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Taste of Manitoba Returns in 2025 with Food, Music and Family Fun
A triumphant comeback at Fort Gibraltar
Starting today, August 28 and running through Monday, September 1, the grounds of Fort Gibraltar in St. Boniface will come alive with food, drinks, live music, and family activities. After a multi-year hiatus, A Taste of Manitoba is back. The festival features more than 20 local restaurants and a wide selection of beverages, creating a lively, family-friendly atmosphere for both food lovers and industry insiders.
“What a great historic environment right here in the heart of Boniface,” said Shaun Jeffrey, Executive Director and CEO of the Manitoba Restaurant and Food Services Association. “Fort Gibraltar is amazing, it’s an amazing historic environment. A really cool place to go even when there isn’t food and local beverage there as well. So yeah, we’re really excited and this is the place where we want it to be.”
Why bring it back?
Taste of Manitoba was last held in 2006. Jeffrey explained that high costs and lack of infrastructure forced organizers to put it on pause. “It just wasn’t really conducive to having a food festival at it because it didn’t have any infrastructure, no washrooms, no water, no power,” he said of the former Memorial Park location.
The reboot has been years in the making. “This has been an 8 year journey for myself. I started in 2018 with the Restaurant Association… so it was really kind of a great way for me to kind of bring back this food festival that I spent a lot of my early career on... but this time... a little bit later in my career.”
A truly local flavour
Jeffrey emphasized the festival’s hyper-local focus. “We wanted to make sure that only Manitoba made beverages were being served there. Only Manitoba alcohol was being served there, Manitoba restaurants owned and operated by Manitobans right here in the province,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that we had all the best in all the various types, the food ethnicities that we had... that was really important for us in putting this up around again.”
Tickets, tastes, and value
The festival is free to attend, but food and drinks are purchased with tickets. “That’s the process from 1988, never changed and still being utilized all over Canada,” said Jeffrey. Tickets are $2 each, with dishes ranging from three to five tickets.
Affordability was a top priority. “Some of these items that you’re getting are only going to be $6.00 and $8.00, you know which in this economy and inflation that has been so rampant throughout the country is pretty reasonable,” Jeffrey said. Even beverages are budget-friendly: “You’re looking at a Pepsi is going to be $4.00, which is what you pay for in a Co-op.”
Themed days and family fun
Each day of the festival has a theme. Thursday is Hospitality Night, Friday is 80s Day, Saturday is 90s Day, Sunday is Family Day, and Monday celebrates first responders.
“We’re going to be going around and handing out gift cards all day long to people that we just see that are participating in 80s and 90s,” Jeffrey said. “Sunday is Family Day where we actually have an amazing magician. Evan Morgan is coming actually to join us that day… kids are going to be getting free tickets when their parents buy tickets... So they can eat for free that day.”
On Monday, first responders will receive ticket discounts as thanks for their service.
Vendor village and live music
The event also includes one of the largest vendor markets in the province, with all products made in Manitoba. “We made sure that that was a pre-qualified,” Jeffrey explained. “It’s great because you can go grab your food and then right behind the vendor village is our family and fun area.”
Visitors can also expect live bands throughout the weekend, food contests, and interactive booths. “Not very often you get to see the mayor of Saint James hanging out at a food festival,” Jeffrey joked, referring to Silver Heights owner Tony Siwicki, who will be cooking on-site.
Celebrating Manitoba’s hospitality industry
For Jeffrey, the event is about more than just food—it’s about the people who make it possible. “It is a really great way showcase the hospitality industry. Look, I’ve spent 3 decades working in the hospitality industry myself… This is the best place to be. This is the best place to start your career or end your career and if you come and hang out with us over the next 5 days... you can see exactly why.”
How to attend
Admission is free, and tickets for food and beverages can be purchased online or on-site. “You can buy them on site. You can buy them online. You can do whatever you want,” Jeffrey said. Tickets are available at tasteofmb.com, where visitors can purchase in advance and receive a QR code for faster entry.
“We expect about 700 to 900 Manitobans at one time inside the walls of Gibraltar and the outside area,” said Jeffrey. “So if you want to get ahead of that… just go get your scan your QR code when you get here and you get your tickets.”
Whether you’re craving a chance to sample Winnipeg’s best restaurants, sip on locally made beverages, dance to live bands, or simply spend a summer day with family and friends, Taste of Manitoba delivers it all. With its historic Fort Gibraltar setting, diverse lineup of food and entertainment, and a true celebration of Manitoba’s hospitality industry, this festival is more than just a feast — it’s a showcase of local pride, community spirit, and the flavours that make our province unique.