While it may seem like the third new festival in as many years to happen on Broadway in early September, Manyfest is really just a new name for what has recently been known as Lights on Broadway and 5 Events One Weekend.

Collecting a number of festivals under this one banner (Lights on Broadway, Ciclovia) ensures that this year’s Manyfest will be a tough act to follow.

“We figured there was a lot of potential for the festival to expand,” says Jennifer Verch, manager of communications and marketing with Winnipeg’s Downtown Business Improvement Zone (BIZ). “We thought that would be a good name that we could rally around and really brand and create recognition in Winnipeg for the new festival.”

The festival is organized and funded by Downtown BIZ in association with local partners as a way to showcase the city’s downtown.

“Basically it’s all about bringing people downtown for a really great experience and to start changing perceptions about downtown.”

With that goal in mind, the festival has grown from previous years to appeal to as wide a demographic as possible.

“We have an expanded kid zone, an expanded farmer’s market and artisan market,” Verch says.

Saturday night is big. The Big Dance on Broadway (4 p.m. to 7 p.m.) will coincide with Lights on Broadway, which begins when the sun goes down and will feature a wide mix of music, concluding with retro soul and Motown courtesy of DJ Penny Lane.

Other events include Friday night’s Giant Movie in the Park (Toy Story 3) and the three-day Wine and Cheese Festival. There’s also a new option added to last year’s 10 km or 10 mile run.

“This year we added a five kilometre race that is run or walk, so it’s a little more accessible for families and people who are not seasoned runners who want to come out for a fun run,” Verch says.

Of course, Ciclovia (Sunday, Sept. 11) will return. By closing off North Broadway to motorized vehicles, it allows Winnipeg cyclists and pedestrians the chance to walk, bike or jog from Assiniboine Park to Broadway.

The Sunday will also feature a soapbox derby fundraiser put on by and in support of local arts group Ace Art Inc., which supports emerging and diverse artists to pursue a variety of contemporary art mediums.

“In our office we throw around a lot of ideas,” says Hannah Godfrey, program co-ordinator for Ace Art Inc. “We wanted to do another fundraiser for Ace, and we’ve been doing the midnight pie fight for a couple of years, but we wanted to do something different.”

The Soapbox Derby will involve several four-person teams including entries from local media outlets and community groups, with all proceeds going directly back to Ace Art Inc.

“While we’re very grateful to all our funders, we need extra money for programming costs and operating costs and also for relocating as well,” Godfrey said.

The race will be followed by a rockabilly-greaser themed afterparty at the Lo Pub.

Ace Art Inc. gallery recently launched a Bruce Lee extravaganza in Bruce-O-Rama, an interactive exhibit by artist Claire Hodge. It involves a video installation hooked up to floor pressure pads, allowing visitors to trigger multichannel video as they walk around the exhibit.

“It’s a bit of a cacophony of craziness, but it’s got some interesting comments about nostalgia and recontextualizing violence and 20th century heroes,” Godfrey says. “It’s totally interactive and really fun.”

Visit www.manyfest.ca and and www.aceart.org.

Published in Volume 66, Number 2 of The Uniter (September 8, 2011)