Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

This is the city that I live in.  Beautiful isn't it?  It's lush and green with two major rivers (the Red and Assiniboine) meeting right in the centre of it.  This historic site is knows as The Forks.

Our industry is booming, the cost of living is low, and we have one of the best Arts and Entertainment industries in the country. We have produced many fine talents covering all areas of the spectrum.
Fred Penner, children's entertainer extraordinaire
Burton Cummings, lead singer for the Guess Who (classic rock at its best)
David Steinberg, big time producer, writer, director and, above all, comedian
Chantal Kreviazuk, up and coming singer/songwriter
Bachman Turner Overdrive, these guys really know how to "take care of business" *smirk* *groan*
Cordell Barker, truly talented animator that gives Disney a run for their money (I'm going to have a few links here later relating to the genius of this gentleman, so come back again and check it out)

Neil Young, he needs no introduction
Crash Test Dummies, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, these guys are good!
Len Cariou, an actor that has appeared in Hollywood movies, major television movies, specials and shows, and has headlined on Broadway
Econoline Crush, yes, I know, technically these guys are listed as a Vancouver band, but the lead singer (Trevor Hurst) is a local guy so they deserve a mention on my Winnipeg page.
The Watchmen, they're local, they're great!
Matthew Good Band, should be known as the "Matthew Great Band" :o)
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, classified worldwide as the "Premiere" ballet company in Canada

....and so many more people that it's too numerous to mention.

We host a wide variety of festivals here, both in the City and in surrounding towns. I'd like to mention a few of them and I've made a few links to take you to sites where you can learn more about them.

Festival du Voyageur, a winter festival celebrating the French heritage of many Winnipeg citizens. This is a real family outing and there is something fun for everyone here, from snow sculptures and sled dog races to maple syrup and beard growing contests. There's plenty of entertainment for everyone, even when the "little ones" go home and the "big ones" want to party. The festival usually runs at the beginning of February.

Folklorama, a festival of nations featuring "Pavilions" from all over the world. There are usually about 50 pavilions (but don't quote me on that one) and Folklorama usually happens during the first two weeks of August. My personal favourites are the Irish Pavilion, Cari Cana, the German Pavilion, and the "Mug Pub" a UK pavilion. You can sample the various foods and entertainment from each country (and the beer at the German pavilion is great!).

Winnipeg Folk Festival, a weekend filled with music entertainers from all over the world. It's usually held on the second weekend in July and takes place at Birds Hill Provincial Park. There's a camping ground and it's a good excuse to get away for the weekend with your friends or family.

Winnipeg Children's Festival, is truly a festival for children (of ALL ages). This usually takes place in the middle of June and is held at The Forks, where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet. The Children's Festival hosts entertainers at the top of their game. Winnipeg has a talent pool so large that we'll never run out. You can always count on having Fred Penner, Jake Chenier, Len Udow, Al Simmons and many others, to perform each year.

Classic Rock Weekend, a huge draw for all us "Baby Boomers". This festival is held on the August long weekend in the town of Minnedosa, Manitoba. It's only a few hours northwest of Winnipeg and draws people from all corners of the Province and beyond. Some performers that have appeared over the last few years are Blue Oyster Cult, Boston, ELO, Steppenwolf, Creedance Clearwater Revival, April Wine, Streetheart, Nazareth, and BTO just to name a few.

EdgeFest "the" concert for Alternative music fans featuring such bands as Hole, Silverchair, Moist, Big Wreck, The Matthew Good Band, Edwin, Wide Mouth Mason, Eve 6, Finger Eleven, Treble Charger, Serial Joe, The Rascalz, and Vertical Horizon. I attended the second year's Edgefest and enjoyed performances by The Foo Fighters, Green Day, Tea Party, Matthew Good Band, Econoline Crush and the Watchmen. This last summer concert was billed as "Summersault" and featured the Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters and Our Lady Peace.  It will be interesting to see what next year holds.

The World Next Door Festival is a new addition to the Winnipeg festival scene. It takes place at the Forks Festival Park at the beginning of September with a wide range of performers, themes and styles showcasing music, theatre, art, culture and more. The diverse line-up of previous performers included the funk style of George Clinton, the classic country of Ricky Skaggs, the latin jazz rhythms of Tito Puente, the celtic folk of Natalie MacMaster, the blues rock of Big Sugar, the country rock of Blue Rodeo and many others including Rita Coolidge, Susan Aglukark, the New Meanies, the Rheostatics, Prairie Oyster, Junkhouse and more.

1999 Pan Am Games, took place from July 24th - August 8th, 1999. The City was gearing up for this event for a couple of years, building new facilities and generally sprucing up. One of the star attractions was non other than the FASTEST MAN ON EARTH himself, Donovan Bailey (so take that you Micheal Johnson fans). Check out his personal web site too, it's very impressive.  The Games were a tremendous success and I think they promoted Winnipeg in a positive manner.   

Winnipeg also hosted the The 1998 Grey Cup Game, the championship game of the Canadian Football League. Our Bombers weren't there, but it was such a party that I decided to leave this link on :o)  Also, it looks as if we may host the game again in the next couple of years.  Woo hoo!

Well, that's about it for now, I plan to add to this list over the next little while so keep checking back to see what's new. (Can you tell that I'm proud to be a Winnipegger?) If you're interested in learning more about Winnipeg and seeing more pictures of this wonderful City, check out these links.

Honourable mention:  Canadian Classic Rock Page

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