While difficult stories dominated news feeds, caring and community were everywhere this year

Good news, everyone — 2025 wasn’t all bad!

Yes, plenty of horrific events transpired at home and abroad over the past 12 months — environmental disasters, humanitarian crises, economic uncertainty, political unrest, war.

But there were also many, many moments of human compassion.

If the goal of journalism is to shine a light on darkness, news organizations also need to cast a spotlight on lightness. Otherwise, we’re only telling one side of an exceedingly bleak story.

Music ’N’ Mavens plans biggest season yet with addition of evening shows

It’s a full season of songs and speakers for Music ’N’ Mavens.

The annual series of concerts and lectures features 19 programs from Jan. 6 to March 26, including the debut of After Dark, a four-concert evening series.

Karla Berbrayer, Music ’N’ Mavens’ founding producer, says the evening concert series responds to popular demand, which has steadily climbed after a few rocky post-pandemic seasons.

“It’s just been quite remarkable. I mean, the biggest complaint we get is, ‘I can’t get tickets,’” she says.

Family from the Democratic Republic of Congo navigates chilly firsts alongside IRCOM supports

All Clever Ganza wants to do this winter is build a snowman.

He’s not yet had the chance, as it hasn’t been the right kind of snow — although to the eight-year-old, all snow is snow.

It’s his second winter in Winnipeg after arriving in Canada with his parents and younger brother Travor, 5, in December 2024.

Clever has acclimatized pretty quickly.

Made you look: From tiny beads to sweeping statements, 2025’s art exhibitions had an impact

Winnipeg’s art galleries, large and small, played host to a ton of exciting, groundbreaking and thought-provoking exhibitions in 2025.

Top TV titles in 2025 kept us glued to our screens

Whether you like mind-bending sci-fi, high-stakes medical drama, thoughtful animation or deeply horny hockey romance, television in 2025 had something for all tastes. The Free Press arts team weighs in with their favourites from a variety of streaming services.

Wesmen’s Stewart looks to conclude final hoops year on top after father’s death

Donald Stewart’s first reminder came one month after the fact.

The 24-year-old had found ways to distract himself up to that point, but fell into a familiar state of grief as he faced a first in his life: getting a repair estimate for his car.

It sounds silly, Stewart confessed, but the process of dealing with this speed bump was foreign to him.

It’s something his dad would’ve helped him with.

Shining stage moments: Theatre reviewers' highlights from 2025

Free Press theatre reviewers Holly Harris and Ben Waldman share their top theatre moments of 2025.

Table tennis dramedy Marty Supreme serves gold

Kinetic, frenetic, incredibly anxiety-provoking, this cynical sideways take on the underdog sports story delivers the kind of out-and-out chaos that actually requires a lot of cinematic precision.

Filmmaker Josh Safdie’s sardonic comic-drama, Marty Supreme, is both completely assured and slightly insane, and it’s held together by a tricky, nervy, live-wire performance by Timothée Chalamet.

Safdie has previously partnered with brother Benny on such films as Good Time and Uncut Gems, with the pair specializing in everyone-shouting-at-once havoc. Here Josh is solo director, while sharing a screenwriting credit with frequent collaborator Ronald Bronstein.

Marty Supreme takes us back to the 1950s and New York’s Lower East Side, where Marty Mauser (Chalamet) is working at his uncle’s shoe store just long enough to make the fare to England for an international table tennis tournament.

Three local personalities share their traditions, from embracing kismet to herding everyone to the mall

What’s your holiday tradition?

For some it might be settling on the sofa with a box of chocolates ready to watch Home Alone on the first weekend of the winter break, for others it could be getting started on the holiday baking as soon as December comes round.

There may be families packing their suitcases to escape the frigid temperatures and celebrate with barbecue and potato salad instead of the classic roast turkey and trimmings, and more yet who will be rolling out their Christmas hosting plans with military precision, prepping to receive multiple guests in their homes over the next few weeks.

Whether your traditions are rooted in your own or your partner’s childhood, something you’ve experienced as an adult with your friends or something wholly new to you that continues to evolve every year, the holidays wouldn’t be the same without them.