Icelandic Festival returns to Gimli

This August long weekend marks the return of Vikings, vinarterta, and other Icelandic festivities to Manitoba's Interlake, along with a few new traditions.

Islendingadagurinn, otherwise known as the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, is happening July 29 – August 1, 2022, in Gimli, Man., and organizers are excited for a return to an in-person festival.

"All of our outdoor and indoor events are back," said festival president Jenna Boholij. "We did celebrate hybrid last year, but we operated maybe only at about a third of our event, so all of those are back this year." The festival operated completely virtually in 2020.

This is the 133rd celebration of the Icelandic culture Gimli was founded on. Among the returning in-person events are the morning pancake breakfasts, the popular Viking Village, a sandcastle contest, and an Icelandic-themed art show.

New for this year's festival is the Strongman competition, hosted by four-time world champion Magnus Ver Magnússon. Contestants will compete in a series of events to prove their strength, such as lifting Atlas stones and pulling vehicles.

"They'll probably do eight different feats of strength throughout the two-day event," said Boholij. The competition is a qualifier event for the World Strongman Competition, happening in Iceland this November.

The festival is almost entirely free, Boholij adds, with admission being charged at only a few individual events.

"You can definitely come out here on a budget and enjoy it with the family."

More information about Islendingadagurinn can be found here.