Lac du Bonnet is a community known for its many events – over one hundred to be precise. While we may not be able to enjoy and celebrate like we usually would, we can at least have a small piece of the events that bring our beautiful community together.

On September 5, you can experience some of Lac du Bonnet’s organizations, and businesses come together to give you a piece of the festivals, events, and activities that normally take place over the summer months all in one day.

Our lists of activities and groups participating in Mini-Fest is growing. As new information comes along, we will keep you updated. We also have a printable brochure available for download.

Last updated on September 1, 2020

*Disclaimer*

• Stay home if you have been travelling, recently entered the Province, or do not feel well.
• Practice social distancing (6 feet apart).
• Use designated entrances.
• Use cashless payments when possible.
• Do not touch unless necessary.
• Avoid greetings that involve touching.
• Please practice Leave No Trace. Pick up after yourself and dispose of your garbage appropriately.

LDB Home & Cottage Expo

Are you looking for that perfect item to make your cottage feel homey? Or, perhaps, your home needs a new makeover? Well, have no fear! The LDB Home & Cottage Expo will have what you’re looking for to add that ‘wow’ factor to your little piece of heaven.

Planned and organized by the Lac du Bonnet Chamber of Commerce, this Expo will have a variety of vendors and businesses dedicated to design your dream home! From shopping for those small, but important knickknacks to add to the indoor and outdoor décor, to finding the right business to help complete the renos that you have been putting off, you’ll find them here.

You can find the LDB Home & Cottage Expo in the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Lac du Bonnet Farmers’ Market

After the Expo, you might find that you have the shopping bug. Don’t sweat it; your next stop has just the thing you’re looking for! The Lac du Bonnet Farmers’ Market has been a fan favourite by everyone that stops in Lac du Bonnet for years. Featuring vendors that can either make it, bake it, or grow it, you can discover fabulous handmade jewelry, sinfully delicious treats, locally grown vegetables, and much more! September 5 is the market’s last official weekend running, so you don’t want to miss it!

Lac du Bonnet takes pride in the fact that many locals express their artistic side. From authors who create wonderful characters, woodworkers who design breathtaking furniture that lasts for years, and much more, you’ll be amazed by the creative and hardworking vendors.

Treat yourself to goodies that are fresh, homemade, and made with love. From jams, jellies, and honey, to freshly baked bread, buns, cakes, cookies, fudge, and more, you won’t be leaving without a satisfied, full belly.

Enjoy your favourite fruits and vegetables the way they’re meant to – fresh and locally grown. At the market, you’ll find many vendors with a variety of produce, from corn on the cob to cucumbers, herbs and spices, to berries galore and pickled goods, and many more.

You can find the Lac du Bonnet Farmers’ Market outside of the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Visit Ridge Creek Ranch

At Ridge Creek Ranch we love the outdoors and spending time around our amazing animals. We’re located 10 minutes west of Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba, and offer a variety of experiences such as riding lessons, wagon rides, pony rides, and birthday parties. Or if you are simply in the mood to come to spend some time learning about the horses and interacting with them one-on-one, we do that too!

Rain or shine, head on out to meet the horses of Ridge Creek Ranch! Spend some time with the ponies, horses and Bentley the Donkey. The kids can enjoy guided pony rides around the property while the adults interact with the bigger horses. The indoor arena will offer protection from the elements if needed.

69 Barryland Road from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

To guarantee a pony ride, please text Mike ahead of time at 204-213-2002

Arena BBQ Fundraiser

After all that shopping, your stomach will probably be rumbling. Stop by the Lac du Bonnet Arena (located right beside the Lac du Bonnet Community Centre) for some good old-fashioned hotdogs and hamburgers! Take your lunch to go and enjoy an afternoon picnic at one of Lac du Bonnet Parks.

You can find the Arena at 35 McArthur Avenue from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.

St. John’s Heritage Church & Arts Centre

Calling all history enthusiasts! Immerse yourself in the history of Lac du Bonnet by visiting our oldest remaining building – the former St. John’s Anglican Church.

