• Head out to a Highland Gathering
• Celebrate the cultures of our First Nations, Inuit & Métis peoples
• Head for the hills at RMNP
• Sax it up at the Jazz Festival
• Rack up some rip-roaring fun at the Red River Ex
• Get Caught Fishing!
• Rave On to Buddy at Rainbow Stage
• Unearth ancient marine reptiles on a fossil dig adventure
• Flip over for free summer fun at Assiniboine Park
• Cast a spell at Fort la Reine
• Go Fish at Shaw Park
• Treat yourself to a Foodie Adventure
• Art it up in June
• Watch a tragedy unfold in the Ruins
• Excite your senses at 100 Masters
• Forage and feast at the farmers’ market
• Giddy up for a Great Train Robbery
• Unlock the mysteries of the Manitoba Legislative Building
• March with the penguins at the Zoo
• Discover the Queen’s Canadian history at the RCA Museum
• Savour the experience of a forest forage
• Explore our living ethnic heritage at Mennonite Heritage Village

It's Manitoba Time
on BT Winnipeg

• It’s time to enjoy a music fest
• It’s time to breakaway to Brandon
• It’s time to hit up a summer fest
• It's time to vacation in Hecla
• It’s time to visit the Zoo
• It's time to get artsy
• It's time to cast a line
• It’s time to hit the links
• It’s time to celebrate our planet
• It’s time to relax and unwind
• It’s Manitoba Time on BT Winnipeg

Hitch up yer kilts for a day of good ol’ Scottish fun at the 47th annual Manitoba Highland Gathering! This is a great day for the whole family to experience the colour, pageantry and centuries-old Scottish traditions right here in Selkirk, Manitoba.

The day is packed with events like a pancake breakfast, Highland dance competition, piping and drumming competition, heavy games, canoe and kayaking championship, and diamond disc dogs to name a few.

June 22, 2013
Selkirk Park

For more information, visit Manitoba Highland Gathering. And don’t forget your lawn chairs!

June 21 is National Aboriginal Day — an occasion for all Canadians to come together and celebrate the rich contribution Aboriginal people have made to Canada. Here are a couple of big events happening in Manitoba:

The Forks (June 21 to 25)

The Forks is hosting many fun events on June 21 and throughout the following week in celebration. On Saturday, June 22, APTN is hosting Aboriginal Day Live – a day-long celebration with a variety of family-friendly activities, followed by a free concert starting at 8:00 p.m. Some of the biggest names in Aboriginal music and television, including award winning and up-and-coming artists will take the stage.

“It being about National Aboriginal Day, we want this to be a day to celebrate who we are, but also invite non-Aboriginal people to come in and experience the culture and see where our artists are going. It’s so much fun and there’s so much to take in.” Sky Bridges

Thompson (June 21)

Thompson is hosting an all-day event that begins with a sunrise ceremony at 5:30 a.m with many activities, crafts, a community BBQ, contests (jigging, log sawing, goose calling, moose calling, trap setting, etc.) to follow. Food booths include Bannock Burgers or Indian Tacos. The evening includes more entertainment, the Soaring Eagle Awards (recognizing outstanding Aboriginal people in the categories of Youth, Adult and Elder), retiring of the flags and fireworks.  All events are FREE.

For a list of all the events happening around the province, visit Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.

Rising dramatically from the prairie landscape, Riding Mountain National Park is a vast expanse of boreal forest and pristine aspen parkland that is sure to enchant and inspire you. You’ll feel like you’re standing on the edge of the world as you hike the Escarpment trail system, where the Manitoba plateau falls away 300 metres to the prairies.

Check out the Lake Audy Bison Enclosure, home to a herd of 30 plains bison, before tucking in for the night at one of several camping spots or bed and breakfasts in the area. There’s also an abundance of wildlife within park borders. The iconic Canadian beaver, moose and black bears range here, along with several packs of grey wolves — also known as timber wolves.

Those who prefer life on the mild side can hit the links at nearby golf courses, browse in unique shops or enjoy swimming, fishing and cruising around crystal Clear Lake. Or fall headlong into the lap of luxury at Elkhorn Resort’s Solstice Spa, where you can take a therapeutic wellness soak in a mineral pool or hot tub and undergo massage, reflexology and alternative healing treatments.

Forest trails, lakes and the picturesque town of Wasagaming have attracted nature lovers, camping enthusiasts and summer cottagers for generations. Visit the East Gate Registration Complex National Historic Site and and learn about the history of Canada’s national parks system — the world’s first national preservation project created in 1911. There’s something for everyone in this scenic region.

For more information, see the experiences to discover, trails, recreation and special events for 2013 or visit Parks Canada.

A world-class lineup of artists is set to perform at the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival! From June 13 to 23, downtown Winnipeg will come alive with music performed by the best local, national and international artists.

The Roots, George Benson, New Orleans legends Preservation Hall Jazz Band, soul diva Bettye LaVette are among the nearly 100 performers playing at the fest this year.

June 13 to 23, 2013
Various locations, Winnipeg

For more information or to find tickets, visit Winnipeg International Jazz Festival.

Photo by Travis Tait.

Come and see all of the great shows, concerts, entertainment, animals and more at this year’s Red River Ex!

