Have the winter blues hit you yet? Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our love of the warm summer months that we forget how many great things there are to do in Edmonton during the winter. So far this winter has been very mild, making outdoor activities all the more attractive for Edmonton residents and visitors alike.

If you’ve recently moved to Edmonton and this is your first Alberta winter experience, here are just some of the things to get you out of the house if you’re going cold-weather stir crazy.

Pavillion at Metropolis Festival at City Hall
Photo by Mastermaq

Snow Sculptures at the Silver Skate Festival
Photo by Bill Burris

Metropolis Winter Festival

Running until February 20 in Sir Winston Churchill Square downtown, Metropolis is a celebration of winter inspired by modern cold-weather construction techniques. Massive pavilions lit with bright lights have been erected in the Square, and every weekend you can enjoy live music, entertainment, a selection of food from Edmonton-owned restaurants, and kids activities.

Silver Skate Festival

February 17th – 20th, Hawrelak Park
Now in its 22nd year, the Silver Skate Festival at Hawrelak Park is Edmonton’s longest running winter festival, and is a great place to bring the whole family to enjoy some cold climate fun. There’s an ice slide, snow sculpture competitions, skating, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and dozens of live performances to take in.

Oilers & Oil King Hockey

Hockey is one of the highlights of the long, cold Alberta winters, and in Edmonton hockey fans have plenty of ways to keep up with their favourite teams. Go to a live NHL Oilers game, check out and support the local WHL team the Oil Kings, or meet up with friends at one of the local sports bars to watch the game and share a pint of brew.

Concerts & Live Theatre

The theatre season is in full swing for every local theatre company, including The Citadel, the Walterdale Playhouse, and the Edmonton Opera among many, many others. The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra has a full schedule with something for everyone from classical to modern music, and venues small and large in the city are booked solid with some great performers and bands. Check out Ticketmaster, Tix On The Square, and YEGlive.ca to stay up on the arts and culture scene in Edmonton this winter.

Improv & Comedy

Did you know Edmonton has a wildly active improv and comedy community? Rapid Fire Theatre has a wide roster of shows, including one of the best Improv Theatresports teams in Canada, and the 16 day 2012 Wildfire Student Improv Festival is coming up in February. The live plays every Monday night at the Varscona, or catch a live recording of CBC’s The Irrelevant Show. Stand up comedy fans can check out the schedule at The Comic Strip or Yuk Yuk’s.

Farmers’ Markets

Did you know both the Old Strathcona and City Centre Markets run all year round every Saturday morning? You can find the Strathcona Market just north of Whyte Avenue, while the City Centre Market has taken up residence in City Hall while the snow flies. Support local vendors, farms and artisans.

Skiing & Skating

Take advantage of the unusually mild weather by hitting the slops at local ski hills Snow Valley and Rabbit Hill, or if cross country skiing and snowshoeing is more your style, explore the many trails along Edmonton’s winding River Valley. Skate in the heart of the city at City Hall, or get a view of Downtown from the Victoria Park Oval.

August is on the horizon, and so are more fantastic Edmonton festivals including local favourites like the Edmonton Fringe Festival and Heritage Days.

Edmonton Heritage Festival

Edmonton August Festivals and Events

Servus Heritage Festival
When: July 30 thru August 1
Where: William Hawrelak Park
Featuring 63 pavilions representing over 85 cultures from all over the world. Sample culinary delicacies, see creative performances, shop for crafts, artwork, and clothing, or chat with people eager to tell you a little about their cultural roots and their present-day communities in Canada. Pavilions showcase cultural displays with photos, paraphernalia, and stories about their culture or ethnic background in Edmonton.

Edmonton Folk Music Festival
When: August 4 thru August 7
Where: Gallagher Park
Beginning in 1980 with one staff and 300 volunteers, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has grown and matured to become one of the leading folk festivals in the world. Now boasting a volunteer force of over 2000, the festival in a not-for-profit society dedicated to bringing in the best of folk music from around the world.

Wetaskiwin Air Show
When: August 7 thru August 8
Where: Reynolds Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin
An exciting spectacle featuring performances by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds and many others!

Edmonton International Fringe Festival
When: August 11 thru August 21
Where: Old Strathcona
Take a historic neighborhood, add dozens of different venues, stir in performers from around the world, throw in a few hundred thousand audience members and let it grow over 11 days. The result: one Fringe Festival. The Edmonton Fringe Theatre Festival hits the streets of Old Strathcona for 11 days of theatrical merriment. From noon to midnight daily, performers from around the globe and around the corner will entertain audiences with song, dance, drama, comedy, and everything in between.

Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival
When: August 19 thru August 21
Where: Louise McKinney Park
With a track record of attracting over 5,000 spectators, 1,500 participants and guaranteed media coverage with unforgettable sights and sounds. Make this fantastic outdoor festival in Edmonton your tool to raise your company’s profile.

