The Icelandic Festival of Manitoba is calling for volunteers to assist with its upcoming 137th annual celebration in Gimli, Manitoba. The festival is set to take place over four days from July 31 to August 3, 2026.
Organizers are inviting community members to attend a volunteer meeting on Friday, July 31, 2026. The gathering will be held from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Vingólf Beverage Gardens, located in the Gimli Harbour area.
Those who sign up to serve as Festival Ambassadors will receive training during the meeting, as well as a complimentary festival program and an official ambassador T-shirt. These volunteers act as the public face of the event by directing visitors and providing information about the various venues.
The festival serves as a cornerstone for the community, which holds the distinction of having the largest concentration of Icelanders outside of Iceland. Since its move to Gimli in 1932, the celebration has become the oldest Icelandic festival in North America and the second-oldest continuous ethnic festival on the continent.
Operated as a volunteer-driven organization, the festival is dedicated to preserving and promoting Icelandic culture and heritage in the region. Gimli has maintained deep ties to these traditions since it was first settled by Icelandic immigrants in 1875.
