History buffs, artists, music lovers, adventurers, fitness nuts and families, rejoice! Packed with culture and entertainment, downtown Winnipeg is a “choose your own adventure” story waiting to happen. Squeeze every drop of fun that you can out of the next few weeks of warm weather with this round-up of things to do downtown in the summer.
Snack, Shop, and Salsa at The Forks
With a great selection of shops, gourmet dine-in restaurants, fast food joints, a newly-added outdoor bar, and the CN Stage, The Forks is a great place to spend a day. The CN Stage and Field has hosted Pride, Aboriginal Day Live, Canada Day Festival and many more great events! Under the canopy, enjoy live music, salsa Sundays, and other fun things to do. With a gorgeous trail along the river, The Forks is also a beautiful place to get outside to walk, sit, or just lounge in the grass.
Visit the Canadian Museum for Human Rights
Winnipeg is home to some exceptional museums, including the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR). Whether you’re a local or just visiting, the CMHR is worth the price of admission. Equally as stunning architecturally on the inside as it is on the outside, the building alone is worth marveling at! The CMHR has impactful, well-researched exhibits on major events throughout history. If history, architecture, or human rights are your thing, this museum is an absolute must-see in Winnipeg.
Take a Tour
Summertime is tour time in Winnipeg! Really get to know our city in a whole new light through a guided tour. With so many options like the trolley, boat tour, food tours, and historical walking tours, you can experience Winnipeg’s history up close. You can take a tour to learn about Winnipeg’s history, the Exchange District, iconic historical buildings, and even ghostly hauntings!
Get Active
Winnipeg is the ultimate summer city. Manitoba summers bring beautiful weather, and there is no shortage of things to do outside while soaking up the sun and staying active. With scenic architecture, beautiful trails, green parks, and tons of events, downtown is full things to see while you stay active this summer.
Follow the Riverwalk
One of my favorite things about downtown is the riverwalk. Winnipeg is famous for the skating trail in the winter, which is among the longest in Canada, but you don’t need to wait for the ice to freeze to enjoy the sights. The river trail is a beautiful, accessible path that winds alongside our river. It takes about 15 minutes to walk the path as it stretches through Osborne Village and surrounds The Forks. It’s a gorgeous choice for a weekend stroll, and practical enough for your daily commute!
Get Fit in The Park
Change up your fitness routine with a class downtown at Memorial Park, Upper Fort Garry, or Millennium Library Park! You can relax with a yoga class in the grass, or really get your heartrate up with kickboxing. Check out Fitness in the Park this summer.
Watch a Movie on Memorial
Looking for something outdoorsy but with a little less…moving? Sit back and relax with Movies on Memorial this summer at Memorial Park. Be sure to check them out online to view their schedule.
Feed Your Hunger
Winnipeg is known for its excellent restaurants, and there’s something for every taste! Sit down dining not really your thing? Check out downtown Winnipeg’s many food trucks this summer! With a surprising amount of variety and high-quality dishes, it’ll make you rethink street food. Don’t forget to check back at the end of summer for the Manyfest (Food Truck Wars). This year’s competition runs from September 6 to 8, which is arguably the end of the food truck season for Winnipeg.
Soak up the Arts in the Exchange District
Reggae Fest
In July, Winnipeg hosts the Winnipeg Soca Reggae Festival. This is one for your summer to-do list for sure! Catch the festival downtown at Winnipeg favourite, The Cube Stage. Reggae Fest is just one of many unique festivals that happens in the Exchange District every summer.
The Fringe Festival
The Fringe Festival takes over the Exchange District every summer. With shows happening at The Cube Stage and other locations downtown, every day of The Fringe is a new experience! Packed full of live entertainment from over 170 different theatre companies, local and visiting talent, live bands and beer gardens, the Fringe Festival is a week of comedy, drama, music, art, and passion.
Enjoy the Nightlife
Downtown Winnipeg has a huge variety of options when it comes to clubs, bars, gaming, and live music. Between the throbbing nightclubs and laid-back bars, you’re bound to have a great time anywhere you go. In a city so full of live music and things to do, it can be hard to choose where to go—but The Good Will Social Club and Forth Café are two of my favourites.
The Good Will Social Club
The Good Will is located at 625 Portage Avenue, near the University of Winnipeg. At first glance, it looks like an okay option to stop for a beer, and you’d be right—but it’s so much more than that! The Good Will often features DJs, bands, and karaoke. Once upon a time, I took part in a spelling “beer” there! Check out their online calendar to see what they’ve got going on.
Forth Café
During the day this charming café at 171 McDermot Avenue is a great place for coffee and cocktails. However, this café has a not-so-secret secret: an intimate bar downstairs and a roof-top patio with views of the Exchange. The café closes at 10:00 pm during the week, but the bar and roof-top patio are open late.
Now that you know what your options are, all you have to do is figure out when to do it all! Enjoy your summer, and all the festivities, good weather and street food that Winnipeg has to offer.
What’s at the top of your to-do list before summer ends?
