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Ten Ways To Exchange This Weekend

There’s always something going on in the Exchange District! From shopping to restaurants and galleries and all of our special events, you can’t walk five feet without seeing something incredible. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can get up to this weekend. 

First Fridays

July 5 @ 5:00pm until late 

Take part in one of the most engaging and inspiring arts events Winnipeg has to offer. This spectacular event created, organized and run by First Fridays in the Exchange Inc., offers a perfect opportunity to explore all the Exchange District has to offer.

Enjoy gallery openings, talk to artists who inhabit the District’s heritage buildings, grab a delicious bite at a café or restaurant and explore the numerous unique shops. All this and more, in a walkable 20-square-blocks.

First Fridays in the Exchange is dedicated to bringing together artists, artist-run centres, galleries, businesses and the public for a greater understanding, appreciation and promotion of the arts in the thriving Exchange District community. Click here for a full guide and more

First Fridays Bike-ins

July 5 @ 7:00pm

Frasers Grove Park to the Exchange 

Biking to the Exchange is easier than you think!

Take part in a 7.5km (45 minute) bike ride through your neighbourhood that will show you a safe and convenient route all the way to the Exchange District. This group ride will instill you with the confidence to feel comfortable riding throughout Winnipeg!

Choose to join at any of the starting stations (detailed below) along the way, whatever is most convenient for you.

Once we arrive in The Exchange District you are free to roam around and see all that First Fridays have to offer. Although we will not be biking back with you we will have printed directions for your convenience to get you home safe. See our start times and registration form below.

Event Stations:

7:00pm Main Station: Fraser Grove Park (Meet at Rossmere Crescent & Kildonan Drive)

7:10pm 2nd Station: Senior Citizens Park (Kildonan Drive at Bronx Place)

7:20pm 3rd Station: St. Alphonsus Catholic Church (315 Munroe Avenue)

7:30pm 4th Station: Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute (Meet at the Courtyard on Talbot Avenue)

7:45pm Finish: Exchange District BIZ Office, 492 Main St

Register here

Alleyways Market in the Exchange

July 5 @ 5:00pm – 10:00pm 

Back Lane @ Elgin Avenue 

Alleyways Market takes over the back lane at Elgin Avenue in the East Exchange district for three more Fridays this summer. With a winning mix of handmade goods, ready to eat snacks and fresh, locally produced food to take home, you don’t want to miss it. This iteration features 50 vendors, tango dancing, and more! Click here for a full list of vendors. 

Bodega Boogie

July 5 @ 10:00pm

Cordova Tapas & Wine Bar, 93 Albert Street 

Four DJs. Actual 45s. House, disco, funk, soul, and more. Every First Friday in the Exchange at Cordova.

Design Quarter Winnipeg Pop Up 

July 5 @ 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Bijou Park Shipping Containers 

July 5th will feature pop-ups by The Community Gym and Natural Cycleworks! Live spin classes by donation, bike-tune ups, PLUS take one of Natural Cycleworks spiffy, new, custom-made rides out for a spin to test out the new Exchange District bike lanes!

Paint the Peg

Ongoing

While it happened last weekend, you can still check it out this weekend (and for the indefinite future). It being the graffiti artwork of 12 incredible local and international artists on alleys throughout the Exchange. Brought to life by locals Cash Akoza and Trisha Kulathungam, the works help to promote safe spaces in the Exchange and downtown areas.   

Cloakroom Open House 

July 5 @ 5:00pm – 9:00pm

Cloakroom, 200 – 70 Albert Street 

Come check out Cloakroom, take in the beauty, and envision your next event! July 5th for First Friday’s in the Exchange, we are holding an open house 5 – 9 PM for anyone intrigued about the space. Enter through Lennard Taylor at 246 McDermot Ave. or the Telegram Building entrance at 70 Albert St; right on the corner of Albert & McDermot. The door will be open, come say hi and take a look around.

WIT Bits @ First Fridays 

July 5 @ 7:00pm – 8:15pm

320-70 Albert Street

As part of First Fridays in July WIT (Winnipeg Independent Theatre) is offering a sneak peak at some of the best independent theatre companies in the city! Come check it out and stay for a talk back with the artists – ask them all your theatre questions! Participants include Sarasvati Productions, Echo Theatre, Theatre by the River, and Theatre Incarnate. Warning: mature content

Historic Places Day

July 6 @ 10:00am – 4:00pm

492 Main Street

The National Trust for Canada believes every place has a story, so we’re participating in the annual Historic Places Day! We’re bringing three of our classic tours out of retirement for your enjoyment, the Bankers Row tour @ 10am, the Newspaper Row tour @ 12:30pm and the Real to Reel tour @ 2:30pm! Click here for more information on each tour and how to register.

ZINNIA w/Natural Sympathies, The Emu

July 7 @ 7:00pm

Forth, 171 McDermot Ave

A night of electronic enjoyment! Catch Toronto-based art pop synth project ZINNIA at Forth alongside Regina’s electronic experts Natural Sympathies and Winnipeg’s own man of many bands, J. Riley Hill, performing as The Emu. Tickets are $10 at the door.