Enjoy the rest of this Manitoba summer

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 12/08/2019 (2465 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It’s been a terrific summer here in Manitoba. The best part is, there are still a few weeks left to enjoy and make some new memories with friends and family.

If you’re feeling like you haven’t had enough summer yet, here are a few more good reasons to get out and go day-tripping around the province:

The town of Arborg, located just west of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba’s Interlake Region, is rich in Icelandic history. When settlers from the Republic of New Iceland started spreading out along the Icelandic River in 1890, they reached the present day site of Arborg. Today, one of the best times of year to visit is during the annual Arborg Street Festival, coming up Aug. 16 and 17. The lineup of activities includes a rubber ducky race, dog show, old-time bingo, street hockey, C.W.E. Wrestling, and the popular Interlake’s Got Talent competition.

Over in eastern Manitoba, along the beaches of Lake Winnipeg and the rugged Winnipeg River system, creativity runs deep. The third annual Boreal Shores Art Tour is a self-guided road trip on Aug. 17 and 18 featuring 43 artists showcasing visual art steeped in the culture and tradition of the many diverse communities scattered on the edge of the Canadian Shield.

There are historical sites to stop at en route, too, like Midwinter School in East Braintree, a former one-room schoolhouse now converted into a museum, and the Trans-Canada Garage near Whitemouth, built in the 1930s to service motor traffic along the former Trans-Canada Highway.

The 52nd Morden Corn & Apple Festival, which runs Aug. 24 and 25 started as a small celebration for Canada’s Centennial in 1967, and has grown into one of the largest street festivals in Manitoba.
Enjoy the midway with rides and games, vintage car show, a combine pull, mud racing, and one of the biggest parades in the province. Tourists flock from miles around for the most popular attraction — free, hot, buttered corn-on-the-cob harvested locally in surrounding fields, and fresh ice-cold apple juice made from the many varieties of apple trees that were developed right there in Morden.  

A ‘dark sky’ park is an area with minimal artificial light pollution, allowing for optimal conditions for celestial viewing. A few years ago I got to experience a ‘Dark Sky Weekend’ in Jasper, Alta., and it was absolutely unforgettable. Now you can celebrate the night sky at Riding Mountain National Park right here in Manitoba over the long weekend, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1. Be there when Riding Mountain comes to life with free telescope viewing, a nocturnal creatures night hike, night sky photography workshop, and much more, including daytime events.

On the first Saturday following Labour Day, Manitou in the Pembina Valley becomes the land of milk and honey and all kinds of other tasty stuff at the annual Honey, Garlic & Maple Syrup Festival. There will be vendors offering concoctions of the fest’s namesake products, craft show, farmer’s market, cooking demos, mighty machines display, historic tours, entertainment, and an impressive buffet supper with slow roasted pork, honey glazed chicken, sweet and sour farmer sausage, and other delicious dishes.

Don’t forget to take your appetite along.

RoseAnna Schick is an avid traveller and music lover who seeks inspiration wherever she goes. Email her at rascreative@yahoo.ca