Winnipeg guide to outdoor summer fun

With our multiple rivers, massive parks, lush gardens, charming patios, open-air theatres and festivals, Winnipeg makes the great outdoors even greater.

Pack the sunscreen and start exploring.

New at the zoo

Assiniboine Park Zoo (opens in new window) offers ample space for the family to roam, all while watching tigers, snow leopards, camels and kangaroos roam too. On top of polar bears that will make a splash over your head in the Sea Ice Passage and gibbons, monkeys and the exotic bird species of Toucan Ridge, the Zoo has a few special things in store this summer. Past and present collide in Monsters of the Abyss (opens in new window), where some of the most famous—and feared—aquatic predators come to life at the Zoo. Discover the fascinating history of both prehistoric and modern-day ocean hunters as you explore fossils, observe live animals and take part in engaging educational programs. Monsters of the Abyss is located in the Doug Harvey, Jan Shute and Family Centre on the west side of the Zoo and is included with regular admission.

For an unforgettable up-close experience, don’t miss the Behind the Scenes Zoo Experiences (opens in new window). Guided by knowledgeable educators and animal care professionals, you’ll get a closer look at some of the Zoo’s most incredible animals, including snow leopards, tigers, polar bears, harbour seals, elk and wolves. Get ready to embrace your wild side and be sure to register in advance to reserve your spot.

Make a splash

With four rivers, multiple lakes and wildlife filled wetlands, it’s easy to get out on the water in Winnipeg.

If you’re looking to take in the urban scenery on the Red and Assiniboine rivers, look to The Forks Harbour, where Winnipeg Waterways (opens in new window) offers sightseeing tours that depart regularly. Its Winnipeg by Water tour is a 35-minute experience covering architecture, nature and history and you can book in advance online. The company will also be offering a water bus service this summer, which will connect neighbourhoods like Wolseley, River Heights, downtown and St. Boniface all by boat. The original Splash Dash River Tours (opens in new window) is also back for the summer 2026 season, operating every hour from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m., 6 days a week, closed Mondays, with its often cheeky 1-hour long tours that showcase the city from its main waterways.

Should you be looking to canoe, kayak, or perhaps even paddle board the Red, Assiniboine, Seine or La Salle River, look for rentals from outfitters like Winnipeg Canoe Rentals (opens in new window) and Wilderness Supply (opens in new window), (opens in new window) all of whom will have you safely paddling the Peg.

For the easiest paddling setup out there, head to the region’s premier natural environments, FortWhyte Alive (opens in new window) and Oak Hammock Marsh (opens in new window).

Located just north of the city, Oak Hammock is the seasonal home to globally significant amounts of waterfowl and shore birds, along with countless songbirds, amphibians, turtles, deer, reptiles, beavers, foxes and martens. To spy species up close within the cattails, rent multiple sizes of canoes onsite or get really adventurous in hip waders. Either way, you’ll marvel at the diversity of this ecosystem.

FortWhyte Alive is located right within the city, offering ample opportunities for birders, hikers, bikers, sailors and paddlers alike. Sail, paddle or kayak its small lakes — all rentals available onsite — as an incredible array of birds fill the air with sounds overhead. Traverse winding trails on bike or foot through its aspen forests and embark on a guided Bison Safari that will bring you up close to North America’s largest urban herd, where you can spy newly born calves and massive adults that are some of the heaviest land animals in North America.

Cheer on the home team

Spectator sports are all the rage in Winnipeg come summer and our stadiums are second to none. Catch Winnipeg Goldeyes (opens in new window) baseball in downtown Winnipeg just one block from Portage and Main at Blue Cross Park. The Fish always put on a good show and there’s not a bad seat in the house, plus they are always making it extra fun with theme nights (like the legendary Bark in the Park), local beer in the Craft Beer Corner and local food venues that knock it out of the park with their dishes.

Get in the game and catch Winnipeg Blue Bombers (opens in new window) at Princess Auto Stadium, offering non-stop, pass heavy, crazy kicking 3-down game that Canadian football is known for.

