Friday 29 July 2016

Long Weekend in the Best City – Winnipeg!



The long weekend is finally here! That means three whole days of enjoying time with family and trying out new restaurants with friends. 

If you're spending the long weekend in the city like us, come hang out at The Forks – there's tons to do! 

Here are some of our favorite things:



Grab some friends, and start your weekend with a craft beer or a glass of wine at The Common in the newly renovated Forks Market. Cheer to the weekend and celebrate the three days of fun ahead!

A photo posted by Murilo Bahia (@murilobahia) on

Okay – yes this is a bit extreme. But, if crazy water boots aren't your thing, take a Splash Dash tour and have a nice easy ride on the pontoon while learning about Winnipeg.




This is the last weekend to eat at Dancing Noodle in the NEXT kiosk! Dancing Noodle has been delicious, but it's time to move on to the NEXT great chef. If you get there at the right time, you might even see the chef hand-pulling the noodles. 






There's little better on a Sunday afternoon than a walk around a farmers' market, picking up local goodies. The Forks Farmers' Market runs from 11am - 4pm, so stop by in between brunch and Sunday adventures.






End your three-day weekend with an evening walk around the site. The sun usually starts setting around 8:30. So, grab an ice cream from Neon Cone and climb to the top of Market Tower or grab a piece of grass in Festival Field.

Enjoy your long weekend, Winnipeg! We sure will!

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Tuesday 26 July 2016

Oral History Tour: Storytelling Through the Generations



In one of my university history classes, we were lucky enough to have Nellie McClung's grand-daughter, Marcia McClung, as a guest speaker. She told us her grandmother's story through memories and conversations with other family. The details were passed down to her through her parents and then to her.




My class and I learned things about Nellie we would never had learned about her through all the books and movies. We learned the oral history.



Last Wednesday, I went to my first Oral History Tour at The Forks.



We learned the history of the indigenous people through stories that Clarence, an elder, was told by his elders and family – stories that have been passed down through generations.



As we walked from the foots of the St. Boniface Cathedral to the Oodena Celebration Circle, he told us an incredible story about how a single feather gave a culture back the remains of their chief.



He brought us to the Red River and told us the story of how the river got its name.






Clarence described the significance of the dream-catcher by describing the one his mother made for him and hung over him while he slept.



As we all stood in the centre of the Oodena Celebration Circle, half-an-hour past the end of the tour, people continued to ask questions about the indigenous community's past, present, and future.



I learned a story that I would never have learned from history books and documentaries. I learned the Oral History.

Join Clarence and his wife, Barbra, on the next Oral History Tour and learn more about Winnipeg's history than you would from a Google search tomorrow, Wednesday, July 27 at 10:00 am. If you can't make it during the week, there will also be Oral History Tours on August 6th and 7th at 10:00 am.


Friday 22 July 2016

Shakin' it at Salsa Sundays


Sundays at The Forks are spicier than you'd think! In July, people bring their dancing shoes and their favorite partner to shake it under The Canopy. If dancing isn't your forte, it's a great time to learn or to set up a chair and watch the action.


This Sunday, July 24, will be the last Salsa Sunday of the season, so come watch the performances and dance to the live music from 6:00-10:30 p.m.!



Every week, there is a different group or dance studio that showcases at Salsa Sundays. Last Sunday, Marquis Dance Academy opened up with a ballroom performance that inspired the crowd.

The University of Manitoba was represented by a group of students who spend their study breaks creating routines and practicing their merengue skills.

The ladies from Salsa Explosion Dance Company performed a spicy routine in perfect unison. 

At Salsa Sundays, there's more than just ballroom. The boys from Marquis Dance Academy closed the show with a hip-hop routine that had everyone grooving in their chairs.

End your week on a spicy note at this week's Salsa Sunday! You'll be burning some calories and having a blast with the pros, the amateurs, and everyone in between. 
💃💃

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Thursday 21 July 2016

After Interstellar: Wine Tasting, Great Food & Dance-worthy Music


Last year, Interstellar Rodeo rocked the festival stage at The Forks, bringing an incredible lineup of artists to the inaugural event.  


This year’s festival — running August 12-14 — has upped the ante, featuring a fantastic cross-section of artists that run the gamut from rising stars (Thao and the Get Down Stay Down, Fantastic Negrito) to music icons (Wilco, the supergroup case/lang/veirs) and beyond.  
But there’s more to the festival than just great music. Each artist is paired with a feature wine chosen by Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson, the festival’s wine curator. 


