It’s time to discover the inner Viking in you! I certainly did during my weekend trip to Gimli and the 122nd Annual Icelandic Festival of Manitoba.
Islendingadagurrin offered a wide range of activities and events throughout it’s 4-day celebration of Icelandic culture and heritage. There was live music during Islendingarock on the Gimli Pier and Harbour stage. For the more active Vikings like myself, there was the Icefest Beach Volleyball tournament, sandcastle building contest, a 10-mile road race or a 1-mile family road race. We can’t forget the food especially the three-day pancake breakfast. I didn’t realize Vikings liked pancakes.
One of the more popular sights featuring Icelandic culture and heritage was the MTS Viking Village. The Viking Village demonstrated how life was like back in the Viking age 793 AD to 1066 AD. The Viking encampment was home to costumed residents for the entire weekend. Yes, the villagers “lived” at the camp for the entire weekend. The villagers were a plenty and supported many families in a single encampment. Among the locals, you had a blacksmith, merchants, leather workers, wood crafters, weavers, fighters and mercenaries.
The biggest draw during our visit was the Viking Warfare Tactics demonstration that happened at 3pm every day of the festival. The 30min demonstration highlighted the Art of War, Viking Style. The narrative during the demonstrations focused on the weapons used by Viking warriors in addition to various combat tactics. One of the tactics was “The Wall” where Viking warriors would line up side-by-side so that their shields overlapped. Warriors would use the wall to advance against rival clans. In addition to using a protective shield, protective chainmail armour was used by many Viking warriors in battle. The shield during combat was capable as an offensive weapon as the edge of a shield could dismember body parts or combat equipment.
What else is there to do in Gimli?
There’s definitely a good selection of mom & pop family restaurants. My personal favourite is Beach Boy Restaurant and they offer fresh Manitoba pickerel fish & chips! As heard in a recent radio commercial, summer hasn’t started until you shop at Tergesen’s. It’s your one-stop-shop for knick-knacks, gifts and summer outerwear. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Gimli and an interested fact to note, it is the only business in Gimli that has been operated by the same family since it opened over a hundred years ago in 1899.
How can I not forget to mention the beach at Gimli? As the temperature hit the mid 30’s last weekend, it was no surprise to find Gimli Beach packed with sun worshippers and kids trying to stay cool in Lake Winnipeg. Offshore adventures include boating, jet ski rentals and fishing.
How to get to Gimli
Located about an hour and half drive north of Winnipeg, you’re driving into the heart of the Interlake and into cottage country. Gimli is located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg along Highway 8 (Main St) or Highway 9 (McPhillips). Cottage country includes Matlock and Winnipeg beach areas.
Exploring Manitoba’s Interlake
While the Icelandic Festival was the reason we travelled to Gimli, there are many more attractions that we intend on visiting during the month of August.
Earlier in the summer, the town played host to the Gimli Film Festival which showcased over 80 features, documentaries and shorts from Manitoba, Canada and all over the world. Just one of the many reasons to drive to Gimli. There are many more, trust me.
Just like my previous trips to eastern Manitoba and the Whiteshell, Manitoba’s Interlake offers it’s own special beauty. Take a day trip to visit the wildlife refuges at Oak Hammock Marsh and the Narcisse Snake Dens. Closer to Winnipeg, you can discover Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site and learn about Manitoba’s rich trading history. Further north, you can visit Hecla Island and take in many hiking trails.
From waving wheat fields to boreal forests, with miles of sandy beaches to rocky shores at Hecla Island, the Interlake is Nature’s playground of Inland Oceans, Infinite Possibilities!
Here are some up coming events that you may want to consider attending:
August 12 , 2011
Gimli Model Air Fest
Join us for all three days on August 12th-14th, 2011. Celebrate Canada’s history of flight at the Gimli Motorsport Park, on Menurva Road in Gimli.
Website:
www.gimlimodelfest.com
August 14 , 2011
Family Fun Day with the Prairie Dog
Jump aboard for a trip filled with Family Fun! You will be greeted by the sounds of Fire and Ice playing familiar tunes for all ages to enjoy. Balloon art and glitter tattoos will be the order of the day for the children and adults too if they fancy before heading back to Inkster Junction Station with happy smiles and great memories. Train departs at 11 a.m. and returns at 2:30 p.m.
Website: www.pdcrailway.com
August 20 , 2011
Harvest Celebration Weekend
Come celebrate our rich agricultural heritage with programs on food preparation, harvest and industrial activity at Lower Fort Garry NHS, St. Andrews, Manitoba.
Website:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/garry
