Length of Trip : The festival takes place over a long weekend

Cost : Free!

Best time to go : End of July, beginning of August.

Wheelchair friendly : Yes

Family friendly : Yes

Where to eat : To mash-up two Scandinavian countries, prepare yourself for an Icelandic smorgasbord. Rullupylsa, skyr, ponnukokor, and no Viking can turn down a layered vinaterta. For more traditional fare, try the local pickerel at Mask restaurant, or Kris’ Fish & Chips.

Official Site : Icelandic Festival Website

Where to Stay : The Lakeview Hotel is central, and as you can surmise from its name, has views of the lake. You can also try the Land n Sea B&B, and the Misty Lake Lodge, and the appropriately named Viking Inn.

Getting There : Gimli is 100km north of Winnipeg, off provincial Highway 8. To get there from Winnipeg: Take McPhillips Street North past the Perimeter Highway. McPhillips becomes Highway 8. Drive about 75kms and turn right at Gimli Park Road.

Note from Robin : I once leg wrestled a rather large man from Gimli. He told me there is a technique to it, but all I realized is that rather large men have a rather large advantage when it comes to leg wrestling. Also, lets get rid of the horns already. No Viking ever wore horns. They make absolutely no sense when it comes to battle, since it provides a handy grip for your enemy to smite you with. Vikings were given horns by writers and artists eager to emphasize their overall meanness. The first depiction of a Viking with horns dates back all the way to the 1700’s. We were already done burning the witches by then.