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Scott Livingstone in a wizard costume at the Cooks Creek Medieval Festival in Winnipeg. Photo taken July 26, 2026 (Cliff Simpson, CityNews)<\/p>\nMedieval enthusiasts gathered for a weekend full of larping, jousting and sword fighting at the biennial Cooks Creek Medieval festival.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cOne of the most important things in life ya know. being out here in the community, with each other,\u201d said festival attendee Scott Livingstone. \u201cPeople being with other people. it\u2019s the most important thing in life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scott Livingstone in a wizard costume at the Cooks Creek Medieval Festival in Winnipeg. Photo taken July 26, 2026 (Cliff Simpson, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Julian Kresz has come to the festival as a spectator many times. But this year, he\u2019s the captain of Mace Company Manitoba which is making its Cooks Creek debut.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s so cool \u2018cause I remember when I was a kid and went to these things, seeing people in full armour and knights. It was inspiring and I was sitting there ya know nine, 10 years old looking and being like I want to be a knight, that\u2019s so cool.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ultimately, for Kresz the festival is a third space away from home and work.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is somewhere people can be themselves and they can really let loose with their creativity and enjoy themselves with their passions and creative sides,\u201d Kresz said.<\/p>\n
Sunday\u2019s event was jam-packed despite the sweltering hot weekend, with a yellow heat warning in effect and temperatures reaching the 30s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis heat, you\u2019re getting tired just standing around in the gear right because you have half an inch to an inch of padding, you have all the steel armour on right,\u201d Kresz said. \u201cEverything I\u2019m wearing is just reflecting heat right back to my body so it\u2019s pretty crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Festivalgoer in armour with a sword at the Cooks Creek Medieval Festival in Winnipeg. Photo taken July 26, 2026 (Cliff Simpson, CityNews)<\/p>\n
The event was founded in 2004 when the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church was in need of funds.\u00a0 Since then it has continued to snowball and help keep the lights on at the church and the grotto.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201cI really think that belonging is incredibly important and so when you have a community and you find community, that\u2019s really important and a lot of folks don\u2019t even think of churches and religious organizations anymore, but that\u2019s a pretty awesome one in our background here,\u201d said Gary Senft, lead organizer of the festival.<\/p>\n
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Medieval enthusiasts gathered for the Cooks Creek Medieval Festival for the weekend of July 25-26, 2026 in Winnipeg (Courtesy: Facebook\/Cooks Creek Medieval Festival)<\/p>\n
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