This Weekend at The Forks: Free Fun for the Whole Fam

Winter is coming to its end, so it's time to get out there and enjoy the season that often defines our fine city of Winterpeg. Here are a whole slate of activities that are available to you and the rest of your family for free this weekend including all the Arctic Glacier Winter Park programming:

1. Sleigh rides

Sunday

1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Outside The Forks Market

Thanks to Duran Equipment, you can see The Forks by horse-drawn carriage. Hop on, and don't forget your camera because the horses are adorable and The Forks full of people on a Sunday in winter is a pretty magical sight.

2. Bannock making & storytelling

Sunday
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Teepee in Busker's Lookout

Join Barbara and Clarence Nepinak in the teepee to hear the stories of the land passed down through generations of Indigenous peoples while making a traditional food staple – bannock – plus it's super delicious.


3. Tobogganing

All the time
Festival Field

Grab your best sled and head to the hill in Festival Field for some fast, free fun.


4. Skating

All the time
The Canopy Rink, On-land trails, Red River Mutual Trail

This is a Forks staple, and if you haven't been skating yet, your time is running out, friend! Bring your own or rent a pair from Iceland Skate Rentals in The Market and skate a trail that has already broken a record this year – the longest Red River Mutual Trail we've ever had at 10km – and is about to break another – if the trail can stay open until February 28, it will be the longest on record at 69 days open!


5. Soul on Ice

Sunday
1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The Canopy Rink

Get your soul on under The Canopy for a perfect mix of dancing and skating. Sure, you may not be as elegant as Tessa and Scott from Team Canada's figure skating team, but hey, who really is? Bounce and glide to your favourite tunes with DJ Co-op and DJ Hunnicut.


6. Ice Castles

Okay this one isn't exactly free, but part of it is! Enter the code FREEKID18, and you will receive a free kid's pass when you purchase an adult pass to go along with it. This ice marvel won't last forever, and now is the time to check it out if you haven't already.


Other posts that might interest you:

• All booked up: McNally Robinson opens at The Forks
• Three skate tips for beginners
• Weekend Wrap-Up: Photos You Shared That Made Us Go 😍

All booked up: McNally Robinson opens at The Forks

 

After months of anticipation, construction and of course, stocking the bookshelves, we at McNally Robinson are excited to finally open our doors to book-loving customers at The Forks Market.

Come by and explore – if you’ve visited our Grant Park Mall flagship store, you’ll probably feel like the new shop is a familiar extension. The intent is to showcase the newest and best of what’s on offer, while dedicating a special presence to Indigenous and local writing as well as books for children.

A rotating selection of non-book items from kitchenware to reading glasses to board games and stuffed animals will also appear in the shop.

We are thrilled with the way The Forks has been reestablished as a meeting place. It was a meeting place for Indigenous peoples from ancient times and now brings Winnipeggers as well as visitors from around the world together to enjoy the area’s varied offerings. To have the opportunity as a local, independent bookseller, to become a part of what’s going on at The Forks is very exciting to all of us. We hope everyone will be just as delighted to see us at The Forks.

One Million Reasons to Visit The Forks This Long Weekend

You're probably thinking, "Really, The Forks? 1,000,000 reasons? Yeah right." But we're barely exaggerating. Read on!

Louis Riel weekend is traditionally a fun-filled family weekend here at The Forks, and this year is no different. We'll break things down by location:

On The Red River Mutual Trail: 

Plus side of having not a lot of snow and consistently frigid temperatures? The longest #RRMTrail in Forks' recorded history. The Trail spans 10 kilometres from the St. Vital Bridge on the Red River, all the way to Arlington on the Assiniboine. And while you might think there is plenty of winter left in store for us and you have all the time in the world to get out on the trail before it melts, recall this weekend last year: THE TRAIL MELTED AND CLOSED!

Our point? Get out there and make the most of it while it lasts, because spring is just around the corner.

Check out our events calendar for full deets on all events happening on the Red River Mutual Trail this weekend, but at any given time, expect to see: Festival du Voyageur's Rendez-vous on Ice entertainment, beer garden, discotheque, fashion show, taking place right where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet. Also keep an eye out for speed skating demos, a Wild Winter Canoe Race (yes, canoeing on the frozen river in the dead of winter because we can), a Mardi Gras parade, a rugby tournament and the screening of a Guy Maddin film on the Warming Hut he designed this year.

Around The Forks Site: 

Every Sunday in February, (including this Sunday) Arctic Glacier Winter Park comes to life with tons of free family programming. Enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides around the site all afternoon, Indigenous storytelling and bannock-making in the teepee and DJs Hunnicut + Co-op spinning all the tunes under the Canopy Rink while you spin around on skates!

Also only around for a limited time: Ice Castles - the magical ice attraction that has taken over your Instagram feed. If you have a kid itching to experience the magic, be sure to use promo code FREEKID18 when you purchase your tickets online in advance to get a free kid ticket when purchasing an adult ticket. Not valid Feb. 19.

