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THE BRANDON SUN • WINTER FAIR • 2026
2026 • WINTER FAIR • THE BRANDON SUN
Winter Fair a lasting tradition for Manitobans By Connor McDowell
A western Manitoba tradition that has lasted for 120 years has returned again this year, bringing with it a week of agricultural education, competition, and a wealth of food and entertainment, just in time for spring break. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is set to run from Monday, March 30 to Saturday, April 4. A host of main attractions are returning as well, such as the Manitoba Mounted Shooting Association, fan-favourite Doodles the clown, and the Canine Circus presented by Fusion Credit Union and Dogs Do Magic acts, said man- ager of operations Kristen Laing Breemersch. World-class show jumping will headline the event again, and heavy horse competitions and livestock displays will return to bolster culture and education in agriculture. As the event spans Good Friday and leads into the Easter weekend, this year’s events will feature an egg hunt, and manager of operations Kristen Laing Breemersch said there will be a variety of related entertainment for kids and families.
Kids from the Westman 4-H Archery Club hold up their banner while waiting to march into the main arena. Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun
“We have an area with an Easter Bunny for photos, and an opportunity to decorate easter eggs by painting and co- louring throughout the weekend,” Laing Breemersch said. “We’re hoping to celebrate Easter as best as we can at our event with the families that come and take part with us.” The Winter Fair this year is marked by themed days with special activities: Monday starts with “Heroes Day” in hon- our of public safety workers and military members; Tues- day marks “4-H Day” in celebration of the next generation of agricultural leaders; Wednesday is “RBC Family Day” for family friendly fun and entertainment; Thursday is “For- ever Royal Kids Day” dedicated to kids; Friday is themed “Multicultural Day” to celebrate the diversity of music, culture and food of Manitoba; and the final day of the fair, Saturday, is “Indigenous Celebrations Day” in honour of culture and history of Indigenous people. Visitors will notice that there are more vendors, trade show exhibitors, and food trucks in the Manitoba Hall this year, as the entertainment stage was moved into the MNP Hall. Laing Breemersch said this was done for a better en- tertainment experience and to better organize space. “We’ve just tried to change the feel of that,” Laing Breem- ersch said. “It allows us to open up the Manitoba Room
with more vendors and more options, extra food trucks and extra trade shows.” The Manitoba room will still be used as the Royal court- yard with family entertainment trade show vendors, food vendors and a seating area. The fair has seen a small increase in the number of ven- dors setting up shop for the winter fair this year, said trade show and vendor co-ordinator Kaila Lapointe. Multi Cook Brandon, a Ukrainian cuisine franchise, will be coming for the first time, she said. “We have a lot of vendors that really enjoy doing the winter fair. and we have a lot of ones that keep coming year after year,” Lapointe said. “I think, word of mouth, and ad- vertisement, and more and more people are catching on.” It is the 56th year since the fair was designated as Royal by Canada’s late monarch Queen Elizabeth II. Horse jumping will continue to be the lead competitive element of the Winter Fair. Live streaming will return of these competitions, increasing the viewership and accessi- bility, Swain said. “Because we have exhibitors traveling from coast to coast, and some from the USA coming up to compete, it gives those family members an opportunity to watch.
A bunny lays still in a wooden crate in the Royal Farm Yard. Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun
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