The 16th Annual Westman Multicultural Festival kicks off Thursday, January 31.  This year there will be ten pavilions located throughout Brandon filled with food, drink, music, dance & culture from each of the participating countries.  A new pavilion (Jamaica) will be joining the cultural festival this year.  The pavilions are all FREE to attend.  A list of the Pavilions can be found at this link.

Classic Canadian hard rock bands  Helix, Killer Dwarfs, and Kick Axe will be hitting the stage at The 40 for one memorable concert.  The three bands have toured relentlessly throughout their careers and now they will be bringing their high energy show to Brandon on Saturday, March 23.  The Facebook event page can be found here. Helix has four gold and 2 platinum albums to their credit.  Popular singles include Rock You, Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’, (Make Me Do) Anything You Want, Running Wild In The 21st Century & Dream On. The Killer Dwarfs self-titled debut album was nominated for a Juno in 1983.  Hits include ‘Doesn’t Matter’, “Hard Luck Town” “Cowboys and Conmen “ & the chart topping “Driftin Back”. Kick Axe received a gold record for their debut album “Vices”.  On The Road To Rock, Heavy Metal Shuffle & A Little Help From My Friends are among the bands most recognizable hits. Sale Dates and Times: Public Onsale : Thursday, January 24th, 2019 at 10AM, Advance Tickets $40+ GST

Finding the best restaurant food can often be tricky, especially while traveling in rural communities you are unfamiliar with.  Below is a listing of several must try restaurants located not that from from Brandon. In no particular order. Happy Chopstick (Melita):  Every small town in Manitoba usually has a great Chinese restaurant and Melita is no exception.  Huge portions of flavorful food at a decent price. Benny's Astoria Pizza (Shoal  Lake):  Quite possibly Manitoba's best pizza. The restaurant is also known for it's delicious lasagna and tasty chicken!  Stop by and see Brad today. The Pelican Campground & Lounge (Ninette): The campground/lounge had been closed for twelve years until re-opening in April of this year.  Stop in for Chef Geoff's 8oz homemade cheeseburger and perfectly seasoned fries.  The wings are pretty good too. Woodfire Deli (Souris):   Woodfired pizza, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more all served in a cozy atmosphere.  Catering also available. Hoysun Chinese Food (Deloraine):  Just like its neighbor Happy Chopstick 30 minutes away, Hoysun Chinese Food serves up some enormous portions.   The food is always fresh, flavorful and hot. Gopher Creek Coffee Company (Virden):   This small Bistro in Virden uses the best in scratch ingredients to make their food in house.   Vegan and gluten free options available.  Sandwiches, wraps, salads and breakfast features like the Belgian waffle with brown sugar pineapple compote, coconut whipped cream (pictured below).

If you thought you were too old to get excited about seeing the ice cream truck cruising the streets of Brandon, think again.  Trendy Treats will be bringing its frozen treats to this years Food Truck Warz event and organizers couldn't be happier. “We believe that Trendy Treats unique home made ice cream will be a great fit for our event” said one of the event coordinators Darryl Wolski.   “This is a huge addition to our roster of food trucks for 2019” added Wolski. Trendy Treats specialize in alcohol infused ice cream and Swiss Ice flavors. Some of the more popular flavors include Sweet Bourbon, Fire Ball, Butterscotch Schnapps and more. The Swiss Ice product can be best described as a cross between a slurpee and a sorbet. They also have classic ice cream flavors like strawberry, chocolate, bubble gum and more so everyone can enjoy! All of their ice cream and Swiss Ice products are made fresh daily without adding preservatives.  They also serve lemonade and will be coming out with specialty popcorn flavors this summer.  Stay tuned to bdnmb.ca and www.foodtruckwarz.com for additional event information coming soon.

Strongfront TV at Brandon Riverbank A temporary exhibit will be on display at the Riverbank Discovery Centre January 8th - January 19th, 2019 and a film screening will be presented in partnership with Brandon Riverbank and the Assiniboine Food Forest on January 19th, 2019. Both the display and the documentary film are productions of Strongfront TV, an Indigenous production company that works to “shape the future by reclaiming our heritage and traditions, preserving Indigenous knowledge and sharing resources with the community”. The mixed media exhibit incorporates two art commentary pieces; “Framing the Residential School Narratives through Landscapes of Resiliency” and “Reflections on Shoal Lake Water” and coincide with the stories shared in the documentary film “Urban Eclipse, Rising Tides of Kekekoziibii (Shoal Lake 40)”. Exhibit | Framing Residential School Narratives through Landscapes of Resiliency This series of photo narratives and the multidimensional window arrangements and bricks are inspired by a connection to the stories embedded in the land. The piece includes frames, photos and artifacts that share stories of six residential schools; Birtle Indian Residential School, Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School, Elkhorn Indian Residential School, Guy Hill Indian Residential School, Mackay Indian Residential School, and Spanish Indian Residential School. Each item is accompanied by tobacco ties in acknowledgement of the children taken and the parents left behind, as well as of the Survivors who walked the school’s grounds while sharing their stories. Exhibit | Reflections on Shoal Lake Water The Shoal Lake Water Story is deeply entrenched in the landscape and is reflected in this set of windows that were reclaimed from a pump house that was part of an old water intake on the Assiniboine River. The windows serve as a reminder of the local stories embedded in land and memory. Documentary Film | Urban Eclipse, Rising Tides of Kekekoziibii (Shoal Lake 40) This 77-minute documentary offers the most detailed account of the Shoal Lake Water Story, as told by the people. The film features over 100 photos and images from archives across Canada. Exhibit Hours Riverbank Discovery Centre | January 8th – 19th, 2019 | 8:30am – 5:00pm No Cost | Donations to Strongfront TV can be made at the front desk Film Screening Event Riverbank Discovery Centre | Saturday, January 19th, 2019 Doors open 1:00pm | Film begins 1:30pm | Conversation to follow No Cost | Donations kindly accepted | Concession will be available