Inside The Forks Market: 

Aside from being the rest + refuel (hot chocolate and mini donuts and/or beer = fuel right?) destination, this week The Common launched a BRAND NEW beer and wine list curated by the world's top female sommelier, Veronique Rivest. Definitely carve out some time this weekend to have some sips off the new list, and let Common staff share all their newfound knowledge with you after training with one of the world's best sommeliers this week.

If you take a peek upstairs, you'll notice a highly anticipated new store, emitting that luxurious new-book smell...yep - McNally Robinson Booksellers has stocked their bookshelves and opened their doors to all book lovers. It's just a soft-open this weekend - more announcements to come next week!

Busy Weekend Parking Tips: 

With a little bump in the temperature + the holiday, we anticipate a full house around here! A few things we suggest to alleviate parking stress:

• Plan to take the bus or carpool with pals = no parking drama
• Download the Secunik parking app [For Apple] [For Android] before you get here. Lineup at the parking metre? Pay by phone. Having the best time down on the #RRMTrail and don't feel like taking your skates off to top up your parking? Pay by phone! 
• Plan to park nearby and get here on foot or on skate! There are access points for the river trail all along it - nab a (free?!) parking spot near an access point and skate your way over!  

Find out about all the events happening at The Forks by checking out our online events calendar.  Happy long weekend! 


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V-Day Guide 😍 Gifts For Your Valentine That Don't Suck

Valentine's Day is hard. So much pressure. So we went shopping for you. 

Check out our top picks:

FORKS TRADING CO.

This is the jackpot. There are SO many things to choose from and a ton of jewelry that is so much cooler than anything you'll find in a mall.

ELLEMENT WINE & SPIRITS

Ask their super knowledgable staff which wines and other bottles to pick out for the night – they're the experts!

ALMOND TREE

So cheesy, we know. It's the quintessential Valentine's gift – a box of custom-picked chocolates in a heart shaped box. But this one is legit. The red velvet box makes this just over-the-top enough to make your Valentine smile (a real smile, not an "ohhhh thaankkk yoouuu" fake smile). 

COAL AND CANARY

Candles = romance. No brainer. But they also sell bath bombs, soaps, fragrances and other things that will make her feel like the queen she really is.

TALL GRASS PRAIRIE BREAD CO.

This stop is for you. You got the killer gifts that your Valentine will absolutely love, so treat yourself to a jam-filled cookie. You deserve it. 

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• Three skate tips for beginners
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Three skate tips for beginners

Here we are in the throes of Winnipeg winter. How are you holding up? Are you getting outside?

If you are getting outside, chances are it’s at the Winnipeg winter hotspot: The Red River Mutual Trail. It’s becoming the modern iconic Winnipeg winter experience! This year, it stretches from the St. Vital Bridge on the Red River to the Forks, and continues along the Assiniboine River past the Hugo Docks all the way to Arlington Ave. Thanks to super cold temps and not much snow - it's the longest its been in a really long time! It’s invigorating, relaxing and always so inspiring to see everybody out skating. If you’ve been on the trail, you know it’s an activity that truly brings all of Winnipeg together.

It’s our collective community backyard rink. And it’s a wonderful way to enjoy winter.

According to my scientific Instagram poll 31% of Winnipeggers have never skated before.

This blows my mind, it’s practically a life skill in Winnipeg!

So, non-skaters: I’m looking at you. I think it’s time you get out there! You can do this. It can seem a bit scary to try something new/try something you haven’t done in a while like skating but fear no more! I’ve put together my top three tips to give you the confidence to get out on that trail this year:

Step one: lace it up

One of the biggest complaints I hear from new skaters is that their feet hurt. This is because of poor ankle support and poorly fitting skates.

1.     Skates are generally one size smaller than your shoe size.

2.     Ankle support. Lace them up nice and tight at the top. It’s a hand workout.

3.     Relax your toes. Resist the urge to claw grip your toes in your skates. Just chill.

PS wool socks will keep your feet nice and toasty!

Step two: understanding balance

Skating is all about balance. The shifting of your weight from one side to the other.

1.     Take turns standing on one leg, alternating between the two legs

2.     Keep your knees slightly bent

3.     Core is always engaged, find your centre of balance!

4.     Shoulders are tall. Don’t lean forward.

5.     Look up! Don’t look at your feet.

Step three: edge + glide

Let’s talk about your skate blade and edges. There are two edges on a blade. The inside edge is the edge on the side with your big toe. Outside edge is the side with your baby toe. Make sense?

1.     Take your inside edge and slightly angle your left foot back

2.     Dig your inner edge into the ice to push off with your left foot and glide forward on your right leg with your knees slightly bent

3.     Position your right inner blade on an angle and push off repeating the same motion

4.     Alternate each leg, gliding along….LOOK, YOU’RE SKATING!

Next step: practice! Practice! Practice!

We get better every time. Want to learn how to stop? Come check out the free Learn to Skate lessons at The Forks every Tuesday evening at 7pm. Details here: theforks.com/learn2skate

Lindsay Somers is a Lifestyle Health Coach. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter. All photography by @sierrasavannahf.

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