Picnic in the Park

Click here for a Sponsorship Package for Picnic in the Park:

Picnic in the Park Corporate Sponsorship Package 2010


NECRC founded the Picnic in the Park event in 2000 as a means to celebrate the cultural diversity of the North End of Winnipeg. 

Picnic in the Park is an annual event that is hosted at St. John's Park and is
structured as a free "family fun day" comprised of:

  • Free food and beverages
  • Entertainment
  • Childrens activities, games, and prizes
  • Display tables of local agencies and organizations
  • North End arts and crafts vendors

Attendance at Picnic in the Park has grown from approximately 500 people in the event's initial year, to that of over 2000 in 2007.

The event has also grown with respect to the inclusion of other partner agencies and organizations who have come on board and helped to sustain it's continued success.  These key Picnic in the Park event co-sponsors include the following partner agencies and organizations:

  • The Mount Carmel Clinic
  • Graffiti Art Programming Inc.
  • The City of Winnipeg

The hugh success of Picnic in the Park would not be possible without the continued support of a variety of North End stakeholders who contribute to the event through their generous donation of funding, prizes, in-kind supports, volunteers, and time.

NATIONAL ABORIGINAL DAY SELKIRK AVENUE COMMITTEE
The Selkirk Avenue Committee has been hosting an annual National Aboriginal Day event since 2004. The event is specifically geared to lower-income North End residents who are unable to attend and participate in other city-wide National Aboriginal Day celebrations. For the past four years the event has been held at the amphitheatre on Selkirk Avenue and Powers Street and provides free food; drinks; Aboriginal cultural entertainment; job fair; children’s activities, games, and prizes; and arts & crafts. The event also hosts display tables for local agencies and organizations, as well as vendor tables for North End artisans and merchants.

The Selkirk Avenue Committee is presently comprised of various local North End agencies and organizations such as the Indian Family Centre, Ndinawe, the Aboriginal Visioning Project, the North End Community Renewal Corporation, North End Stella Mission, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, as well as representatives from numerous provincial and federal government departments.

A COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY-WIDE ANTI-RACISIM STRATEGY FOR THE NORTH END
The North End Five Year Community plan lists an Anti-Racism strategy as a priority. NECRC is supportive of the recent creation of the Center for Anti-oppression Studies. For more information see www.anti-oppressioncentre.org. In 2008 two city-wide workshops were held and supported by NECRC. In the words of the workshop organisers: “One of the key challenges for inner city educators and human service workers is the development of cross-cultural awareness, knowledge and skills that are required to work in diverse communities. We hope that this workshop provides participants with an opportunity to further develop their knowledge base in this critical area. It is also an opportunity for you to become involved in a network of people that are committed to providing ongoing leadership in our community regarding anti-oppression education, action and practice.”

INVOLVEMENT OF YOUTH, SENIORS AND UNDER-REPRESENTED COMMUNITIES
NECRC recognizes the need for NECRC, neighbourhood groups, and partners to do more to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to engage youth, seniors and under-represented communities in all areas of the Five-Year Plan. The recognition of youth, seniors and underrepresented groups in our community is important to celebrate culture and diversity in the North End of Winnipeg. We hope to improve our efforts in this area in the future.