What’s up

Better Together

• Sookram’s Brewing Co. (479-B Warsaw Ave.) and Low Life Barrel House (398 Daly St. N.)
• Saturday, noon to 6 p.m.
• Free

A pair of neighbouring Winnipeg craft breweries are teaming up for a party Saturday with plenty on tap — including a collaborative beer release.

Low Life Barrel House and Sookram’s Brewing Co. are again joining forces for Better Together, a celebration of both breweries, on Saturday starting at noon. On tap for the festivities: drink specials, a scavenger hunt run, live music, brewery bingo, DJs and food by Big Dawg and Low Life’s own Snack Häus.

And then there’s the beer. The breweries have teamed up on a collaborative brew called Better Together, a pale ale made collaboratively using house yeasts from both breweries. It will be available at both breweries, who are also hosting each others’ beers on their respective taps alongside their own (and even doing some custom blends).

Thirsty Winnipeggers need not worry about driving from place to place — a trolley will be running between the facilities throughout the event, which is free and open to all ages (there will be games for the younger guests and plenty of non-alcoholic options).

The breweries are taking donations of non-perishable tins of food, which will be donated to Manitoba Harvest — anyone bringing in tins gets half off non happy-hour pints of beer.

— Ben Sigurdson

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Stellar

• Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club
• Thursday, 8 p.m.
• Admission $20

Surf-rock melodies situate indie-rock quartet Stellar at the centre of a whirlpool of misdirection on the band’s latest single The Third Beer, a refreshing track that cracks open the bottle to pour out reflections on being reduced and reused by a cycle of selfish soul drinkers.

Inspired by Toni Morrison’s prose in Song of Solomon, Stellar’s latest is about “feeling like people could take or lose you without much thought,” but also “the quiet power of recognizing your worth and stepping away.”

With a beachy sound that resembles Victoria’s Bridal Party, Saskatoon’s the Garrys and Winnipeg’s Taylor Jackson, the band recorded the single with Manitoban creative studio Little Cherub Productions, launched earlier this year by musicians Larysa Musick and Mae Laurel.

Along with Winnipeg pop vocalist Maria Aragon, Musick’s newly formed band — featuring Laurel, Sierra Noble and Erika Einarson — will open the night at Blue Note Park as the stars come out to shine.

— Ben Waldman

 

Ballet in the Park

• Lyric Theatre, Assiniboine Park
• July 28-30, 7 p.m.; pre-show activities begin at 6 p.m.
• Free

Don’t miss the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s premier summer event where you can see world-class dance artistry en plein air for free.

This year’s program opens with excerpts from Odyssey, an athletic contemporary work by choreographer Dwight Rhoden that made its world première with the RWB earlier this year.

Next, the company will perform a concert version of George Balanchine’s iconic Who Cares? set to the equally iconic music of George Gershwin. (This is a sneaky peek at this work; the RWB will also be performing Who Cares? — accompanied by a jazz trio from the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Music — at its inaugural Studio Series show in September.)

The evening will also include a performance by students from the RWB School Recreational Division, featuring Rebels, a junior hip-hop dance ensemble work choreographed by Ella Rumak.

Before curtain at 7 p.m., audiences can partake in a host of pre-show activities, including family-friendly programming, face painting, food trucks, merchandise and a complimentary Creative Movement class for children.

Admission is free. Get there early to snag your spot, and don’t forget to bring lawn chairs, blankets, snacks, water and anything else you might need. As this is an outdoor event, be sure to check RWB’s social media channels for any weather-related updates.

— Jen Zoratti

 

Perlage: A Métis Voyage

• Borealis Beading, 38073 Mun 49N, Ste. Genevieve
• Sunday, 12:30-5 p.m.
• Tickets $129 plus taxes from borealisbeading.ca

Melanie Gamache of Borealis Beading will lead participants on an experience of Métis society and history through beadwork, food and nature.

Set in the aspen oak forest on the homeland of the Métis Nation, the afternoon will start with a fireside chat introducing guests to Métis culture, where Gamache will share stories of growing up in a close-knit French Métis family and her journey towards beading.

The program includes a low-impact scouting walk in the surrounding forest, where participants will learn to identify the traditional native vegetation used medicinally and in art, followed by a hands-on introduction to the intricate beadwork unique to the Métis to understand how they became known as the Flower Beadwork People.

The event culminates with a meal of locally sourced bison jerky, honey, cheese, butter, homemade bannock and jam.

Attendees are advised to wear appropriate footwear and outdoor clothing. Snacks and beverages, including water, will be provided. Suitable for those aged 16 and older. Advance booking recommended.

— AV Kitching

 

The art of motorcycles at the WAG

• July 29, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; July 30, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Winnipeg Art Gallery-Qaumajuq
• Free Wednesday night, regular admission otherwise

A flock of functional art pieces is rolling into the WAG-Qaumajuq next week.

Art Moto: Where Design Meets the Road is a two-day pop-up exhibition featuring more than two dozen classic and custom motorcycles displayed throughout the art gallery. The artfully designed and meticulously maintained bikes are owned by local riders and members of Moto Social Winnipeg, a motorcycle enthusiast club.

“By celebrating motorcycles and the talented builders behind them as artists and makers, we’re expanding the conversation about what art can be and who creates it,” Rachel Baerg, the gallery’s head of education and programs, said in a release.

There will also be a rotating selection of short motorcycle-themed films screening in the Muriel Richardson Auditorium during the event. Admission is free from 5 to 9 p.m. during WAG Wednesday Nights.

— Eva Wasney

 

Fringin’ at Old Market Square

• Until Sunday
• Old Market Square
• Free

With so much buzz surrounding the Winnipeg Fringe Festival’s plays, it’s easy to overlook the variety show that unfolds every day on The Cube’s stage at Old Market Square.

From lightsaber duels to world-class acrobats — you never know what you’ll get. Well, unless you check the Old Market Square schedule, which few seem to. Nothing wrong with taking in a beer between shows and watching the random fringey entertainment do its thing.

We have checked the schedule and, of all the days left at the fringe (which runs until Sunday), may we recommend Saturday’s slot.

There’s the usual suspects of street performers (such as juggler Yoshi at noon, 5:15 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and eclectic circus performer Chris Without the Hat at 1 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.), and then a handful of bands (No Metro at 2:30 p.m., the Late Goodbyes at 3:30 p.m., Jana Jacobs at 6:15 p.m., and the Super Cool Brass Band at 9:30 p.m.).

To highlight one: the much-travelled Jacobs, who dropped into the Winnipeg scene a few years ago, sings neo-soul and R&B with a globe-trotting accent. Last year she put out her debut EP, The Politics of Feeling Alone. With vocals and production this densely layered, it’s a wonder how Jacobs pulls off this record live — but she does.

— Conrad Sweatman