The annual Morden Winterfest returns in two weeks to showcase cultures from all around the world that are represented locally.
Six pavilions will offer an amazing community experience filled with food, entertainment, kids activities, and winter fun.
“We’ve added some new things just to kind of keep making it bigger and better, but the format as far as the pavilions being in different locations is the same, with the Canada pavilion being at the lake,” said lead organizer Shelly Voth.
“It’s the same pavilion lineup. The only difference with the pavilions is that the Indigenous showcase is moving locations. It’s going to be in the multi-purpose room of the École Discovery Trails School instead of 500 Stephen. They just ran out of space last year.”
The pavilions will all run that Saturday from noon to five p.m., with the lone exception being the ice sculpture workshop at Lake Minnewasta getting started in the morning.
In addition to the Canadian pavilion at the lake and the Indigenous cultural showcase at Discovery Trails, there will also be an East Asia pavilion at the Access Event Centre, a South Asia pavilion at Westside Community Church, an Africa pavilion at the Morden Activity Centre, and a Europe/Latin America pavilion in the Discovery Trails gymnasium.
In conjunction with Winterfest, the Manitoba Law Enforcement Torch Run will be holding its Polar Plunge in support of Special Olympics at the lake. While out there, you can also join Wilderland Adventure Company in some special winter activities, including guided snowshoe tours, while Country Cycle be offering fat bike demonstrations.
Another popular feature is the aforementioned ice sculpture workshop. It is being expanded this year to include sculptures at three other locations: Suncatch Plaza, Bellas Castle, and at the Morden Research Station.
Now in its 16th year, Winterfest has become well known in and around Morden, Voth suggested.
“It kind of feels like it’s become known for Morden, and Morden has become known for Winterfest to some extent. It’s nice to have Corn and Apple as always the signature event for Morden, but it’s nice to have a winter event that people think about too.
“There’s hundreds of volunteers. We have a large volunteer main committee and then there’s subcommittees off of that for the different pavilions and for ice sculpturing and for kids activities,” she noted.
“The theme this year will be travel the world, so we want people to start thinking about the opportunity to go to all of these different places in the world in one day without having to leave Morden,” Voth said. “So the draw is just that there’s more and more involvement from local people and local cultures, and there’s the fact that it’s both indoor and outdoor. If you want to just spend the afternoon at the lake doing different winter activities, you can … if you’re only interested in the indoor pavilions, there’s lots to take in.”
A free shuttle service will be running regularly between the various pavilions.
