Tired of the Same-Old Winter Activities? Winnipeg Has Revamped the Season

If you’ve ever dreamed of starring in your own Hallmark Christmas movie, we can’t help you there, but the city of Winnipeg will get you semi-close. Manitoba’s wintry capital city has served as the backdrop for the filming of countless heart-warming holiday movies, usually on the cinematic streets of the picturesque Exchange District. The downtown neighborhood’s 1920s-era architecture and plethora of snowflakes that seem to perpetually fall, take after take, will have you feeling all sorts of romantic clichés.

Despite being more of a transit hub for travelers heading up to the famous town of Churchill (a.k.a. the ‘Polar Bear Capital Of The World’) at the tippy top of the province, Winnipeg is worthy of its own trip. With seriously negative temperatures, crisp winds whipping through streets, loads of snow, and zero school cancellations even in blizzard conditions, it’s no surprise the Canadian city has gained nicknames like “Winterpeg” and “The Chicago of the North.”

The lengthy annual freeze doesn’t stop Manitobans from having a good time though—in fact, they make the most of the cold with creative and inventive activities. From the unique culinary scene to the world’s largest snow maze, there’s no shortage of frigid fun to be had in the capital of the Canadian region that loves being weird in a wonderful way.

Pack your parka and dive into Winnipeg’s winter wonderland with these top things to do, see, and eat in the capital of Manitoba. And remember, you aren’t a true Winnipegger unless you drink a slurpee outside in the middle of January… but these wintry activities are a good start.

Your winter body isn’t going to build itself. Luckily, Winnipeg’s unique food scene is here to help. With so many Winnipeg-specific foods to try, you could easily spend a whole day eating your way through neighborhood after neighborhood. Get to Clementine Cafe in the Exchange District right at opening (9 am) in order to snag a table at the city’s most popular brunch spot. Tuck into maybe the best and thickest maple braised bacon you’ll ever have, or go international with the Turkish Eggs.

Head to The Forks, an indoor marketplace and historically social-meeting spot where the Red and Assiniboine rivers join. Grab a cinnamon bun from Tall Grass Prairie, play one of the onsite board games, shop for a souvenir, and you better save room for Zorba’s chicken fingers and honey dill sauce for dipping—it’s one of Winnipeg’s culinary claims to fame. Is it the best dipping sauce in the world? You can be the judge.

Beef it up with the classic Fatboy burger and quintessential Manitoba thing; a fast-food style burger and sloppy joe hybrid all in one messy (and mayo-y), but delicious set of buns. There are many establishments who declare they serve up the best chili-topped Fatboy burger, but if you try the old-fashioned food stands like Junior’s, Super Boy’s Restaurant, or Mrs. Mike’s, you really can’t go wrong.

Top it all off and treat your taste buds to a Shmoo Torte at the cute-as-can-be Baked Expectations, the dessert portion of eating like a Winnipegger. Whipped cream, pecans, and caramel sauce adorn a fluffy angel food cake foundation; the first bite will leave you shwooning.

All that eating means it’s time to move a bit, and what better way to immerse yourself into Winnipeg’s frozen shenanigans than along the free-to-access Nestaweya River Trail, hailed as one of Canada’s longest skating paths. Stretching 4–6 miles (depending on conditions) along the Red and Assiniboine Rivers, it’s a communal destination for fat-tire biking, ice skating, cross-country skiing, ice-cycling, and kicksledding.

The trail typically opens up at the beginning of January and is groomed daily. Bring your own gear or rent from The Forks location or by the Granite Curling Club area of the trail.

Anyone can cross-country ski or go fat tire biking pretty much anywhere—might as well get down with weird Winnipeg and try the ice-cycle or the Nordic-infused kicksled, which demands a bit more cardio action. Propel yourself down the river trail with a kick of your leg on a skis-meets-sled piece of apparatus that will have you huffing, puffing, and laughing as you get your winter workout in, Winnipeg-style.