Labatt Blues Festival
When: August 19 thru August 21
Where: Heritage Amphitheatre, William Hawrelak Park
Western Canada’s Premier Blues Event, every August in Edmonton’s scenic River Valley in Hawrelak Park at The Heritage Amphitheatre. Featuring 2011 Grammy winner Chubby Carrier, the astounding Delta Groove Harp blast harmonica players, Kim Wilson’s Blues All Stars, David Gogo, The John Nemeth Soul Revue, Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy, Guitar Shorty, Jack Lavin, David Vest, Sean Carney and many more.

July is almost here, bringing with it more great Edmonton festivals! Here are just a few of the best arts and culture events Edmonton has to offer this July.

Edmonton's Capital EX

Edmonton July Festivals and Events

Edmonton Celebrates Canada Day
When: July 1
Where: Alberta Legislature, City Hall, Old Strathcona, Winspeare Centre
Edmonton celebrates Canada’s 143rd birthday with barbecues, family events and birthday cake, all leading up to a spectacular Canada Day fireworks finale in the river valley. This year’s display is going to be bigger and better than ever before as Edmonton will be launching the biggest fireworks shell in Canada – don’t miss it!

International Street Performers Festival
When: July 8 thru July 17
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 100 Street & 102 Avenue
From musicians to jugglers, acrobats to unicyclists, the festival features over 1500 outdoor performances from an international cast of amazing street artists. And there’s more! Indoor Late Night Madness performances, daily Troupe du Jour group shows, artistic face-painters, colourful rovers, Be Your Own Busker workshops, and Kids’ World activities for the young and young at heart, all add to the whimsy and wonder that electrifies downtown Edmonton for ten days each July.

SOSFest Sounds of Old Strathcona Music Festival
When: July 10
Where: Whyte Avenue, Old Strathcona
Edmonton’s newest summer festival, featuring some of the best and wildly diverse national and home grown talent on Edmonton’s popular Whyte Avenue. An outdoor street party with an outdoor stage and high energy music that attracts a diverse crowd.

Taste of Edmonton
When: July 22 thru August 2
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 100 Street & 102 Avenue
Great food and live entertainment: what more could you ask for? Edmonton’s finest restaurants come together in Churchill Square to create menus that allow you to sample their culinary skills. These samples will leave you wanting so much more. The Taste of Edmonton also features restaurants from different backgrounds reflecting Edmonton’s diverse multiculturalism.

Edmonton Indy
When: July 22 thru July 24
Where: Edmonton City Centre Airport
Gear up for three days of wild at the Edmonton Indy! The dynamic 3.154 km racetrack at the City Centre airport in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada makes this one of the most thrilling stops on the IndyCar Series calendar. Come see these awesome aerodynamic machines reach up to 320 km/h.

Capital EX
When: July 22 thru July 31
Where: Edmonton EXPO Centre, Northlands Park
Summer thrills, action and fun are all on tap at this year’s Capital EX. Edmonton’s must-see event on the summer calendar, Capital EX delivers big value for all ages with live entertainment, familiar favourites and plenty of exciting new attractions. A carnival atmosphere electrifies the city’s longest running summertime exhibition with its parade, casino, free entertainment, thrilling midway and nightly fireworks. Every July, the biggest live community experience in Edmonton takes place at Northlands!

Is there any better place to be than Edmonton during the summer? Festival season kicks off in Edmonton this week, beginning the summer-long tradition where Edmontonians celebrate the arts including theatre, dance, visual arts, sports, film and culture. From our internationally renowned Fringe and Street Performers festival to local arts and film fests, Edmonton is brim full of things to do this summer.

St. Albert's International Children's Festival

Edmonton June Festivals and Events

International Children’s Festival
When: May 31 thru June 4
Where: St. Albert Place & The Arden Theatre, St. Albert
The Children’s Festival provides an opportunity for children to become directly involved in arts activities and presentations, and is both entertaining and educational. A celebration of cultural excellence that promotes performing and visual arts to children and adults of all ages.

NextFest
When: June 2 thru June 12
Where: Theatre Network, The Roxy (10708 – 124 Street)
Over 80 performances in multiple venues throughout the Edmonton downtown area, celebrating new theatre, dance, cyber-art, music, painting, photography, filmmaking, and poetry. NextFest encourages local, emerging artists to explore inter-disciplinary work, multi-media, and new technology.

Heart of the City Festival
When: June 4 thru June 5
Where: Giovanni Caboto Park in Little Italy
Back for its 8th season, the Heart of the City Music and Arts Festival is a two-day family-friendly festival with non-stop live entertainment, artisan tents, face painting for kids, food vendors and roving artists.

Improvaganza
When: June 15 thru June 25
Where: Varscona Theatre
Canada’s largest improv festival. Every year local improv troop Rapid Fire Theatre hosts improvisors from across Canada, the United Stats and beyond. Program includes a full roster of improv, comedy shows, radio shows, workshops and social events.

Freewill Shakespeare Festival
When: June 28 thru July 24
Where: William Hawrelak Park, Heritage Ampitheatre
Locally known as “Shakespeare in the Park”, this is Shakespeare at its best. The outdoor Hawrelak Park Ampitheatre is the perfect setting. Shows featured this year on alternating days are Othello and Twelfth Night. The ultimate summer Shakespearience!

