Steinbach Arts Council announces upcoming concert series

The Steinbach Arts Council (SAC) has been busy assembling an impressive season of performances for the 2026-27 season, which will feature both local talents such as theatre artist Alan Fehr and Juno winner jazz musician Laila Biali.

The season will start off with an interactive performance where the actors, under the direction of Fehr, will take their audience throughout the Mennonite Heritage Village as they perform the community drama The Crucible while inviting audience members to participate along the way.

“That show will feature a bunch of local talent,” said performing arts coordinator Tara Schellenberg. “It’s an immersive experience at the museum. You’ll walk around and follow the actors in a couple of different locations. It’s kind of a ‘Shakespeare in the ruins’ type of thing. The Crucible lends itself very well to that type of thing.”

The much-anticipated concert series will begin Oct. 22 featuring the musical theatre production of Once Upon a Dream by performers Alyssa Crocket and Julia Kroft singing several famous tunes from various popular musicals. The traditional and now annual performance by the Winnipeg Symphany Orchestra will then come to Steinbach to give their Christmas-themed concert on Dec. 8.

Schellenberg is excited about the upcoming schedule. “We’ve got such a thriving local theatre scene here. It’s really amazing to see because there are multiple theatre companies for young kids, for older enthusiasts and for those who like everything about (the arts). It’s pretty cool,” she said.

For example, during the Winnipeg Symphony performance, the Steinbach Children’s and Youth Chorus will lead the singalong for the audience before giving way to a celebrity narrator, whose identity is being held as a closely guarded secret, who will give a special reading of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. A student contest for those in Grades 3 and 4 will then have its winners join the symphony onstage to give a joint performance to close out the evening.

“The winner’s families will get free tickets to see the show. It’s just a really great way to activate the next generation of classical music lovers,” said Schellenberg.

The New Year will then kick off with the first ever Juno winning and Grammy nominated performer the SAC has ever hosted, featuring jazz vocalist Laili Biali giving her interpretations of famous Canadian musicians like Joni Mitchell, K.D. Lang, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young.

“It’s the Canadian song book reimagined,” says Schellenberg. “I have friends really into the jazz scene in Winnipeg who have said, ‘I’ll get me some tickets to that concert please.’”

For the more easygoing audience that prefers a lighthearted approach to entertainment, the SAC will also offer a homegrown performance that has a bit more of a “variety show feel” to the evening. It will feature local comedian Matt Falk, who is increasingly well-known on the international stage, as he performs his show for an evening of comedy, food and drink.

Tickets for the events are already selling out. Audiences can save with the popular season ticket package, which includes admission to all five concert series performances, or purchase tickets for individual shows.

Tickets are available online or by phone at the SAC.