What better time to plan out an awesome year of fun new experiences than right now? Here’s our essential Winnipeg bucket list for 2018 to help you plan out your visits through the year, or a fantastic year at home if you’re lucky enough to live in the ‘Peg.
1) Go to grown-up summer camp. Every year Fort WhyteAlive organizes a one-night only summer camp experience for adults, The Great Escape, and it is heaps of fun. Come play, do archery, paddle, enjoy live music and more fun camp-style stuff. Get your tickets early for this event as it sells out well in advance.
2) Catch a classical ballet performance. Winnipeg is home to one of the countries finest ballet companies, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and throughout the year there are truly beautiful performances. Never actually been to a ballet? Start with Sleeping Beauty (Feb 28 – Mar 04) and let yourself be seduced.
3) Try the best slice in Winnipeg. Santa Lucia Pizza is a Manitoba chain that consistently gets voted best pizza in the city. The first Santa Lucia Pizza opened in Thompson, MN, more than 45 years ago, and is a firm favourite with locals. Dine-in or take-out, you’re in for a tasty slice either way, and the Greek dishes on the menu are superb also (the lemon potatoes are perfect).
4) Have a late night spa experience. Head to Thermea Nordik Spa after dark (they’re open until 10pm) and watch the stars from the outdoor hot tubs and soaking pools. Bliss!
5) Join Winnipeg’s biggest street party. Many Fest takes over Broadway (Sept 08 – 09) for two days of live music, food truck wars, beer and wine drinking, markets, races, and kids events. Last year saw 60,000 people join the party.
6) Plan to be at the Ex. For good old fashioned fun, rides, live shows, and super-calorific food, the Red River Exhibition (June 15 – 24) never disappoints! Whether you’re young, or just act like it, there’s always a great time to be had at this annual event.
7) Take a paddleboarding lesson. Head to Fort WhyteAlive to learn how to paddleboard, or else check out one of the paddleboarding outfitters in the city to rent a board and head to one of the city’s glorious beaches.
8) Eat one of the world’s best burgers. The White Top drive In in the city’s North End got a shout out in Air Canada’s En Route for having one of the world’s best hamburgers – their Fat Boy is topped with chilli and addictively delicious.
9) Buy retro cool. The annual Wildwoodrose Vintage Market is held each June and serves up more than 50 vintage and antiques vendors. Come pick up everything from clothing and accessories to homewares and jewelry. There’s live music and food, plus the people watching is awesome.
10) Take a food tour. With more than 50 restaurants, the Exchange District has become a foodies heaven. Want to know the best places to eat? Take a food tour/ pub crawl (May through September) for insider knowledge of this eclectic area.
11) See money being made. At the Royal Canadian Mint you can take a tour and go behind the scenes to see what it takes to put those coins in your pocket.
12) Sample booze. At the city’s first distillery, Capital K‘s, you can sample some of the best vodka and gin you’ll find anywhere.
13) Watch equestrian artistry. The theatrics of the highly trained horses of Cavalia Odysseo will be at BellMTS Place from May 12 – Jun 10. You’ll see 45 beautiful horses accompanied by 60 riders, dancers, and acrobats, in this dazzling show.
14) Explore new music from a legend. This year’s Winnipeg New Music Festival (Jan 27 – Feb 02) has performances by and showcases the work of legendary artist Phillip Glass.
15) Attend a classic Canadian event. The RCMP’s Musical Ride at Assiniboia Downs is a truly awesome spectacle, and happens in June. Make this your year to see it.
16) Catch some outdoor theatre. The Shakespeare in the Ruins theatre company has been performing works by The Bard in unusual outdoor spaces for more than 20 years. Performances run throughout June.
17) Eat meat. The annual Winnipeg Rib Fest (aug 24 – 26) is a carnivorous extravaganza, offering up tasty ribs, beer, and live music. A massive 10,000 people attended last year!
18) Visit the Wiz. The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra is doing live accompaniment to the Wizard of Oz (Apr 21 – 22), and you are encouraged to dress as your favourite character. Fun!
There’s heaps more to do in Winnipeg year round, and if you are visiting the city for a longer stay be sure to contact us about our luxury Winnipeg suites. We’ll take good care of you, and help make this your best Winnipeg trip ever.
Image by Flickr user AJ Batac, used under Creative Commons agreement.