Stop at the cute and artsy warming huts along the way to defrost a bit, all of which are created by winners of the annual Art + Architecture competition.

No winter visit to Winnipeg is complete without a visit to the world’s largest snow maze—crowned by the one and only Guinness Book of World Records. Located just south of the city center in Saint Adolphe, it’s a destination where you can marvel at snowy architectural wonders, romp around to your heart’s content, and warm up with hot chocolate or whiskey by the bonfire afterwards.

Channel your inner child as you zip down slippery snow slides, navigate your way through the massive frozen maze, tackle the speedy Giant Luge run, and top it all off with a celebratory adult beverage at The Snow Bar. This festive outdoor attraction typically runs from mid-end of January to mid-March, depending upon weather conditions and temperatures.

Don’t just embrace winter, celebrate it wholeheartedly like Manitobans do at the Festival du Voyageur every February. The 10-day festival is held in Winnipeg’s French district and pays homage to both the French-Canadian and Métis cultures of Manitoba through art, live music, massive snow sculptures, food, horse sleigh rides, and historical interpretation events surrounding fur-trading at Fort Gibraltar.

Enter the beard-growing competition or watch some cheese carving—there’s a quirky little something for everyone here. This year’s festival takes place from February 17–26, and we hope you like maple syrup, because they put it on just about everything.

Yes, you read that correctly. Winnipeg is host to a free-standing ice-climbing tower every winter, the original of its kind, which was first constructed in 1996. Officially called the Club d’escalade Saint-Boniface Ice Climbing Tower, the nearly 66-foot-tall icy spire shoots out of the banks of the Red River to the delight of adventurers who clearly don’t have a fear of heights. Every year, the tower structure is sprayed with water, creating the icy waterfall-like mast, with each of its three sides offering climbers a varying level of difficulty.

Throw on a harness and other essential climbing gear to give it a go; if you make it to the top, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping views of Winnipeg from a bird’s eye perspective. Who needs mountains to ascend when you can just build a tower of ice? Proof that Winnipeggers have gotten clever living in their mostly flat Manitoba province. The ice tower is typically open on winter weekends from the end of December until the end of March (weather conditions dependent), and you can either use your own helmets, crampons, etc., or borrow the club’s limited supply, free of charge.

A fine-dining festival? That’s been done. Fine-dining festival on a frozen river? Winnipeg, of course. That’s what you get with RAW:almond, an extraordinary Manitoba winter experience that lasts for 24 days, but sells out in approximately 24 minutes (give or take). The brainchild of Deer + Almond chef Mandel Hitzer and architect Joe Kalturnyk, the director of RAW: Gallery of Architecture and Design, this pop-up restaurant is anything but ordinary. What they’ve created is a “temporary tasting room” on the frozen river in Winnipeg, a crazy cool dining experience. Because this unique culinary event is returning after a three-year COVID break, it’s likely to be more popular than ever. Get in the ticket line now.

Take a break from the teeth-chattering cold and enjoy a lively (indoor) drag brunch in the up-and-coming West Broadway neighborhood. The Tallest Poppy dishes up fried chicken that will have you licking your fingers clean, amongst other amazing items like the winter salad and homemade soup of the day. The popular monthly drag brunch is a collaboration between The Tallest Poppy and Synonym Art Consultation, and happens to be the hottest Sunday party in town. Local, talented Drag Queens provide the entertainment through art, performances, and lip synching, while you indulge in food and drink to the bopping tunes of the DJ.

If you prefer to stay right near the airport, you can’t get much closer and comfortable than the Lakeview Signature, walkable from the airport doors. For boutique hotel lovers, The Mere Hotel in The Exchange District will have you centrally located to spots like The Forks, The River Trail, and perhaps even the set of a Christmas movie. Looking to get luxurious? Splurge on a stay at the Fairmont Winnipeg, part of the ever-elegant and iconic Canadian chain, where you can view some of the city’s hottest spots from your room’s window while relaxing in a fluffy robe.

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