Mother's Day 2017: Where to take your mom this year in Winnipeg

Happy Mother's Day, moms of Manitoba.

To all the children of Manitoba moms, if you're based in Winnipeg and looking for ideas for how to celebrate, this list should help.

Moms who munch

Mother's Day brunch: it's a classic for a reason. If your mom would rather go out than have breakfast in bed, you've got plenty of options.

To name just a few: The Met ($40/adult), the Winnipeg Winter Club ($28.95/adult), Bailey's ($34.95/adult), Casinos of Winnipeg ($29.95), Rossmere Golf and Country Club ($30/adult), and, of course, the grandmama of them all, the Hotel Fort Garry's opulent (and $65/adult) Grand Sunday Brunch.

Drag queen bingo, Mother's Day edition

Feeling lucky? Looking for something to do in the evening to celebrate mom? Drag queen bingo might be the place for you.

Hosted by Sunshine House at the Good Will Social Club on Portage Avenue, drag queen bingo offers the chance to win cash prizes while donating to a local non-profit. On Mother's Day, the mothers and grannies of performers will take the stage with them.

It's also the last one of the season, so you won't be able to go again until September.

For $20 you get all your cards, and all proceeds go to the Like That program at the Sunshine House, which gives people a chance to explore their gender and sexual identity in a safe space.

• Like That: Winnipeg drop-in lets people discover who they are through drag

Check it out at 6:30 p.m. at 625 Portage Ave.

Neechi CommonStories

​For the fourth time, the folks from the Urban Indigenous Theatre Company are bringing people together to share stories with CommonStories, a sharing event in the café at Neechi Commons on Main Street.

Sunday's event will be hosted by author and mom, Lee Maracle, and you can get in on mini-workshops and crafting activities at the same time.

As usual, the event is open to all community members and artistic mediums. For Mother's Day, participants are encouraged to share stories about the people that birthed, raised or shape them.

If you're interested, you can head down with the whole family from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 865 Main Street.

South Osborne plant swap

For the green-thumb mums out there, a trio of South Osborne organizations are teaming up with Farm Fresh Food Hub to host a free plant swap and market, bringing you the wise hashtag #swapyourplantsnotyourmom.

Pollocks South Osborne, South Osborne Permaculture and Sustainable South Osborne Co-Op are all in on what they're calling "your ultimate community co-op extravaganza," featuring local food, plants, makers and mom-related treats.

Most of the market vendors will be inside the Lord Roberts Community Centre's gym, but Pollocks will also host a dedicated plant swap area outside.

If you want to get involved, grab your mom and any plants you don't want anymore (not required) and head to the community centre at 725 Kylemore.

Mother's Day with the RWB

If you already plan on going to watch Evelyn Hart take the stage again at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet's performance of Vesperson on Sunday, you might want to sip a mimosa and talk ballet at the pre-show reception beforehand.

'I don’t feel I have anything left to prove': Evelyn Hart back on stage with the RWB

8 years ago

Duration 3:16

More than a decade after leaving the company, Evelyn Hart is back in Winnipeg again to perform with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Hart danced with the company for more than 30 years, and was the principal dancer for many of those years. Now 61, she'll perform James Kudelka's Vespers at the Centennial Concert Hall from May 10th to the 14th.

Starting at the Centennial Concert Hall at 12:30 p.m. and wrapping up just before the performance at 2 p.m., the event includes refreshments, a specialty mimosa bar and a behind-the-scenes chat with RWB grand master Caroline Gruber.

You'll also be able to jump into a photo-booth and enter to win pre-sale tickets to Twyla Tharp's The Princess and the Goblin.

• 'I don't feel I have anything left to prove': Evelyn Hart back on stage with the RWB

Reception tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online. They don't cover admission to the performance afterward.

Tickets to Vespers run between $29 (child's admission) to $115 (standard admission), but vary depending on where you sit. You can also buy those online.

Cyclofemme

Every year, Mother's Day also marks CycloFemme, an international celebration of women's cycling with group bike rides held in 40 countries around the world.

This year in Winnipeg, the route will cover a loop between 10 and 15 kilometres long with a midway pit stop.

To join, meet the CycloFemme team at the entrance to Assiniboine Park on Portage Avenue, across the street from Sargent Sundae.

The ride starts at 11 a.m.

Assiniboine Park Zoo

One last idea for the animal lovers: the Assiniboine Park Zoo is offering 50 per cent off admission for moms to mark Mother's Day weekend.

"The Zoo is the perfect place to take your mom and celebrate Mother's Day," said Gary Lunsford of the Zoo in a written release. "Spring is here and the zoo is a great place to spend time with your family outdoors while enjoying the warmer weather."

To get around the zoo, Red River Co-Op Zoo Tram will get moving this weekend, as will as the Domo Shuttle.

You can also check out these special events:

• Crafts in the Gateway to the Arctic Building: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Zookeeper talks: 11 a.m. at Toucan Ridge and 2 p.m. at the Kinsmen Discovery Center Barn

The Assiniboine Park Zoo is open daily 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Mother's Day discount only applies to tickets purchased at the Zoo's main entrance.