Best of Winnipeg
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| Folklorama1 |
Winnipeg’s most crowded neighbourhood is also its most pleasurable spot to shop crammed full with unique boutiques, galleries and modern retail complexes. A humming locale on the south bank of the Assiniboine River, trendy Osborne Village is connected to downtown via the Osborne Street Bridge and is considered the creative soul of the city. Decidedly bohemian since the 1960s, this historic little district has always been a trend-setter. Strolling the village’s charming, pedestrian-friendly streets lined with old, brick buildings and shiny, new shop fronts, passionate shoppers will delight at the stylish selection of the hottest clothing, art and home accessories on each of its four blocks. And there’s no shortage of places to grab a bite and review purchases; Osborne Village is also known for its gastronomic diversity in dozens of restaurants.
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| Chilling on a Sand Bar at Grand Beach2 |
The first Winnipeg Folk Festival occurred in 1974 as a one-off event in celebration of Winnipeg’s centennial, but people liked it so much it stayed. Held annually at Birds Hill Provincial Park over the second weekend in July, it attracts more than 60,000 music lovers and is touted as one of Canada’s best outdoor music festivals. Approximately 250 musicians, including some of North America’s top talents, take to seven stages over the weekend, engaging in intimate jamming sessions during the day and performing lively concerts under starry night skies. Past performers include the Barenaked Ladies, Elvis Costello, Cowboy Junkies and Sarah McLachlan. Many attendees camp in designated areas on site, grooving to the rhythms of blues, Celtic, bluegrass and world music all weekend long.
Runner Up
Taking the definition of “folk” as the traditions of a grass-roots culture, Winnipeg’s unique annual Folklorama festival also deserves a mention. This two-week, one-of-a-kind event was originally established in 1970 and consists of more than 40 cultural pavilions dotted throughout the city, each offering its own ethnic cuisine and traditional entertainment, and combined attracting over 400,000 pavilion visits a year.
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| Royal Canadian Mint3 |
Travelling 80 km (50 mi) from the city is not far to go considering that the less-than-hour-long trip leads to one of North America’s best beaches. Grand Beach of Grand Beach Provincial Park fringes the south-eastern shore of Lake Winnipeg and actually consists of two beaches. While busy West Beach crawls with the social crowd and touts beach volleyball courts, the quieter East Beach is more popular with families and stakes claim to the giant dunes. Both are ideal for swimming, blessed with warm, gentle waves lapping at a combined 3 km (1.9 mi) of silky-soft, sandy shoreline (perfect for making sand sculptures). Stroll the boardwalk or just sit and stare out over the horizon, which seems limitless across this prairie sea. And the sunsets are divine.
BEST-LOOKING BUILDING
Jutting high over rolling green lawns, the gleaming angles of the Royal Canadian Mint never fail to attract attention. And what a picture meets the eye: the pink-tinted glass exterior of this triangular-shaped edifice reflects brilliant blue skies, transforming it into a beacon both at odds and in harmony with its surroundings. This modern statement of architecture was designed by Canadian Etienne Gaboury and opened in 1976 to produce the country’s entire supply of circulation coins (and that of some foreign countries, too). Guided tours of the facility are available and highly recommended.
Runner up
While the mint is known for its modern lines, the Manitoba Legislative Building is admired around North America for its supreme neoclassical design and is also famous for the Golden Boy, a gold-plated statue standing atop the building’s seventy-two-metre-high (240 ft) dome.
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| Forks Market at the Forks National Historic Site4 |
One has no doubt heard of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The city’s ballet company is world renowned and earned its high acclaim by working tirelessly since it was founded in 1939. Canada’s oldest ballet company and the longest continuously running in North America, it received its royal title under Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet puts on more than 100 enchanting performances every season, and while fans don’t have to travel to Winnipeg to catch a show (the company tours for approximately 20 weeks each year) there is something special about seeing the dancers on their home stage, the Centennial Concert Hall. In 2009, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet opened their 70th season with the world premier of Moulin Rouge – The Ballet.
BEST BET FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
The Forks National Historic Site appeals to the shopper, history buff, foodie and child in everyone. It’s located on what is considered the site of Winnipeg’s birthplace. Here, commerce began when First Nations people and early settlers gathered at this spot to trade, ultimately forming the foundations of a city. Due to its location at the junction of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, and then the laying of the railway, the site was also considered a significant transportation hub. Today, this downtown attraction encompasses titillating shops and restaurants, an extensive market, the Manitoba Children’s Museum and a 9-acre (3.6 ha) historical interpretive park, and it plays host to a slew of events and festivals throughout the year. It’s hard to beat that for all-round appeal.
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| Leo Mol Sculpture Garden at Assiniboine Park5 |
Adjoining the Forks, hundreds of acres of parkland and forest along the banks of the Assiniboine River comprise Assiniboine Park, complete with walking and cycling trails, formal gardens, a duck pond, miniature train, a large bandshell, historic park pavilion and the Assiniboine Park Zoo.
BEST LARGE-SCALE ART
Colourful artworks are splashed all over this city’s vibrant streets. As a whole, the murals of Winnipeg are an incredible artistic vision that all at once celebrates Winnipeg, promotes art, beautifies the city, inspires the community and helps to deter graffiti. Walls throughout the city’s various districts provide the canvas for more than 400 giant masterpieces by numerous artists and community groups that depict a variety of themes relevant to Winnipegers and the wider world. The murals are sponsored and commissioned by numerous organizations, businesses and individuals, and while they can be found all over the place, they are in particularly high concentration in the city centre (especially Graham and Portage avenues and Main Street) as well as in the districts of West End, Fort Rouge and St. Boniface.
If you enjoyed this WorldWeb.com feature, take a look at these great articles:
• Winnipeg: More than Winter and Mosquitoes
• Manitoba Cottage Vacations
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- c/o Travel Manitoba; Folklorama Performance; Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- c/o Travel Manitoba; Grand Beach at Grand Beach Provincial Park; Grand Beach, MB, Canada
- Royal Canadian Mint; Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- c/o Travel Manitoba; Forks Market at the Forks National Historic Site; Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- c/o Travel Manitoba; Leo Mol Sculpture Garden at Assiniboine Park; Winnipeg, MB, Canada
