Winnipeg loves festivals!

Winnipeggers love festivals, so we have a lot of them.

While most of the really big fests are held in July and August, there is at least one in every other month of the year except December.

The pace really revs up with one every weekend in the summer, in the city and close by.

The Big 6 in Winnipeg are...

The absolutely not-to-be-missed (you have to go at least once in your life) best of the fests are:

Festival du Voyageur joie de vivre from the fur-trading era with some unique sights and experiences and an opportunity to taste bannock and other hearty Metis and Franco-Manitoban fare that’s so welcome when we’ve all had just a bit too much February.

TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival, offering up plenty of jazz plus blues, soul and funk in venues downtown for 10 days, usually the last week in June and first weekend of July.

Limbo dancers at the Caribbean Pavillion, Folklorama in Winnipeg

Winnipeg Fringe, is one big buffet of theatre including comedy, one-acts, small troupes, experimental and musical theatre in July.

Winnipeg Folk Fest, Winnipeg’s best- known fest, draws thousands of visitors every July for music, music-making, camping and ethnic food at Bird’s Hill Provincial Park.

At Folklorama you can sample cuisines (including usually hard-to-find beers, wines and spirits) and cultures from around the world during two weeks of dinners and entertainment (that's the limbo dancers at The Caribbean Pavillion in the photo). Two weeks in August at venues throughout the city. This is the largest multicultural festival in the world!

Manito-Ahbee Festival for All Nations is a celebration of aboriginal cultures with traditional dancing and drumming contests drawing native competitors from throughout North America and welcoming everyone as spectators for the powwow, presentation of People’s Choice Aboriginal Music Awards and a handcrafts and merchandise fair, held every November at MTS Centre.

More good times at Winnipeg fests:

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra New Music Fest takes the Centennial Concert stage in January.

Manitoba Tulip Fest is a welcome messenger that spring has arrived; at Assiniboine Park in May.

Freeze Frame International Film Fest celebrates the work of filmmakers.

Kidfest, Winnipeg International Children’s Fest fun for kids at The Forks in June.

CBC Winnipeg Comedy Fest a stand-up celebration.

Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s Indigenous Fest, showcasing First Nations and indigenous music from around the world.

Red River Exhibition is an old-fashioned country fair and midway, held every June.

Winnipeg Pride is a week of events, leading up to the Pride Rally and Parade June 6, followed by a free concert at The Forks.

Soca-Reggae Caribbean Fest is a new, free music event held downtown at Market Square in July.

Countryfest near Dauphin is four days of sold-out performances on three stages.

Gimli Icelandic Fest features a Viking village, films on the beach and competitions in August.

Thin Air-Winnipeg International Writers Fest Canadian and international authors read from their works in English and French in September.

Manitoba Dragon Boat Fest comes to The Forks in September.

Signatures Craft Show, works on display and for sale by artists, artisans and designers at Winnipeg Convention Centre every November.

Go from Festivals to find more Winnipeg events

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SBI!