I Heart Edmonton

The Other Festivals By Emil Tiedemann I would be remiss if, in a town rightfully recognized as “Festival City,” I didn’t mention all of those other exciting and enticing festivals that happen all year round here in Edmonton. The 101 Reasons Why I Heart Edmonton book includes individual entries for the Fringe , Folk Fest , the Street Performers , Heritage Fest , and collectively the film festivals (‘The Cinema’), but there are so many others that deserve to be praised, and this list simply wouldn’t be complete without them. So, in alphabetical order, here they are from A to Zoofest... ALL IS BRIGHT FESTIVAL (since 2013) 124th Street and High Street light up for one vibrant Saturday night in November, as All Is Bright celebrates the coming of the winter season by providing illumination, entertainment, food, fashion, and plenty of all-ages fun. It is hosted by the 124th Street Business Association. ANIMETHON (since 1994) Japanese animation fanatics come out for three d...

Whyte Avenue By Emil Tiedemann If you’re from outta town, it’s a place most Edmontonians will insist you check out before the end of your visit. And they’d be doing you a favour, because Whyte Avenue is “the place to be” if what you’re looking for is good food and drinks, antiques and boutiques, or just some place where you can get your dance on!    Stunning Whyte Avenue (82nd Ave.). Photo by Chan Rin. Throw in some high profile annual events such as the Edmonton Pride Parade , Ice on Whyte , Art Walk , and the iconic Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival , and you’ll understand why Whyte is a must when you’re new to town.  “The neighbourhood is lively and vibrant and there really is something for everyone,” said Sydney McNeill , office manager for the Old Strathcona Business Association . “Whether I’m seeking out a quick coffee, fresh ingredients for a home-cooked meal, some live local music accompanied by an obscure beer, an addition to my wardrob...

Winter Activities By Emil Tiedemann Let’s face it, we’re a winter city, plain and simple. Sure, we’ve got distinctive and glorious springs and summers and autumns, but winter just seems to last the longest, and it can get pretty nasty at times.  But, that’s okay, because Edmontonians - unlike many other Canadians - have learned to embrace and even appreciate our snowy season. The Ice Castle in Hawrelak Park. Every city in Canada deals with winter conditions, there’s just no way around it (unless global warming kicks in sooner than we anticipate), so you might as well use it to your advantage, right?!  Edmonton is surrounded by some of the best places in the world for skiers and snowboarders (Banff, Jasper), but you don’t even have to leave town to get in on the slopes, because there are several options right at our doorsteps!  Between the months of November and March, locals are able to take to the hills of the Edmonton Ski Club , the Snow Valley Ski Club...

Edmonton has learned to embrace its winter months with arms wide op en! by emil tiedemann W E tend to panic just a little bit as soon as October hits Edmonton, because we are all aware that that means we're headed into the season of scraping ice off of our windshields as we let our vehicles warm up.  All we can think of is cold and snowy conditions, even though that's not always the case for those winter months. Sometimes we get lucky, and our Edmonton winter is mild compared to previous seasons , such as last winter's unseaso nabl y warm temperatures. Wintertime in Edmonton is picturesque! However, no matter the conditions, there are those folks who just HATE winter in Edmonton! And it's for those people that I wanted to put together a list of reasons why they should actually look forward to these upcoming months. There's always a silver lining, after all.  So, without further ado, here are 1 1 reasons to look forward to winter (and the months pr...