Be a bona fide visitor and experience Winnipeg like the can’t-miss prairie gem it is.
This 24-hour itinerary, guaranteed to please everyone some of the time, includes stops to play, places to eat and even some quiet(ish) time built in. Ramp up with some crazy laser fun, pedal a bicycle built for four, twirl spaghetti, build a clock or even include a side trip to an entertaining late-night market and music festival.
Friday Night Lasers... and lasagna!
Set your sights on fun at LaserTopia, the largest arcade and two-level laser tag arena in Winnipeg. It’s 4,500 square foot laser tag arena (the Avatar-like Lost City) provides ample room to run, shoot and hide (just don’t forget your closed toe shoes) while 40+ arcade games – along with a full-service bar for adults – rounds out the fun. Once you’ve sated your action appetite, belly up to their rainbow slushy bar or chow down on fresh in-house pizza.
For a change of venue, head to the nearby Bellissimo Restaurant & Lounge. This old school Italian joint features heaping portions of namely housemade pastas (they even cure their own meats for charcuterie boards) with al fresco seating available, too.
Saturdays are for bears, bikes & bakeries
Get an early start watching polar bears swim overhead at Assiniboine Park Zoo’s Journey to Churchill exhibit. Then, pick up bikes (if you don’t have your own) at Bee2Gether Bikes - located right in the park. They have regular rides, tandem bikes, side car bikes and some truly jaunty limousine six-seaters, so everyone including young children or pedal-challenged friends can come along for the ride. Ride the paved paths around Assiniboine Park to check out the duck pond, pink begonia patches and beautifully-evolving Canada’s Diversity Gardens. Zip over to the tranquil Leo Mol Sculpture Garden to peruse dozens of life-sized bronze pieces, including Winnie-the-Pooh’s namesake, Winnie the Bear. Head over the pedestrian (and bike) bridge to Sargent Sundae or High Tea Bakery for a bumbleberry sundae or chocolate crinkle cookie or both. Hey, you’re biking.
Saturday and the Crafts make an Awl Right Afternoon
After lunch and a blanket snooze in the park, head to DIY Craft Bar. Choose a craft suited to each person’s age and ability, and a couple of hours later, voila! Walk out with a cement plant pot, leather clutch, or—who can say no to this?—a vinyl album clock. Now that’s what I call a timely album!
Feeling peckish? Head to nearby Les Saj, a new Middle Eastern restaurant that serves “saj” wraps that are cooked to order right before your eyes on a convex pan. Fill these chewy hot flat breads with chicken shawarma, or order a platter of falafel, beef donair, shish tawouk and lamb kebab for the gang. That’s a wrap.
Side Trip
If your 24 hours takes in a Sunday, make a side trip to Assiniboia Downs for Manitoba’s Night Market and Festival, one farmers’ market you don’t want to miss. On three Sundays this summer, food trucks, music, beer gardens and many local businesses set up for families to have fun and celebrate Manitoba safely.
Overnight No Oversight
Stay overnight at a place with an indoor waterpark. These nice hotel deals make it an easy decision. Add #WinnipegNice and #CanadaNice to social posts for the chance to be featured.
Note: Check websites or call first for times.
