Visiting Festivals
It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we invite your festival’s dignitaries to join us for the opening weekend of the 56th edition of Festival du Voyageur being held from Friday, February 14 to Sunday, February 23, 2025. We’re looking forward to meeting your delegates and celebrating Western Canada’s largest winter festival and celebration of French-Canadian culture with you.
Please register yourself or your delegation by clicking on the appropriate link and filling in the online forms. If you have any questions, please contact Johanne and Guy Noël at [email protected] or send a text to (204) 612-4618.
Registration deadline is January 17, 2025.
NOTE: All bars at the Festival du Voyageur grounds will be CASHLESS.
For Thursday, February 13th arrivals, Hospitality Suite in the Lombard room will be open at 5 pm
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025
The Fairmont Hotel will do their best to have your rooms ready upon your early arrival.
Hotel:
Fairmont Winnipeg
2 Lombard Place, Winnipeg, MB R3B 0Y3
(204) 957-1350
Stop by the welcome desk in the lobby between 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. to pick up your Festival passes, which include the full itinerary for you to review, as well as a special gift. After 3 p.m. pick up will be in the Hospitality Suite. (Lombard Room, lower level in the Fairmont)
3 p.m. | Hospitality Suite open for business!
CASH BAR
3:30 p.m. | Welcome reception and presentations
Program:
- Welcoming remarks from Festival du Voyageur
- Visiting Festivals will be matched with their respective Winnipeg hosts
- Each Festival will be given the opportunity to present their Festival and their delegation
- We will give you any required housekeeping notes and answer any questions
Dress code: Please arrive at orientation with partial layers on. Bring your outerwear as we will be leaving directly from the Hospitality Suite.
5:45 p.m. | Meet in lobby, ready for Opening Ceremony
Passes required, Voyageur Park bars are cashless, bring credit or debit cards
6:00 p.m. |Buses depart towards the Opening Ceremony in Voyageur Park
NOTE: Dress according to the weather conditions.
6:15 | Arrival at the Opening Ceremony in Voyageur Park. Your hosts will guide you there, so please stay together.
*Each Visiting Festival will be announced, so cheer loud when you hear yours being called
7:00 p.m. | After the Opening Ceremony, everyone is free to wander around the park, visit the different tents with various entertainment, learn about the fur trade era through historical interpreters, have a drink in the Tavern (Maison du Bourgeois) check out some of the food trucks, get a shot of Caribou in an ice glass (staple of the Festival!), try some delicious maple taffy, and take photos in front of the beautiful and unique snow sculptures.
9:30 p.m. | Departure back to the Fairmont. Anyone is welcome to stay longer at the park, but will then need to arrange for their own transportation back to the hotel. Check with your Hosts.
Hospitality Suite: 10 p.m. to 3 a.m… ish (last call at 2 a.m.)
NOTE: The Fairmont and Hospitality Suite are NON-SMOKING as to the City By-laws. No drinks are to be taken out of the Hospitality Suite. To enter, a “Visiting Festivals” pass is required!
***
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2025
8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. | Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruits and muffins for breakfast in the Hospitality Suite.
10 a.m. | Meet in the lobby ready for Voyageur Park. Passes required, Voyageur Park bars are cashless, bring credit or debit cards
10:15: a.m. | Departure towards Voyageur Park
Passes are required to access the Festival. Once there, everyone is free to wander around the park, visit the different tents with various entertainment, learn about the fur trade era through historical interpreters, have a drink in the Tavern (Maison du Bourgeois), check out some of the food trucks, get a shot of Caribou in an ice glass (staple of the Festival!), try some delicious maple taffy, and take photos in front of the beautiful and unique snow sculptures.
Dress code: Dress warm, lots of layers, ready for a few hours spent outside at the Festival. Once again, please dress according to the weather conditions.
1:30 p.m. | Return to the Fairmont to prepare for the Visiting Festivals Mass and Banquet
4 p.m. | Meet in the lobby ready for mass
4:15 p.m. | Departure from the Fairmont to Saint-Boniface Cathedral for 5 p.m. church service (dress for the Banquet). Pews will be reserved for our guests.
Dress code: Formal attire!
6:00 p.m. | Bus leaving from the Fairmont with those not attending Mass.
6:15 p.m. | Bus proceeds from the Cathedral to the Banquet at the Saddlery.
6:30 p.m. | Cocktails followed by supper at 7:30.
CASH BAR
10 p.m. | Departure back to the Fairmont
Hospitality Suite open: 10 p.m. to 3 a.m… ish (last call at 2 a.m.)
***
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2025
9:30-10:30 a.m. | Coffee, tea, hot chocolate, fruits and muffins for breakfast in the Hospitality Suite.
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. | TOUR PROGRAM
OPTION A : Winnipeg City Tour, includes a bag lunch for everyone.
OPTION B : Visit the Forks Historic Site (food, shops, skate rentals for skating trails on the river)
Dress code: Casual attire
2:45 p.m. | Meet in lobby ready for Gift Exchange and Voyageur Games!!
3 p.m. | Departure towards the Marion Hotel for Gift Exchange, supper and the Voyageur Games.
CASH BAR
Dress code: Casual wear or Team colours and don’t forget to stretch!
3:30 p.m. | Gift exchange
5 p.m. | Supper
6:30 p.m. | Voyageur Games! Go teams Go!
9:30 p.m. | Return to Fairmont
Hospitality Suite open: 10 p.m. to 3 a.m… ish (last call at 2 a.m.)
***
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2025
Hotel checkouts – before 12 p.m. Please make sure that all accounts are paid.
HéHo!
Hotel rooms are available at the Fairmont Winnipeg at a reduced price. Rooms accommodate up to 4 visitors and cost $123 CAD + taxes per night.
When reserving, please indicate the first and last names of all guests as well as which type of room you would like:
- Option 1: Doubles (4 people)
- Option 2: Single King (2 people)
Accommodations must be payed directly to the Fairmont Winnipeg before checking out.
Please note: Rooms must be reserved through Festival du Voyageur for the discount to be applied. Please send room reservations to Guy & Johanne at [email protected].
Delegates are responsible for their transportation to and from Winnipeg.
Festival du Voyageur offers complimentary transportation to and from the airport, the hotel or the park grounds.
2025 Delegate registration
$450 CAD
- Opening ceremony
- Official 2025 Festival souvenir
- Park pass
- Hospitality Suite with live entertainment every night
- Continental breakfasts and 3 dinners
- Transportation to and from hotel