The former St. Johns Church, with its spire standing tall, is unique amongst the buildings that form the Town and R.M. of Lac du Bonnet. This 114-year-old landmark, at the corner of Fourth and McArthur, is Lac du Bonnet’s oldest remaining, significant building, and has stood the test of time.

Built in 1906 by pioneers Thomas Houston, Alexander Spence and his sons, using local lumber and bricks from the Lac du Bonnet Mining, Developing and Manufacturing Company, St. Johns holds immeasurable historical significance to Lac du Bonnet.

The year, while St. John’s Anglican Church was being built, proved to be one of the most significant years in Lac du Bonnet’s history. The Pinawa Power Plant began generating power to electrify the city of Winnipeg, William Duncan Halliday took out the first homestead, and our population increased above 400 people.

In December 2018, the Former St. John’s Anglican Church was deconsecrated due to declining members. The Lac du Bonnet and District Historical Society acquired the landmark and received Provincial Heritage Designation. The Society operates the facility as a community space.

September 5 is the last day to take a tour of St. John’s due to repairs being done on the belfry.

You can find St. John’s Heritage Church & Arts Centre at 86 McArthur Avenue from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM

BONUS: Enjoy the outdoor market on the Church grounds from 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM. Norwex, Thirtyone, Steeped Tea, Mary Kay, and Epicure will all be there. You can also purchase tickets for the 50/50 Fundraiser Draw.

Piragi Sale

Help support our local non-profit organization preserve our community’s history, by treating your taste buds to a dozen of these wonderful Latvian Traditions.

This traditional Lativian pastry will be available by pre-order only by the fabulous volunteer cooks of the Lac du Bonnet and District Historical Society. Whether you have tried them, or not, or even heard of them, for that matter, Piragi are delicious bacon and onion stuffed buns.

Buns are being sold for $9.00 per dozen and can be preordered by calling Brigitte at 204-345-3060.

Lac du Bonnet Regional Library Book Sale

Are you in a reading funk? You know what funk I’m talking about, where nothing on your bookshelf sounds interesting. The Lac du Bonnet Regional Library has just the thing for you. A book sale, of course! Go on the hunt for page-turning, keeps you up at night, book.

From fiction to non-fiction, romance novels to sci-fi thrillers, children, teen, to adult books and everything in between, you’ll be able to shake off your reading funk and find your new favourite read!

You can find the Lac du Bonnet Regional Library at 84 Third Street from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM.

Lac du Bonnet District Museum

Whoever said that a small town doesn’t have a rich, fascinating history has never been to Lac du Bonnet before. The Lac du Bonnet District Museum is located on the beautiful Halliday Park that was once owned by William Duncan Halliday, the first registered homestead in the district. The museum building itself holds historical value. Built in 1937 by Norwegian Hans Erickson for his daughter Linnea, this log cabin turn museum was relocated to where it resides today on Halliday Park.

Inside, you will find intriguing displays and artifacts from various generations. From prehistoric stone tools and pottery to early pioneer collections, you could spend hours viewing items.

Located where the prairie meets the rugged boreal shield, Lac du Bonnet is a place where industries collided. Plentiful trees led to timber harvesting and pulp production; early residents who settled the land turned to hunting, fishing, trapping and farming to survive. At the same time, the aviation industry found this to be the perfect place for their daring bush pilots to venture deeper into the untamed wilderness, further opening up the region for development.

Enjoy exhibits focusing on Lac du Bonnet and area First Nations, and featured settlers within its diverse nationalities. Discover the stories of how Lac du Bonnet bricks built Winnipeg’s first skyscraper, and the major role hydroelectric generating stations supplied electricity to Winnipeg. Lac du Bonnet boasts the largest Latvian settlement west of Toronto prior to WW1 and is a featured display for 2020.

This will be the last weekend that the museum will be open for the season. You can find the museum on Halliday Park on Hwys 502 & 313 near the Winnipeg River Bridge from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Fire and Water Music Festival Presents the Teakle Family Circus

No festival is complete without a performance. Fire and Water Music Festival is ready to get in on the fun by presenting The Teakle Family Circus!

