Whether it’s date night or fun with friends, it’s time to make time for a night out. The long nights of November just mean more time for fun!

Get your friends together for a night of excitement at The Casinos of Winnipeg. See a band that rocks your world, or pull on your urban cowboy boots and cut loose with your favourite country star.  Popular musical acts from yesterday and today take the mainstage at McPhillips Station Casino almost most every week of the year.

See and hear these top performers in the intimate concert bowl with about 400 other passionate fans and experience an up close and personal show at McPhillips Station Casino. In coming months, the mainstage features dynamic acts fall like rock legends Bret Michaels and Chilliwack along with well-known country artists Chad Brownlee & Dallas Smith, George Canyon and Wynonna Judd.

If you want to be the star, then live-band karaoke at the new Club at the Upperdeck is perfect for you.  Step on stage with the Danny Kramer Band every Wednesday and Thursday night at McPhillips Station to release your inner idol and be cheered on by a welcoming audience.  Weekends at the Club also feature live local bands where you and your partner can dance the night away. Plus, Toukie’s Lounge at Club Regent Casino will offer live entertainment in 2013.

Live music and fun is a mainstay at The Casinos of Winnipeg, where the friendly staff takes great pride in making your night out one to remember.

If you’re looking to wet your whistle in Brandon, pay a visit to The Double Decker Tavern on Rosser Avenue in downtown Brandon.  Featuring daily food specials and loads of live music every weekend, The Decker is a great place to start – or end – your night out. Or check out the Lady of the Lake Pub, a friendly neighbourhood pub that plays host to local and visiting musicians. The pub is open for dinner and dancing Thursday through Saturday and dancing is highly encouraged here – even the bar is built for dancing on!

If you’re really in the mood to dance, the nightclubs of Winnipeg’s Exchange District offer a range of music, including DJs, live cover bands and the best beats from house, hip hop, country and more. Catering to a 21+ crowd, check out Alive in the District on Bannatyne Avenue, or head over to Whiskey Dix on Main Street where you can relax in between rounds on the dance floor in one of the three private lounges. Opera Ultralounge combines the intimacy of a lounge with the energy of a nightclub and features an impressive wine and champagne list.

Also in the Exchange is Fox & Fiddle, a new pub located in the former Toronto-Dominion bank building at 456 Main Street at McDermot. Since its opening this fall, Fox & Fiddle has brought a modern twist to the classic British pub concept.  If pub hopping is in your plan, don’t miss the long-time favourite, the King’s Head Pub with 27 beers on tap, or the cozy charm of The Yellow Dog Tavern, located on Donald Street across from the Burton Cummings Theatre.

Two of Winnipeg’s hottest restaurants are serving up more than just tasty food. The south Osborne staple Bistro 7 ¼ is home to School Nights every Sunday.  In the recently expanded space that now includes a full bar and lounge, School Nights feature lessons, games, friendly competition and fabulous food, drinks and music. Each week has a new theme – everything from spaghetti westerns (think Cowboy movies and heavenly spaghetti and meatballs) and poker night (lessons from the pros) to James Bond night (how to tie the perfect double Windsor knot). Enjoy some fabulous food while learning something new, School Nights happen Sundays, 8-11 pm.

New to the scene this past spring, but quickly making a lasting impression with its Mediterranean flavours is Arkadash Bistro and Lounge on Portage Avenue.  Turkish for “friend”, Arkadash features local ingredients that shine in recipes from Morocco, the Middle East, Turkey, Italy and the French Mediterranean.  Every Friday in the lounge, catch live jazz music that is just as local as the ingredients in your dinner. Three sets a night will take you through dinner, dessert and drinks – try a Lion’s Milk, the menu itself issues a disclaimer that it “may induce singing and wandering Gypsies”.

Looking for even more great Winnipeg grub? Visit www.pegcitygrub.com – dishing up the hottest eats in Winnipeg.

For a more dramatic meal, dinner theatre is on the menu. Celebrations Dinner Theatre (in the Canad Inns Fort Garry on Pembina) presents The Big Boom Theory on now until January 12, 2013. Or take the show on the road as the Prairie Players Dinner Theatre in Portage la Prairie present A Christmas Carol (Nov. 16-17 at the William Glesby Centre), The Pinawa Players Dinner Theatre present their latest Nov. 22-24 (at the Pinawa Community Centre), and Dessert & Dinner Theatre hits the stage in Morris at the Southern Manitoba Convention Centre Nov. 23-24 (1-866-746-2832).

The newly renovated Cineplex Odeon McGillvray and VIP Cinemas in south Winnipeg is the first of its kind in Manitoba. The three VIP cinemas not only features the latest in movie theatre technology, but these adults only (18+) cinemas also offer a licensed lounge and upscale concessions. The comfy setting offers plenty of space, including tables for your food and drink. Make your reservation today on Cineplex’s website.

A night out at the opera has never been so casual: enjoy the change of pace every second Saturday at the Coffee House at the charming Manitou Opera House. Starting at 6:30 until 11:00 pm, enjoy live music and the cozy atmosphere of this 1930 Arts and Crafts style building.