Tourism Winnipeg

Arts and Culture Come fall and winter, as the temperature outside begins to drop, Winnipeg's arts and culture scene really turns up the heat. For starters, music fans will relish every minute they spend in the city, as on any given night there are more live musical acts performing in Winnipeg's clubs than anywhere else in Canada (per capita). As Allan Reid, the president and CEO of the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and the JUNO Awards recently said, "Winnipeg is the city of great beginnings," continuing that "an amazing range of musical talent grew-up in this vibrant prairie city," while going on to cite icons like Fred Penner, Loreena McKennitt and Burton Cummings. Neil Young, The Guess Who, Chantal Kreviazuk and so many more international stars have also cut their chops on the city's stages, so don't be surprised if you get swept up in the moment while watching a future rock star at a venue packed with locals grooving to the music. Some of these great music clubs include the Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club, the West End Cultural Centre, the Good Will Social Club, the Pyramid Cabaret and the Park Theatre. To experience a live music atmosphere, look no further than Festival du Voyageur (FDV) (February 16–25), one of the world's greatest winter festivals where massive tents with straw floors provide the perfect party environment. Western Canada's largest winter festival brings in bands from across North America, while the overall theme celebrates both the region's fur-trading history and its Métis culture. At FDV, you can expect plenty of dancing, costumed interpreters who are living life inside Fort Gibraltar like it was the mid-1800s, and more French food than your appetite can handle — including everyone's favourite, maple taffy on a stick. If you want to give your ears a real refined treat, you can't beat a night with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO), who are celebrating seven decades in 2017/18. The WSO is an institution that is renowned for its ability to cover so many genres — be it classical, pop, film scores, and live interactive events — and this 70th anniversary season encapsulates this beautifully. On the classical side of things you have Schumann and Beethoven (February 9–10), featuring acclaimed pianist Katherine Chi; A Night in Spain (February 23–24), which brings Gaëlle Solal, one of the world's great classical guitarists; legendary Canadian fiddle player Ashley MacIsaac will share the stage with the WSO (October 20–22); while the wildly popular film score series (where the symphony accompanies movies on the big screen) will feature Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (November 25–26). If you want to saturate your senses in an abundance of creativity, mark your calendars for the WSO's New Music Festival (January 27–February 2). During this week, you can catch an incredible range of genre-defying concerts — past participants have included members of Arcade Fire and the Smashing Pumpkins — and events in unique settings that provide a real showcase as to how creative this city can be. And it's not just music that has put us on the entertainment map. Winnipeg is known as "Canada's Cultural Cradle" and is the home of numerous national performance groups www.tourismwinnipeg.com 39 WINNIPEG ITINERARIES Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra: Keith Levit Photography Festival Du Voyageur: Dan Harper

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