Be prepared to get your socks knocked off by award-winning, Winnipeg-based siblings Sarah, Jonathan, and Jacob. Through their circus acts of hoops, juggling, and laugh out loud entertainment, you’ll be amazed by their talents.

Check out their videos for a snippet of what you’re in for!

Watch for the Teakle Family as they hit the streets of Lac du Bonnet between 11:00 AM and 11:45 AM

Catch the full performance behind the Community Centre from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Winnipeg River Burger Trail

Are you ready for the most important mission you’ve ever been on? Lac du Bonnet restaurants De’s Family Grill and Dairy Hut, Drifters, Chicken Chef, Trappers, and Black Bear Golf Course, are participating in the Winnipeg River Burger Trail!

Starting on August 24 and running till September 5, you can travel the burger trail (from Whitemouth to Pine Falls) and try all twelve restaurants’ creative and unique burgers – and vote on your favourite! It won’t be an easy task, but it will definitely be a delicious one!

Fire and Water Music Festival presents Cohen Sieg

Immerse yourself with local artist, Cohen Sieg and his passion-filled music. At eighteen years old, Cohen has been writing, performing, and leaving audiences wanting more for almost half his life. Performing pop and folk music, you’ll wonder how someone this young can play fan-favourite covers and original songs with such depth, talent, and raw passion.

He is well known for hitting the stage with nothing more than himself, his guitar, and his trusty looper, captivating fans solo, but having the sound of a full band. While you’ll find him playing mostly with his guitar, he is a multi-instrumentalist. Bass, keyboard, saxophone, and percussion are just a few instruments Cohen has mastered.

Recently, Cohen has released a new original song, Glad You’re My Girl, dedicated to longtime girlfriend, Kylie. Other originals written by Cohen are Goodbye and The Thought of You (also written by Bukola Balugun and Akemi Nakanishi).

Catch Cohen’s show at the Lac du Bonnet Arena from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Winnipeg River Car Club

Keep your eyes open for the Winnipeg River Car Club. Throughout Lac du Bonnet, WRCC’s members will be bringing out their classic cars for people to view. A total of fifteen pristine, classic cars in various locations will be waiting for you to admire.

From 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM, The Ladybug Café will have two cars set outside of their doors. While you’re there, step inside the café and enjoy specialty coffees and teas, pizza by the slice, various wraps, and maybe a treat or two for the road.

I Heart Coffee will have five cars for people to enjoy from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Try their fan-favourite ice coffee, delicious sandwiches, wraps, and soups, or keep it simple with something to satisfy your sweet tooth.

The Lac du Bonnet Museum will have five cars for people to enjoy from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Stop in to see the cars, then take a tour of the museum to discover Lac du Bonnet’s history and the role we played in helping shape the province.

Wake Surfing Demos featuring Zach Myers

Watch as members from Manitoba’s provincial wakeboard team create some waves, catch some air, and amaze you with their daring talents while wake surfing and wakeboarding along the Winnipeg River.

Zach Myers is a wakeboarder who began wakeboarding in Lac du Bonnet in 2008 and has since become a recognized competitor, coach and event official in Manitoba and across the country. Zach has competed at the Provincial and National Level and has had the opportunity to train, coach and compete in B.C, Ontario, Florida, Texas and the Philippines. Zach is currently the Vice-president of High-Performance Wakeboarding in Manitoba.

Yoga with Fran

The weekend was made for rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation. Get the most out of your weekend and stop by St. John’s Heritage Church and Arts Centre for a morning of yoga. Every Saturday, feel the stress and worry of daily life melt away as a yoga instructor, Fran, guides you through poses and finding your zen. By the end of your session, you’ll feel relaxed, refreshed, and ready for anything.

This is a week by week drop-in class but we ask that you register with Fran to keep within COVID-19 restrictions on social distancing. Capacity is limited to 12 people per class, so please call or text Fran at 204-254-6889 to register for your spot. $10.00 per class.

Gentle Flow Hatha Yoga for all levels. Please bring your own mat.