All the city is a stage

Theatre fans are also in luck all summer long in Winnipeg. Within the majestic setting of Kildonan Park you’ll find Rainbow Stage (opens in new window), Canada’s largest and longest-running open-air theatre. On its stage you can catch the musical Jesus Christ Superstar from June 25 to July 12, followed by Legally Blonde from August 12 to August 30. Catch its season finale show Fiddler on the Roof: Under the Dome from September 9 to September 13.

The Exchange District will be bumping from July 15 to 26 as the Winnipeg Fringe Festival (opens in new window) — one of North America’s largest fringe festivals — takes over its streets, theatres and venues with plays, performances, dance companies and music.

South of the city, at the gorgeous monastic ruins of St. Norbert, Shakespeare in the Ruins (opens in new window) will stage on select dates both As You Like It from June 5 to July 5, along with An Iliad from June 18 to July 5.

Live music? We have so much of that too.

At Old Market Square in the Exchange District, you can watch free shows during both the Winnipeg International Jazz Festival (opens in new window) (June 16-21) and Manitoba Electronic Music Exhibition (opens in new window) (June 4-7). The Burton Cummings Theatre also has its own outdoor festival called the Burt Block Party (opens in new window) that will feature Killswitch Engage, The Beaches, Colin James, Collective Soul and more from August 13-16.

If that’s not enough marquee names for you, head to Birds Hill Park for the Winnipeg Folk Festival (opens in new window) (July 9-12) where headliners include Of Monsters and Men, Father John Misty, Lucy Dacus, Stephen Wilson Jr., Sylvan Esso, Jesse Welles, Angine de Poitrine, Black Country, New Road, Wolf Parade. The Red River Ex (opens in new window) (June 12-21) too has plenty of live music on offer, along with the world’s largest travelling midway, whacky carnival food and super cute animals.

A walk in the park

If you’re looking for tranquility, hit up our two biggest parks — Kildonan Park and Assiniboine Park. The former features charming foot bridges over streams, stately old elms and oaks, an outdoor public pool, plenty of space to wonder, areas to barbecue, the aforementioned Rainbow Stage and the whimsical Witch’s Hut.

Assiniboine Park boasts ample green space, the Leo Mol Sculpture Garden (opens in new window), a formal English Garden and the thematic Gardens at the Leaf (opens in new window) (all free!), along with plenty of options for dining and people watching from patios like the one at Cargo Bar.

If you’re looking to see as much of the park as possible, rent novelty bikes from Bee-2-Gether Bikes (opens in new window), who have a rental kiosk across from the Qualico Family Centre.

Take a tour

Speaking of tours, there are so many on offer in the city that will shine a big bright spotlight on some of loveliest neighbourhoods. The worldly West End provides both a world of flavours and an abundance of murals, both of which are the focal points on tours by The West End Biz (opens in new window). The European flair of Saint-Boniface is ripe for discovery when you take a walking tour with Tourisme Riel (opens in new window) that will bring you to its historic sites and tasty cafes. The Exchange District Biz (opens in new window) brings to life its heritage buildings on architecture tours that reveal why the area was once called “The Chicago of the North,” all while following themes that cover things like the Winnipeg General Strike, Bank Halls and Brutalism and the area’s sinister early 19th century history of “drunk mayors, angry mobs and prostitutes on horseback” –– oh my!

At The Forks, look to Parks Canada for the Where Our Stories Meet Tour (opens in new window) which covers the area’s Indigenous history, the fur-trade era and the birth of the Métis Nation.

Cool for kids

Finally, let’s not forget about the littles! A few great spots to bring your kids out under the expansive prairie skies include Thunder Rapids Fun Park (opens in new window) and Grand Prix Amusements (opens in new window) –– both home to go-karts, bumper boats, batting cages, miniature golf and so much more, along with Tinkertown (opens in new window) –– where all the classic amusement park rides are tailor made for kids 12 and under.