Festival du Voyageur returns for 57th year, celebrating community amid winter challenges

Winnipeg’s largest winter festival is set to kick off its 57th year, bringing together visitors and artists from around the world for two weeks of music, culture and snow sculptures.

“It’s a wonderful place to make connections, to build friendships and to really feel a sense of belonging,” said Scott Gillingham, mayor of Winnipeg.

That sense of belonging is what keeps international artists coming back.

Geertje Marquardt has returned to Winnipeg once again, this time bringing family along for the experience.

“She tricked them, she said it was a vacation, she didn’t say anything about hard work and shoveling snow, so now they are learning,” said Carole Dagenais.

Marquardt said it’s the people and artistic collaboration that make the festival special.

“I love the people here. I love to listen to the music, to enjoy the community. When you come together as a community of artists, it’s because it’s a symposium. You can help each other, learn from each other. Look at each other’s tools,” said Marquardt.

Marquardt and the team are building “peace arches,” designed as a place where people can pause and reflect. Dagenais has been part of the team since meeting Marquardt in 2017. Dagenais first volunteered at the festival in 1997 and later moved into sculpting, a skill that has since led to opportunities around the world.

“When I came back in 98, my second year, the guys who were organizing said you can’t just do that, you have to start sculpting. So, they lent me tools and said oh you do this and do that. And they thought I was pretty good at it,” said Dagenais.

While the festival is known for its intricate snow sculptures, warmer winter temperatures are creating challenges for artists.

“In terms of the warmth that we’re having now, not great for snow sculpting. You just gotta sorta realize that fine details are not something that’s gonna happen. You could pretty much watch your sculpture get eaten away by the sun while you’re building it,” said Chris Pancoe, a snow sculptor.

Organizers say the festival is about more than sculptures. It is also a major showcase for live music in Manitoba.

“So, we’ve been around 57 years, and little-known fact is we hire more artist than any other festival in Manitoba. So, we’ve got over 200 artists playing this year and we’re really excited for everyone to come see that,” said Julien Desaulniers, artistic director of Festival du Voyageur.

Official festivities get underway Friday evening, launching two weeks of celebration aimed at bringing warmth to the heart of winter.