Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 6, 1997, Winnipeg, Manitoba Sunday free press editor Jim Carr 697-7292 sunday free press Winnipeg july 6, 1997 by putt with a Pickle race a Turtle on Manitoba s fun festival circuit for exciting Rodeo action Check out the Manitoba Stampede in Morris july 17-20. By Bud Robertson staff reporter have you Ever putted with a Pickle if not you be obviously never been to Brandon a International Pickle fest just one of the Many strange and wonderful festivals to be found in villages towns and cities around the province As people celebrate the return of summer to the Prairies. There Are festivals celebrating a Community a cultural identity like Winnipeg a Fol Lorama dauphins National ukrainian festival and Gimli a icelandic festival hint if you want to blend in like a local just Call it Isle Din Gada Grinn. There Are festivals that Are just strange but unlike the St. Pierre Frog follies with its National Frog jumping championships a an event not yet carried on ten a or Boisse vain a internationally acclaimed Canadian Turtle Derby featuring some of the slowest competitors on the planet. And then there Are festivals celebrating the fruits and vegetables that bring Prosperity to the land. There Are Strawberry festivals to enjoy along with Sunflower Corn and Apple Blueberry and Honey festivals. Name a food and someone Likely has managed to wrap a festival around it. And that says Carol Maggia Como general manager of downtown Brandon business improvement area is exactly Why the Western Manitoba City of 40,000 began its Celebration of the Pickle Back in 1989. The Debbia wanted to do something to recognize the contributions of the Rural Community that surround the City while at the same time honouring a major downtown employer Mckenzie seeds. The problem says Maggiacomo was trying to come up with a theme that Hadnot already been adopted by somebody else. A it basically started by going through the seeds and saying a of what vegetables Arentt taken a a she chuckles and that show the International Pickle fest was born. What started out As a fun Day in a local Park has since grown into a massive Street festival featuring dances Pancake breakfasts and sidewalk sales. And done to forget the pickles. Bickus a major sponsor of the two Day event puts on a putting contest featuring a Putter with a split Dill Pickle for a head a a it a a right hander a chuckles Maggiacomo. The idea is to putt a Green Ball into a Pickle Jar. This years Celebration runs sept. 5-6. For details Call 1-800-729-2493. Meanwhile Morden scorn and Apple festival has grown from 150 visitors in 1966 to As Many As 50,000 during the three Days of the annual Celebration. A a it a quite a popular event a says festival spokeswoman Heather Enns. This year the festival runs from aug. 22 to 24. Call 822-5630 for information. One of its biggest attractions is that the word a a free is spoken Well freely around Here. There a free entertainment on the Mai stage while chomping on free cobs of Corn and swishing Back free glasses of Apple cider. Last year the festival went through 23,000 cobs of Corn and 32,000 shot glasses of cider. At the same time its a major Boon to the towns businesses As visitors open up their wallets freely and spread around their Cash. In Winnipeg festival do Voyageur a Winter Celebration and Fol Lorama Are just two of the Many Well known festivities that easily bring in tens of thousands of visitors to the province from across Canada and abroad. For those who Are drawn to the cultural diversity showcased by Fol Lorama but done to like the crowds there is the annual gathering of nations tucked away in South Central Manitoba. A continued on Page b4 there Are Strawberry festivals along with Sunflower Corn and Apple Blueberry and Honey festivals. Name a food and someone Likely has managed to wrap an enjoyable festival around it. Festivals Cater to a wide variety of tastes almost anywhere you go in Manitoba during the summer there is a Celebration of one kind or another going on. Here Are some of the Many events you might want to Check out on your travels this year. For a More detailed list you can pick up a free Manitoba events guide available in places such As the Forks and the Manitoba legislative building Portage Portage july 5-8. Winnipeg Folk festival Birds Hill Park july 10-13. Emerson International theatre festival july 11-13. Canadian Turtle Derby Boissevain july 11-13. Triple s fair and Rodeo Selkirk july 11-13. Parkland summer festival Rossburn july 12-13. Manitoba Stampede and exhibition Morris july 17-20. World beat �?T97 festival the Forks july 18-20. Arborg summer fest july 18-20. Strawberry festival Portage la Prairie july 18-20. Winnipeg fringe festival historic Exchange District july 18-27. Old time settlers picnic Oak Hammock Marsh july 19-20. World Lily capital festival Neepawa july 21-27. Manitoba Thresher end a reunion amp Stampede Austin july 23-26. Central Canada fiddle festival Austin july 25-26. Manitoba Sunflower festival Altona july 25-27. Red River Valley Rodeo red River exhibition grounds july 26-27. Brandon Folk music amp arts festival Keystone Centre grounds july 26-27. Had Ashville Strawberry festival july 27. Cripple Creek music festival Morden july 27. Classic Rock weekend Minnedosa july 31-aug. 3. St. Pierre Frog follies july 31-aug. 3. National ukrainian festival Dauphin aug. 1-3. Blueberry festival Piney aug. 1-3. Pioneer Days Steinbach aug. 1-4. Ponderosa Days Cartwright aug. 1-4. icelandic festival Gimli aug. 2-4. Fol Lorama aug. 3-16. Dragon boat festival the Forks aug. 9-10. Selkirk children a festival aug. 13. Stonewall Quarry Days aug. 15-17. Tall grass Prairie Days Oak Hammock Marsh aug. 16-17. Red River rendezvous lower fort Garry aug. 16-17. Morden Corn amp Apple festival aug. 22-24. Graham mall round up Street festival aug. 23. Kleefeld Honey festival aug. 23. Ashern Rodeo aug. 29-31. Swan River museum Harvest festival aug. 30-31. Heritage Day Cooks Creek aug. 31. International Pickle fest Brandon sept. 5-6. Pembina Thresher end a reunion Winkler Morden sept. 5-6. Manitoba Catfish festival Selkirk sept. 6-7. Oktoberfest Winnipeg convention Centre sept. 11-20. Festival of the Equinox Stonewall sept. 20. Fun and fiddle festival Miami oct. 10-12.Morden brings a smile to everyone space with its free Corn. % ;