A skating party, a WAG '80s flashback and heavy metal: CBC Manitoba's top weekend picks for Jan. 11-13

This weekend, you can enjoy skating through a colourfully lit winter wonderland, take an artsy musical trip back to the 1980s orif you prefer your entertainment options a bit more "extreme" see some of Canada's loudest and most aggressive bands at a heavy metal festival.

Three of CBCManitoba's on-air personalities share their top picks for the Jan. 11-13 weekend.

Shannah-LeeVidal's pick:

I want you to bundle up and grab your skates some some winter fun.

On Saturday, the Winnipeg Arts Council invites you to celebrate the official opening a trio of sculptures along the edge of the frozen KildonanPark pondwith a family skating party.

The art installation is calledBokeh. The giant orange, yellow, and pink poles are adorned with globes that emitcolour-changing lights. After the sun goes down, the lights will make a dramatic and fun glow upon the ice surface.

Bokehwas designed by local artistTakashiIwasaki andNadiDesign (led byMeaghanHunter). It's one of 60 works of public art across the city.

And because it is a party, there must be music! DJ MamaCutsworthand DJHunnicuttwill be spinning tunes to get you energized. As a bonus, snacks and refreshments will be served.

The family skate party will beSaturday from 5:00 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. It's free to attend, but you will need your own skates.

IsmailaAlfa's pick:

Walkmans, leg warmers and everything neon I want to send you back to the '80s!

For this time warp, you'll only need to head down to the Winnipeg Art Gallery for their exhibitThe 80s Image.

It explores the resilienceof painting and still photography throughout the1980sand how artists responded to the quickly changing media landscape.

You'll see around 50 works by Canadian artists whose work helped define the decade artists like CliffEyland, WandaKoopand Ken Lum.

But what's the '80swithout the music?! Well luckily, the people at CKUWthe U of Winnipeg's campus radio stationhave curated an '80splaylist that you can download and listen to while you check out the exhibit.

While the exhibit is at WAG until spring, on Friday night you can go down foran '80s party with a live CKUW broadcast, anddance to the '80smusicmatched to the artwork!

It's happening Friday night from 9:00 p.m. to midnight.Admission is just fivebucks and there's a cash bar.

Colton Hutchinson's pick:

Grindcore, death metal, doom, black metal to the untrained ear, all of these musical genres might sound like the same exact noise. But for hardcore metal fans, the unique styles are worlds apart from each other.

They're all slamming together this weekend as a part of Eye and Ear Control Records' Raw Control festival.

It's two nights of music featuring some of Canada's heaviest metal acts. The weekend marks Eye and Ear founder Brad Skibinsky's birthday, so what better way to celebrate than to feature some of his favourite bands in Winnipeg's favourite venues?

"The scheduling worked out for the bands on these dates, so it was kind of a no-brainer to put them in two of the best rooms in the city and pack them with people in the dead of winter," he said.

The bands in question? Toronto doomers Irnand Calgary grindcore standouts Wake.

Irn will head the bill onFriday at the Handsome Daughter on Sherbrook Street. The small room will be transformed into a brooding dungeon of slow, punishing guitar riffs. They'll be joined by local acts COand Talon to kick off the festival.

Night 2 will kick it up a notch at the Goodwill Social Club on Portage Avenue, when Wake takes the stage with unrelenting, ear-shattering music, featuring drumbeats blasting near 300 beats per minuteundertechnical guitar styles and truly frightening vocals.

Their 2018 release Misery Riteslanded on countless "top album"lists for the year, and has launched the band into a touring schedule nearly as horrific and busy as the music itself.

"It's cathartic, both in the writing stage and playing live, most nights," vocalist Kyle Ball said about Wake's music. "But it can also be a reminder of the dark space I was at when I wrote them making it harder other nights."

Metal fans will be pleased to have them in town, along with locals Zombie Assault and Fumerot for Saturday night.

"The local metal scene here has always been really strong," saysSkibinsky.

"It fluctuates but there have always been a hardened core of people making things happen. For being in the middle of nowhere, Winnipeg sets the bar very high across the board."

Make sure you find some ear plugs if you dare enter Raw Control in Winnipeg this weekend.