We are finally getting the beautiful summer weather here in Edmonton. So nice in fact that my shoulders decided to turn beet red in excitement yesterday! With such little time to enjoy the weather, I want to do ALL THE THINGS. Edmonton has a ton of festivals during the summer months. Some are great and some may not be worth the hassle. Here's a rundown of what you can find in this city.
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square. This is a free festival... in a way. There are no tickets and you can just walk around which is always enjoyable. However, if you are planning to watch the performers (and why wouldn't you) then you want to bring some loonies and toonies to put money in the hat. These performers come from all over the place and it is rare to not be mildly entertained. It can get pretty crowded on the weekend, but going on a week-day evening worked out really well for us last year.
Taste of Edmonton (July 17-26)
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square. Have you ever sat for an hour or so with your SO arguing about where to go for dinner? Then maybe you need to go to Taste of Edmonton to try some food from different restaurants. Jordon and I had never heard of Bistecca and we ended up going there for our anniversary thanks to the bison cannelloni at TOE last year. You buy a sheet of tickets and then try small dishes from all the different booths. As it can get really busy, check out the link above to see what each place is serving up. This way you have an idea of where to head once you're there. They also have a beer gardens with live music and it was a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon.
K Days (July 18-27)
Location: Northlands. I love rides, but I'm especially fond of rides that are well taken care... which these are not (maybe). Okay so I don't like going on rides that can be set up in a matter of hours. BUT if you don't care about this, then hop on! It's pretty pricey to go for what you get now, but the atmosphere can still be fun. However, a lot of teenagers think this is the coolest place because it's the first year their parents let them go alone. If you're a 50-year old on the inside (like myself) and this annoys the hell out of you, maybe stay clear.
Heritage Days (August 2-4)
Location: Hawrelak Park. I have only been to this festival once and thought it was awesome. A bunch of different cultures/countries set up booths where you can try different foods, see different forms of art and watch performances. It is similar to TOE where you buy a sheet of tickets to buy the food, but going to spend the day in the park is free. There is no public parking in the park for the festival but they have a bunch of buses going to and from the park all day.
Folk Fest (August 7-10)
Location: Gallagher Park. Hope you don't want to go to this festival after reading this post...because all the tickets are sold out. This is a "save and spend the money next year" review..though I've never been. All I know is parking sucks at Jordon's parents for Sunday dinner because they live right on the top of the hill. I think you have to enjoy a certain kind of music, but the location is great for a nice summer evening. Check out this years line-up to see if it would be something you'd enjoy.
Fringe Festival (August 14-24)
Location: Various areas on Whyte Ave. If you're a drama fanatic then this is the festival for you. There are hundreds of plays going on! The one problem I found with the Fringe is that because there are so many plays, it is difficult to distinguish the plays you'll enjoy from the ones that are a little too artistic for you. We saw a play last year that was a one man show and was suppose to be a comedy... needless to say we didn't laugh very much. Either way it is an awesome atmosphere with all the booths and street performers.
I hope you can enjoy at least one of these festivals this summer!
-Vanessa xo
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