 2018. These tours will be interpreted by lively and knowledgeable experts and guided through the city by ride marshals. A mix of free and paid rides are offered, however all rides require registration.
- Learn the skills your Grandma knew at the Farmer’s Festival on Wednesday, August 8, 2018.
- Spend a day at the Assiniboine Park. Admire stunning works of art, relax as your child enjoys the playgrounds or take a stroll through the various gardens.
- Spend the first Fridays at the Exchange. It’s full-on creativity where Galleries, artists, shops & restaurants
welcome your visit on the 1st Friday of each month. - Splash at one of the Wading Pools. They are free for Kids 12 and under.
- Free admission to Provincial Parks on Canada Parks Day on July 20 – 22, 2018. Please note that camping fees still apply.
- Enjoy a day at The Forks.
- Explore Manitoba’s largest open-air market – St. Norbert Farmers’ Market.
- Drop-in your Kids at the Summer Programs at the Transciona Museum. Drop-In programmes run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in July and August.
- Have fun throughout the day at the Portage Potato Fest on August 10 – 11, 2018. Don’t miss one of the most popular features of the event – FREE French Fries!
- Enjoy free outdoor lunchtime concerts at City Hall courtyard, 510 Main St on Wednesdays starting June 6 through August 29. Folk Fest at 510.
- Visit the Winnipeg Police Museum.
- Explore the Winnipeg Night Market. Open on the last Friday of June, July and August.
- If hot, buttered, Corn-on-the-Cob and the sweetest apple juice makes your mouth water, then its time to take a 90-minute drive to the Morden Corn and Apple Festival held during August 24 – 26, 2018. There are also tons of free entertainment, activities, buskers, parade to enjoy.
- Canadian Museum for Human Rights is free on the 1st Wednesday of every month from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM. The Level 1 Gallery is closed to visitors on free nights.
- Attend a free Zumba class on Wednesdays at the Kildonan Place.
- There are many activities to celebrate at downtown Winnipeg’s biggest street Festival, ManyFest on September 7 – 9, 2018.
- Have you been to the Public Orchard at The Forks? The orchard contains 61 fruit trees including apple, apricot, cherry, pear and plum, and as many as 75 fruit bearing shrubs.
- Every year the Winnipeg Arts Council offers a diverse slate of Public Art Tours. The summer will be packed with walking and cycling tours all over Winnipeg. Public art tours are for people of all ages and abilities.
- Enjoy a two-hour concert on the Archambault Pavilion Stage at Transcona Centennial Square. Fridays, July 6 – July 27, 2018 | 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
- Every Tuesday throughout July and August, local teachers will guide students through the basic footwork and moves of swing dancing with a partner in a free lesson. After the hour long lesson local DJs will provide music for a social dance that is friendly to all skill levels. Swingin’ at Sunset from July 3 – August 28, 2018.