Winnipeg is a road trip you need to make if you are a nearby US college student.
Canada is crazy affordable right now, and in Manitoba you can party (responsibly) in clubs and bars at age 18. Plus, we're just a few hours north of North Dakota's two major campuses, and a cultural hotbed if you are looking for a little sophistication away from class.
Here are just a few reasons why a road trip with your crew to Canada should be on your agenda this semester.
That dollar! – Starting with the obvious, your dollar goes much further here than it does at home. The current exchange rate has $1 USD equal to $1.35 CDN, so you can think of everything being 32 per cent off here (all you ECON 105 students are reading this saying, 'well, that's not exactly true'). To make this a basic ECON 210-level lesson (shout-out to Dr. KY Lee), a pint of beer from one of our 20+ breweries is just over $5 for a premium pour, and that includes beers like Nonsuch’s strawberry kölsch or Kilter's Juicii hazy IPA (you kids looking for a chic, inviting atmosphere will love those places). Plus, when the sun is shinning, we have so many perfect patios.
We respect that you are adults – The drinking and cannabis-purchasing age in Manitoba is 18+. So all you freshman, sophomores, juniors and such (sorry if those aren’t the proper terms, we don’t use them up here) can confidentially enter a club, pub, bar or dispensary knowing that you actually belong there. We have a full list of nightlife options for you to choose from, and as Google Maps will show you, we famously have more weed shops than Tim Horton’s. Speaking of coffee, when you’re here and looking for a quality cup, may we suggest one of our many locally owned (and often locally roasted) coffee shops.
There’s so much on in Winnipeg all the time – As you can see in our Events Calendar, outside of going to our clubs you can have your pick of comedy shows, NHL games and so much live music to choose from. In fact, there’s always so much live music, as Winnipeg has the second-most live shows per capita in all of Canada. Should you be looking to check out a scene that has produced the likes of Neil Young and countless others, may we suggest Times Change(d) High & Lonesome Club, West End Cultural Centre, and The Handsome Daughter.
We also have cool attractions to see during the day – A few must-sees include The Forks, our most-visited tourist attraction where some of the sights include The Market–home to The Common Bar (featuring 20+ beers and wine on tap)–as well as local shops, fantastic food kiosks, and outdoor activities like skating in the winter and river cruises in the summer.
Students of history, architecture and everything in between will be left in awe by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It’s also located at The Forks, and you simply can’t miss it due to the fact that there’s nothing in the world that compares to the architecture, nor the contents. Head to Assiniboine Park to see the brand-new star attraction The Leaf, which contains gorgeous balmy biomes, an incredible restaurant, and so much more. For a cooler experience (literally) head to the other side of the park to the zoo, where polar bears will swim right over your head. Our city has museums of all kinds, nature reserves and more, so much of which is currently covered by the Winnipeg Attractions Pass.
Incredible pizza - A blatant stereotype surely, but we ate so much pizza in uni so surely you do too. Seriously though, the whole city is surrounded by wheat and Winnipeg takes its pizza seriously. Here's just a few can't miss pies, along with plenty of other food options by category.
We know you don’t want to do any more reading, so here’s a list of all our hotels so you can book today. Find us just a few hours north, where all you’ll need is a photo ID or passport, and a wanton to have a good time.