This year’s festivities are going into the wee hours on the Saturday night with the addition of After Interstellar, the official Interstellar Rodeo afterparty being thrown by Winnipeg Wine Cru.   


The newly renovated Forks Market Food Hall will be the place to be on Saturday, August 13 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Whether you’re a festival attendee or are simply looking for a fun night of music, food and wine, After Interstellar has got you covered.  


Things kick off with a complimentary wine and food sampling until 11:30 p.m.and will be followed by a rocking performance by locals Duotang, who are bringing some very special surprise guests for After Interstellar. The party will keep going into the night thanks to tunes spun by local party favourite DJ Co-op. 


Don’t worry — once the wine and food sampling wraps up, you will still be able to grab a glass of your favourite beer or wine from The Common, The Forks’ craft beer and wine kiosk. With 20 beers and 20 wines available, there’s something to please every palate. 


Tickets for After Interstellar are $50, or $40 for Interstellar Rodeo weekend pass holders and Grand Cru members of Winnipeg Wine Cru (winnipegwinecru.ca). For tickets, visit store.sixshooterrecords.com/tickets.


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Wednesday 13 July 2016

Picking Something Fresh in the Public Orchard

What's better than walking around, enjoying the summer sun, and picking berries right from the branch? Picking berries in the heart of Winnipeg's downtown! The fruit in our Public Orchard is starting to ripen, and we can't wait until you can harvest fruit from the trees. Yes – you can pick the fruit for FREE!



In 2013, Winnipeg CORE helped us install 61 fruit trees and as many as 75 fruit bearing shrubs as a part of our Target Zero initiative. Since the trees and shrubs are still fairly young, it will take 2 or 3 years until all the plants are producing the fruits of their labour. 

BUT, some of the plants in the Public Orchard are very close to giving us summer treats! 

Here are some of our favorites:

1. Ben Connan Currant

Taste: Rich blackcurrant flavour
When they're ripe: When they are a deep purple (darker than in this photo)
Use them for: Blackcurrant Shortbread Bars

2. Goji Berry
Our Goji Berry plants are currently full of flowers like these ones that will soon produce fruit!
Taste: Slightly bitter with a sweet berry aftertaste
When they're ripe: When they turn bright red and taste slightly sweet
Use them for: Pineapple Goji Berry Smoothie

3. Northline Saskatoon Berry

Taste: Sweet and juicy
When they're ripe: When they are a deep purple
Use them for: Saskatoon Berry Ice Cream

4. Goodland Apple

Taste: Crisp and tender sweetness
When they're ripe: When nearly half the apple has turned red
Use them for: Classic Apple Turnovers

5. Double Delight Raspberry

Taste: Classic and sweet
When they're ripe: When they turn bright red and taste sweet
Use them for: Raspberry Lemonade Yogurt Popcicles

6. Pixwell Gooseberry

Taste: Boozy grape-like flavor
When they're ripe: When they turn red and feel soft (pick green berries for cooking)
Use them for: Gooseberry and Elderflower Jam



Full list of fruit in the Public Orchard:

Berries & Cherries: Apples & Pears: Plums & Apricots:
  • Tundra Honeyberry
  • Red Lake Currant
  • Pixwell Gooseberry
  • Polaris Blueberry
  • Goji Berry
  • Northern Sky Blueberry
  • Northline Saskatoon Berry
  • Double Delight Raspberry
  • Highbush Cranberry
  • Theissen Saskatoon Berry
  • Ben Connan Currant
  • Nankin Cherry
  • Black Nankin Cherry
  • Carmine Jewel Cherry
  • Cupid Cherry
  • Evans Cherry
  • Crimson Passion Cherry
  • Russian Orange Sea Buckthorn
  • Milstream Apple
  • Goodland Apple
  • Zestar Apple
  • McIntosh Apple
  • Goodmac Apple
  • Red Sparkle Apple
  • Prairie Magic Apple
  • Fall Red Apple
  • Carroll Apple
  • Apple Multi-graft
  • Dexter Jackson Apple
  • Prairie Sun Apple
  • Northland Apple
  • Norkent Apple
  • Early Gold Pear
  • Golden Spice Pear
  • Ure Pear
  • Toka Plum
  • Pembina Plum
  • Westcot Apricot

Follow the progress of the Public Orchard on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and now Snapchat! 

Happy picking!