Brandon
Around Brandon
Photo: MBBrdn · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons
Town and around · Manitoba · 54k people
Brandon
Locals say Westman · “The Wheat City”
Where the prairie sky meets your heart
Wheat GoldPrairie Green
Welcome to Westman, where the prairie meets the river. Whether you're here for the hockey or the harvest, you'll find a friendly wave and a good perogy. Enjoy the wide-open skies and the small-town charm.
Clubs for Brandon
No clubs for Brandon yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Brandon. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Brandon. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Keystone Centre Home of the Brandon Wheat Kings and host of major fairs and concerts.
- Brandon University Public university with a historic campus in the heart of Brandon.
- Riverbank Discovery Centre Interpretive centre along the Assiniboine River with trails and exhibits.
- Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum Aviation museum dedicated to WWII training in Canada.
- Assiniboine River Flows through Brandon and offers scenic walks and paddling.
- Riding Mountain National Park Near Dauphin, with lakes, forests, and wildlife.
- Outdoors Fishing on Lake Dauphin
- Outdoors Hiking in Riding Mountain National Park
- With kids Visiting the Riverbank Discovery Centre
- With kids Attending a Brandon Wheat Kings game
- Evenings Catching a show at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium
- Evenings Bar hopping on Rosser Avenue in Brandon
- Locals love Hockey arenas
- Locals love Agricultural fairs
Through the year
- Royal Manitoba Winter Fair March Agricultural fair and livestock show.
- Dauphin's Countryfest July Major country music festival.
- Neepawa Lily Festival July Celebrates the town's lily industry with gardens and events.
- Brandon Agricultural Fair June Summer fair with exhibits and midway.
- Souris River Triathlon Summer Annual triathlon event.
Westman has a continental prairie climate: harsh winters, hot summers, and moderate precipitation. The best time to be out is from June to September. Best: Summer (June-August) is the best time to be out, with warm days and long evenings.
Talk like a local
- “Wheat City”
- Nickname for Brandon.
- “Westman”
- The region itself.
- “Slough”
- A small marsh or pond.
- “Bunny hug”
- A hooded sweatshirt.
Getaways
Local flavour
Teams
- Brandon Wheat Kings WHL
- Brandon Bobcats U Sports
Also rooting for Winnipeg Jets (NHL), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL), Manitoba Moose (AHL)
Eat and drink
- Perogies
- Honey Dill Sauce A Manitoba condiment for chicken fingers, popular in local diners
- Farmer sausage Smoked pork sausage, a prairie staple.
- Saskatoon berry pie Wild berry pie, a local treat.
Where people go
- Grain elevators Iconic prairie landmarks dotting the horizon
- Small-town main streets Quaint shops and cafes in surrounding communities
- Agricultural fairs and exhibitions The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair and local fall fairs
- Hockey arenas Community rinks and the Westoba Place arena
Heritage and traditions
Westman is proud of its deep agricultural roots, its vibrant Ukrainian and Indigenous heritage, and its tight-knit small-town communities where everyone knows everyone.
This time of year in Brandon
- Harvest Thanksgiving Fall Churches and communities hold harvest suppers with local produce.
Say it like a local: “Babushka” — A grandmother, often used affectionately in Ukrainian families.
Festivals
- Canada's National Ukrainian Festival August The largest Ukrainian festival in Canada, featuring dance, music, and traditional food.
- Brandon Jazz Festival March A multi-day event showcasing local and national jazz artists.
- Westman Multicultural Festival June Celebrates the region's diverse cultures with food, music, and dance.
- Minnedosa Highland Games July A celebration of Scottish heritage with athletics, piping, and dancing.
- Souris Swinging Bridge Days June A community festival with a parade, vendors, and activities near the famous bridge.
Landmarks with a story
- St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church An onion-domed church in Dauphin, a symbol of Ukrainian heritage and faith.
- Margaret Laurence House The childhood home of the novelist in Neepawa, now a museum dedicated to her life and work.
- Daly House Museum A Victorian-era home in Brandon, showcasing local history and period rooms.
- Fort Dauphin National Historic Site Remains of a fur trade post established in 1741, near Dauphin.
Food traditions
- Holubtsi Cabbage rolls stuffed with rice and meat, a Ukrainian staple served at family gatherings and church suppers.
- Borscht A hearty beet soup, often with beans and sour cream, a classic Ukrainian dish.
- Nalysnyky Thin crepes filled with cottage cheese, served with sour cream or fruit.
- Bannock Indigenous fried bread, a staple at powwows and community gatherings.
- Ukrainian Christmas Eve dinner (Sviata Vecheria) A 12-dish meatless meal on January 6, including kutia (wheat berry pudding) and uzvar (dried fruit drink).
Music and arts
- Ukrainian folk music and dance Fiddle tunes, bandura music, and traditional dance troupes are prominent, especially in Dauphin.
- Pysanky (Easter egg decorating) A cherished Ukrainian folk art, with intricate wax-resist patterns.
- Prairie landscape painting Local artists capture the vast skies and grain fields, a recurring theme in galleries.
A little history
- 1741 The fur trade era, with Fort Dauphin established as a trading post.
- 1882 The founding of Brandon as a railway town, which became the region's commercial hub.
- Late 19th–early 20th century Large-scale Ukrainian immigration, making the region one of the most important Ukrainian cultural centres in Canada.
- 1904 The construction of the Souris Swinging Bridge, one of the longest in the world.
- 1940–1945 The Commonwealth Air Training Plan during WWII, which trained thousands of airmen in Brandon and area.
Rivalries
- Brandon Wheat Kings vs Regina Pats WHL hockey rivalry.
- Brandon Bobcats vs University of Winnipeg Wesmen University athletics rivalry.
- Brandon vs Portage la Prairie Friendly town rivalry.
- Game day Pond hockey
- Game day Curling bonspiels
- Outdoors Snowmobiling on prairie trails
- Outdoors Cross-country skiing in Riding Mountain
- With kids Making perogies with grandma
- With kids Attending Ukrainian dance recitals
People in Westman speak with a flat prairie accent, blending Canadian English with Ukrainian and Indigenous influences. You'll hear 'eh' frequently, and Ukrainian words like 'perogy' and 'babushka' are common.
Only here
- Dauphin hosts Canada's National Ukrainian Festival, the largest Ukrainian festival in the country.
- The Souris Swinging Bridge is one of the longest swinging bridges in the world.
- Neepawa is known as the 'Lily Capital of the World' due to its extensive lily industry.
- The region has a high concentration of Ukrainian Canadians, with many towns featuring onion-domed churches.
New here? A few tips
- Dress in layers during winter; temperatures can drop below -30°C, so a good parka is essential.
- Try a perogy at a local church supper or Ukrainian festival – it's a beloved regional food.
- Embrace the 'eh' and 'pop' – you'll fit right in.
- Get to know your neighbours; small-town friendliness is a hallmark of Westman.
- Support the Brandon Wheat Kings – hockey is a big part of community identity.
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Nearby
Every areaWestmanManitobaWhere the prairie sky meets the wheat fields.Central PlainsManitobaWhere the prairie sky meets the heartlandTurtle MountainsNorth DakotaWhere the prairie rolls into the pines.Portage la PrairieManitobaWhere the prairie meets the potatoParklandManitobaWhere prairie skies meet forest lakesWinklerManitobaWhere the prairies meet the valley, and hospitality blooms.WinnipegManitobaPrairie heart, river soul.MinotNorth DakotaWhere the prairie sky meets the magic of home.
Brandon. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.