Star Attraction
Long known for fierceness in battle & their Seafaring ways, their Norse ancestors were fighters whereas the Icelandic settlers that arrived on the shores of Willow Island in October 1875 brought a love of poetry & prose, of history & family. They came as fishers and farmers learning to deal with tough times in a new land. Strong family ties, their heritage, their foods [Vinarterta, ponnukokur], the belief in a better life lives on today. Thousands of descendants return home annually to “Islendingadagurinn” or the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba celebrating their 129th Anniversary in 2018, known to be the second longest continually running cultural festival in North America. The Vikings arrive August long weekend, the town of Gimli swells to over 50,000 people, reconnecting “new & old Vikings” with their ancestry. Get Dinged… become a Viking for a weekend!
