Cool Gardens is a design competition and public exhibition that invites local and international teams of artists and designers to create innovative, engaging, and accessible landscape art installations. These contemporary gardens offer points of curiosity, play, and COOL-ing that encourage people to enjoy summer in the city in new and exciting ways each year. Cool Gardens 2025 marks the 10th and largest edition to date, with new installations at Assiniboine Park, Osborne Village, St. Boniface, The Forks, and on the reimagined Graham Avenue pedestrian and active transportation corridor in downtown Winnipeg.
Cool Gardens 2025 installations will be unveiled throughout June, with the festival officially open from July 5 to September 28. Learn more about this year's designs below, visit the map to see locations across Winnipeg, and check back regularly for Cool Gardens events happening in July through September.
Storefront Manitoba has presented Cool Gardens at various locations across Manitoba, Canada, since 2014. Visit the archive to see the 25+ installations from previous years.
UPCOMING EVENTS
2 days to the eventThu, Aug 21The Forks next to the Esplanade RielJoin us for a community workshop at the Woven Relations gardens. Participants will learn about Indigenous principles of the plants in the garden and medicinal uses for most of the plants. All welcome! Drop-in event with light refreshments provided.
19 days to the eventSun, Sep 07The LeafJoin the PAIRIDAEZA team for a closing talk about the process and ideas behind their immersive “walled paradise” installation. They’ll share their interpretation of Persian gardens, the geometry of Persian carpet designs, and how themes of waste and reuse shaped their work.
25 days to the eventSat, Sep 13The Forks next to the Esplanade RielJoin the Woven Relations design team for a closing harvesting activity. The community is welcome to harvest the medicines and plantings with guidance from experienced Indigenous harvesters and the Woven Relations team. All welcome! Drop-in, free event with light refreshments provided
32 days to the eventSat, Sep 20Agassiz Ice SculptureJoin StorefrontMB, the Winnipeg Arts Council, Winnipeg Public Art, and Bike Winnipeg for a guided bike tour showcasing public art across the city, featuring stops at all of this year’s Cool Gardens installations! All welcome! Free, registration required.
