OUT THERE: Things to do this weekend in Winnipeg

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Size matters in this week’s instalment of entertainment options, where the list isn’t particularly long but dominated by some large events.

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Billed as the largest touring inflatable in the world, the air-apparent Big Bounce Canada blows up real good at Red River Exhibition Park this weekend.

It starts with the ‘world’s biggest bouncy castle,’ with basketball hoops, climbing towers, a giant slide, a giant rabbit (?), and even couches and chairs contained within its 24,000-sq.ft. area.

The Giant is an obstacle course on steroids, with 50 different impediments to your progress within its 300 metres. OctoBlast is an underwater-themed bouncer with foam cannons.

Air Space aims for an out-of-this world interactive experience with a slide, moon base, and a circular moonwalk, and Sport Slam amps up the arena-like setting with goals, nets, hoops, and balls offering a variety of sporting challenges.

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Tickets come in three-hour time slots with separate sessions for various age groups.

You could not ask for more bounce in the mother-lovin’ house.

Travel pass

Sunday is the starting point for the largest and longest-running multicultural festival of its kind in the world, the two-week trip around the world that is Folklorama.

Organizers said more than 300,000 people took in the festival across its 40 pavilions offering top entertainment from near and far, authentic cuisine, and cultural displays.

Consult the online guide to plan your travels. There are 38 stops available this time around, with new pavilions Ghana and Latin America.

Slava Ukraini

While we’re talking about getting cultured, there are a couple of big out-of-town options along those lines.

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The 59th Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival goes this weekend at Selo Ukraina on the northern edge of Riding Mountain, with attendance that rivals the population of Dauphin 10 minutes to the north. Expect bands, dance groups, traditional food and more, with weekend passes and camping available.

Get dinged

The 135th edition of Islendingadagurinn, the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, invades Gimli this long weekend and celebrates a century of the Fjallkona, a ‘maid of the mountain’ chosen to preside over the festival since 1924.

Islendingadunk, a popular dunk contest on the harbour Sunday, is back, as is the strongman competition hosted by four-time world’s strongest man and legendary Icelander Magnus Ver Magnusson.

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It’s a packed schedule that includes a viking village, fashion and art shows, workshops, music, poetry, traditional food and drink and even a Monday parade.

To the skies

We’ll bring things back to the city in a moment, but still want to mention the Manitoba Airshow at the Southport Aerospace Centre, just south of Portage la Prairie, on Saturday and Sunday.

It features the Canadian Forces Snowbirds, a CF-18 demonstration, the Mynarski Memorial Lancaster bomber and a host of other spectacles on land and in the air.

Rockin’ the Fields of Minnedosa celebrates its 20th anniversary this weekend with a lineup including Theory of a Deadman, Amanda Marshall, Kim Mitchell, the Trews, Molly Hatchett and more.

And the Fire and Water Music Festival goes this weekend in Lac du Bonnet.

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Say Jello

Green Jelly, a punk rock puppet show best known for 1993’s Three Little Pigs and at one point containing two future members of Tool, is at the Bulldog Event Centre on Sunday, paired with the death metal horror show offering of The Convalescene and locals The Home Crew, and Reactor Four.

Break free

Canadian rapper Shad, who hosted the excellent Hip Hop Evolution docuseries, performs free Friday at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights as part of Emanicipation Day celebrations and the Beyond the Beat series. Register at humanrights.ca.

Light and sound

The Big Sun Festival has bumped to two days in the second year of its return, at Blue Note Park, with 12 bands ranging from hip-hop and trip-hop, and rock genres from indie to punk to industrial, on Friday and Saturday … and, Scott Nolan brings a full band to the Lyric Stage in Assiniboine Park for a free show Sunday at 7 p.m.

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