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This article was published 01/06/2017 (3338 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Prairie Wind Music Fest

You may not find the answers blowin’ in the wind, but you’re sure to hear some great music when the sixth annual Prairie Wind Music fest blows into Cypress River this year. Held on a former school grounds surrounded by trees, the festival is family friendly and intimate, featuring a lineup of local roots acts, as well as vendors and workshops in everything from yoga and fermenting to belly dancing and hula hoop-making.

This year’s headliners include the Reverend Rambler and the Joey Landreth Band; also on the bill are the Honeysliders, Bullrider, the Tims, Stoneypoint Power Trio and more. See the full lineup at wfp.to/prairielineup.

Early birds can set up at the rustic campsite Friday night to take part in Music Around the Bonfire and family games. The music starts on the mainstage Saturday, June 3, at 12:30 p.m. (gates open at 11 a.m.). Workshops take place Saturday afternoon, and all are welcome to check out the car show in the neighbouring agricultural grounds after browsing the craft and food vendors and beer gardens on site. There’s a slow-roasted pork dinner with side salads Saturday night; Sunday morning features a pancake breakfast.

Tickets are $35 in advance; $40 at the gate (youths 12-17, $20; 11 and under, free). Family passes are $100. Advance tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com, the Cypress Motor Inn and Apple’s Esso in Glenboro. Cypress River is about two hours west of Winnipeg on Highway 2.

— Jill Wilson

 

Pride Winnipeg

Pride Winnipeg raised the flag for its 30th anniversary on May 26, but the week-long celebrations culminate on Saturday, June 3 with the Pride Festival, and the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 4.

The Pride Festival is a two-day event at The Forks that includes family activities, a beverage tent and a mainstage lineup featuring Muligrub, Ghost Twin, William Prince, Lanikai, Roger Roger and the Hidden Cameras.

A rally at the Manitoba legislature takes place Sunday at 10 a.m. prior to the Pride Parade setting off at 11 a.m. The floats and marchers will travel north along Memorial Boulevard to Portage Avenue. From there, the parade heads east to Portage and Main before winding its way to The Forks to join the Pride Festival.

The parade’s grand marshal is Kelly Houle, the 18th international Two Spirit Princess and co-director of Two-Spirited People of Manitoba. The honorary youth marshal is Mason Godwaldt, the 19-year-old author of We Are Valid! a book that tells the stories of transgender youth and their daily struggles.

Two honorary 30th anniversary marshals who marched in Winnipeg’s inaugural Pride Parade in 1987 will also take part in this year’s event: Albert McLeod, a co-director of the Two-Spirited People of Manitoba and a consultant who works with people with HIV/AIDS; and Joel Sarbit, a co-owner of Club 200 who supports many of the city’s LGBT charities and organizations.

For more information about the festivities visit pridewinnipeg.com.

— Alan Small

 

 

Surly Brewing Co.

If Manitoba beer lovers seem a little happier this week, it’s because they’re about to get a little Surly.

Surly Brewing Co., the award-winning Minneapolis-based craft brewery, is consistently mentioned among the world’s best — and now their beer is heading north of the border and landing in taps and on shelves throughout Winnipeg.

Starting on Wednesday, Surly will the featured brewery at growler bars at select Liquor Marts, as well as on tap at the growler-filling stations at the Quality Inn beer store (Pembina Hwy at Grant Avenue) as well as the Econo Lodge beer vendor at 1105 St. Mary’s Rd.

On Thursday, June 8, Barley Brothers (2005 Pembina Hwy.) is hosting the Manitoba launch party for the brewery from 7-10 p.m. in conjunction with the Flatlander’s Beer Festival, which runs Friday and Saturday at the MTS Centre (and which will also feature Surly brews). In addition to being able to meet Omar Ansari, Surly’s founder and president, guests at the Barley Brothers event will get a flight of Surly brews, a 10-ounce beer and a selection of appetizers.

Surly was started in 2004, and quickly became a buzz brewery, earning the award for best brewery in America from the RateBeer website in 2007. Regular brews include the Overrated! West Coast IPA, Xtra-Citra pale ale, Bender oatmeal brown ale and Furious IPA. They also brew an extensive rotating selection of seasonal brews, most of which are as bold in flavour and appearance as the rest of their lineup.

Tickets for the event are $40 at Barley Brothers. As is the case with all Flatlander’s events, proceeds will benefit the True North Youth Foundation.

—Ben MacPhee-Sigurdson

 

Hollerado

The first time I saw Ottawa indie-rock band Hollerado was at the now-defunct Lo Pub downtown. Their instruments had either been lost or stolen, but instead of cancelling the show, they popped on their own CD and played air guitar along with the music while singing live over the recorded vocals. It was strange and fun, but more importantly, their commitment to putting on a show — no matter what — was astounding

Since then, the Juno-nominated group has played Winnipeg many more times — always with instruments — and is set to take the stage June 1 at the Park Theatre. Hollerado are touring in support of their fourth album, Born Yesterday, which dropped earlier this year. It’s the followup to 111 Songs, an album that is literally 111 songs long with each track customized for fans who pre-ordered a special bundle of their previous album.

Mitten Claps, Little Junior and Everett Bird are also on the bill. Tickets are $15 at Music Trader, the Park Theatre and Ticketfly.com. The music starts at 8 p.m.

— Erin Lebar

 

The healing power of music

Suitably out of harm’s way at the Metropolitan Entertainment Centre, the innagural No Time for That Anti-Bullying Society’s benefit concert will get underway Thursday, June 8 at 7 p.m. Organizers hope to raise the public’s awareness of bullying prevention, mental health and youth empowerment.

“Music saved my life,” says performer Elsie Morden, a Nova-Scotia-based country artist who was bullied on a daily basis at school and turned to music, and songwriting, as an outlet and a way to conquer her ongoing battle with depression. “Concerts should be a safe place. Always.”

Along with Morden, local musicians on the bill include Sierra Noble, a Winnipeg fiddle player whose music has evolved into a busy singing and songwriting career; Keith Macpherson, a local yogi and part of the country pop duo Keith and Renée; Kayla Luky, a Grandview singer-songwriter whose latest effort, Back to Dirt, features 12 tracks “soaked in alcohol, dirt and sorrow”; and Quinton Blair, a country singer from Steinbach who won the Manitoba Country Music Association Roots Artist of the Year award two years in a row.

Tickets are $50 (students $25) at canadahelps.org For more information, visit notimeforthattour.com.

— Leesa Dahl