A project of the Neepawa Tourism Committee, the Riverbend Market is envisioned not just as a summer market but a way to connect community members and visitors alike to local artisans as well as local spaces.

The local space is Riverbend Park, which has been a fixture in the community for decades. The last few years have seen many changes in the park area, both for residents and for visitors, including the installation of a new waterslide and planned changes to walking and parking areas for increased safety. Its location close to one of the two major highways that intersect in Neepawa also makes it a great location to draw in visitors.

Tourism board member and local musician Jeff Desender shares with us some of the highlights and features that make the event special. Each year the market donates its admission fees back into the community. Last year the money went towards upgrades to the public pool, and this year they are going to ArtsForward, which holds arts and cultural events and classes.

While there isn’t a mainstage this year, as there has been in the past, there will be pop up musical performances in and around the market, and they have added kids activities around the area.

In conjunction with the market there is also a local initiative called RAFT which this year is having live artist demonstrations at ArtsForward and holding a public art project with several local artists painting public seating areas all over town. Some of the benches are new, built and donated by the local Men’s Shed, and some have been in place for many years and are getting a facelift.

The market is one of my initiatives by the tourism committee, which reformed a few years ago after several years of the community having no unified plan for tourism. Other initiatives include several murals, a historical walking tour, and local branded merchandise. They are also hoping to connect with FilCan, the local Filipino-Canadian association, for future tourism projects.

Desender sees the market becoming a signature event for the community which he hopes will continue for many years to come.