NEW this year: Continental Stock Dog Championship, boxed’N EXtreme Gallery, Cavallo Horse Show, Mach3, West Coast Lumberjacks, EXpressway, Manitoba Mutts, Giant Flea Circus, Starring You at The EX

FREE concert series:

• Friday, June 14: Jason Blaine with guests Small Town Pistols
• Saturday, June 15: Faber Drive
• Sunday, June 16: Trooper
• Monday, June 17: Glass Tiger
• Tuesday, June 18: Econoline Crush
• Wednesday, June 19: Alan Doyle
• Thursday, June 20: Classified
• Friday, June 21: George Canyon with guests Keith & Renee
• Saturday, June 22:  Colin James
• Sunday, June 23: Toopy and Binoo

(all concerts at 8 p.m. except Toopy & Binoo who appear at 2 & 4 p.m.)

June 14 to 23, 2013
Red River Exhibition Park

For more information, visit Red River Ex.

Photo by Khammy Phanthavong.

On June 12, Lindsay visited BT Winnipeg to talk all about the hot music festivals happening this summer like Countryfest, Folk Festival, Jazz Festival. Watch the clip here.

Watch more episodes.

Grab the tackle box and pick up some fresh bait because it’s time to Get Caught Fishing in Manitoba!

Every Saturday and Sunday, our Travel Manitoba fishing ambassadors will be roving around Gimli, Selkirk, Lockport or The Forks looking to catch you having fun fishing. They will be handing out instant prizes like some great Master Angler gear, hats, sweaters, and tackle boxes.

The “Get Caught Fishing” van will be at a different location every weekend (we will tweet out hints to our location every Saturday morning).

And there’s another way to win! Just visit Get Caught Fishing and share your favourite fishing photos with us to enter to win one of three fabulous prizes!

Watch Shel Zolkewich talk about this fun summer program on CTV:

Rock ‘n’ roll the night away at Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story at Rainbow Stage! This fun musical tells the tale of the last three years of Buddy Holly’s life in which he became the world’s top recording artist.

Featuring, over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be The Day”, “Oh Boy”, “Not Fade Away”, “Everyday”, “Rave On”, “Maybe Baby”, “Raining In My Heart”, Ritchie Valens “Le Bamba”, and the Big Boppers“Chantilly Lace”, this musical is guaranteed to get your feet tapping.

June 11 to July 4, 2013
Rainbow Stage, Kildonan Park

For more information or to find tickets, visit Rainbow Stage.

If you like adventure and hands-on experiences, then sign up for a Fossil Dig Adventure Tour at the Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre (CFDC)! This is one of Manitoba’s hottest tourism products where you can hunt for fossils on active dig sites in the Morden area.

Home to Bruce, the 43-foot mosasaur (or marine reptile), the CFDC is unearthing a steady stream of fossils near Morden – an area that was once covered by a saltwater seaway in the Late Cretaceous Period. Bruce’s newest pal, the massive Xiphactinus (enlarge infographic) is still being excavated and you can help dig up this fossil and possibly many others by participating on a fossil dig.

Open daily
Canadian Fossil Discovery Centre

For more information, visit CFDC.

New contest:
Name That Fossil Fish!

The CFDC’s giant Xiphactinus fossil fish needs a name! Send in your suggestion for this 18 foot long, 80 million year old fish for a chance to win a Fossil Dig Adventure Tour and earn your very own Master Angler Award of Extinction.

Submit your fish name at:
travelmanitoba.com/namethatfossilfish

Contest ends June 30, 2013.

Here comes another fantastic summer of musical acts, movies and art exhibitions at the Assiniboine Park! From June through August, enjoy FREE events that are part of the park’s Red River Co-op Summer Entertainment Series.

This year’s schedule features more than 30 events including weekly musical acts at the Lyric Theatre, jazz in the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden and returning for its third season – Movies in the Park. Highlights from this year’s series include international jazz artists Nick Colionne, Steve Oliver and Jonathan Fritzen, performances by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and Streetheart and blockbuster movies such as Brave, The Croods and Life of Pi.

Plus, well-known Canadian country music band Doc Walker will perform at the Lyric Theatre, Friday, July 12.

June to August, 2013
Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg

See the full schedule of events. For more information, visit Assiniboine Park.

Potter fans unite! Get touched by a little magic in Harry Potter’s World: Renaissance, Science, Magic, and Medicine at the Fort la Reine Museum!

Although a fantasy story, the magic in the Harry Potter books is partially based on Renaissance traditions that played an important role in the development of Western science, including alchemy, astrology, and natural philosophy. This exhibition, using materials from the National Library of Medicine, explores Harry Potter’s world, its roots in Renaissance science, and the ethical questions that affected not only the wizards of Harry Potter, but also the historical thinkers featured in the series.

Special events during the exhibition:

• June 8: Magician, Greg Wood
• June 29: “Science & Magic” show
• July 6: “Who’s Who, Owls of Manitoba”

June 3 to July 13, 2013
Fort la Reine Museum, Portage la Prairie

For more information, visit Fort la Reine Museum.

Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd, buy me some peanuts and cracker jack… and settle in for a great season of Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball! This season, the Goldeyes will be defending their American Association title.

A summer afternoon or evening spent at a baseball game is great fun for the whole family. Stroll around the ballpark, eat some goodies, laugh with the crowd, and enjoy the overall atmosphere. Good times.

Let’s go cheer the boys on to another golden year!

May to September 2013
Shaw Park, Winnipeg

For the full schedule or to find tickets, visit Winnipeg Goldeyes.

From nature to adventure to culture, there is no shortage of things to see and do in Manitoba and this is the best place to find out about it all. Read more