I am proud to call myself an Edmontonian! One of the many reasons is because Edmonton is recognized world wide as “Festival City”, a city that offers world class event opportunities and fosters community pride. There is always something to do in Edmonton – Especially in the summer!

4 Happenings This Weekend:

Honda Indy Edmonton – Action Packed Excitement

The Honda Indy Edmonton races back from July 23-25, 2010, as the world’s fastest drivers tackle one of the most challenging tracks of the IZOD IndyCar Series. Gear up for 3 days of wild at the Honda Indy Edmonton as the 3.154 km racetrack makes this a thrilling stop on the IndyCar Series calendar. Anyone who loves cars and movies like “Fast and the Furious”, this event is for you!

A Taste of Edmonton – Gourmet Delights

Looking for an entertaining way to taste a plethora of Edmonton restaurants’ best dishes, while enjoying local entertainment – then A Taste of Edmonton is for you! This year, from July 23rd to August 1st, the Taste of Edmonton will return and over half a million people will indulge their palates with some of the best food and beverages that Edmonton restaurants have to offer. The Festival features a daily  line-up of entertainment on the Taste Main Stage from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Capital Ex – Something For Everyone

The list goes on and on and on. From concerts to rides to shopping to eating; there’s just so much to do in only 10 days.

- For the younger kids, there is Family Fun Town with interactive construction building, option to catch fish, as well as a firefighter zone where kids can learn how to create their own escape plan and more.

- For a full 10-days, TELUS Stage comes alive with daytime Family Entertainment and every evening, TELUS Stage Concerts showcasing some of the hottest musical acts in Canada.

- For adults only entertainment, Capital EX presents “Sip, The Wine and Food Experience” – Cool atmosphere, dim lights and plenty of character makes this the perfect place to meet up with friends or make new ones.

- For Everybody – Every evening the sky above the EX comes alive with a spectacular fireworks show that will be sure to dazzle you. Don’t miss a night of the excitement.

For more info – visit Captial EX’s Website

Forkfest – Locally Inspired

Take Edmonton’s tastiest independent restaurants, feature an affordable multi-course menu, spread the love over 10 days and what do you have? A reason to celebrate! And a reason to leave your belt at home…

Fork Fest is:

• A 10-day festival of fabulous food celebrating Original Fare’s independent restaurants in Edmonton

• Not in one location, but all participating Original Fare locations – Fork Fest happens simultaneously at each member restaurant.

• A culinary treat! Each Original Fare member restaurant is offering a multi-course meal for $25 or $45 —a great opportunity for newbies to surrender their taste buds to the difference an independent restaurant has to offer. It’s also a fantastic way to say ‘thanks’ to the regular customers who choose to keep Edmonton’s palate diverse by supporting independent restaurants.

• An affordable way for people to try many of Edmonton’s most flavourful places to eat. There’s no guessing what the bill might be, you’re assured there will be a menu of either $25 or $45 (some restaurants will offer both).

• When: July 18 – 22 & 25-29, 2010

These are just a few of the many options Edmontonians can enjoy – take time out of your schedule to experience your own city!

Not sure what Edmonton neighbourhood you want to live in? Sometimes, it is not always about the features of the home, but rather the type of community the area fosters. A great way one can get to know the area is through the Community League. Edmonton’s Federation of Community Leagues is well established and offers unlimited opportunities to socialize and get to know your existing neighbours and/or to get a feel for potential new neighbours.

“EFCL’s purpose is to foster healthy neighborhoods and sustainable community leagues in Edmonton by providing advice, support and coordination of the community league movement in Edmonton. No other organization in North America has such a well developed system of volunteers within communities that provides sports, recreation, culture, and educational opportunities while addressing transportation and land use issues.”

This month, all Edmonton Community Leagues are actually participating in a Community Challenge complete with a Neighborhood Cleanup on June 5, a 24 Hour Bike Tune Up on June 12, and a Canned Food Sculpture Competition on June 26.  Teams of all ages representing a number of Community Leagues throughout the City of Edmonton will participate with the potential of earning a community fund that will directly benefit their Community League.

On August long weekend, they will be involved in Heritage days and on Sept 18, 2010 there will by a Green Challenge to promote and encourage sustainable living initiatives.

To learn more about the community you are planing to buy your Edmonton Home or to get involved in your existing community, visit the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues today. Participate, Volunteer and enjoy meeting your neighbours.

Knowing how to preserve a historical home and to make it comfortable yet functional for your life today can sometimes be challenging. If you currently own a heritage home or are looking to buy or sell your Edmonton heritage home, it is important to not  ”renovate to the point that they won’t be [considered] heritage homes [anymore]“.

Through the city of Edmonton and the city’s heritage planner, David Holdsworth, the city will be hosting a series of seminars on “This Old Edmonton House”. These seminars will continue to run every Wednesday night until April 19, 2010 with sessions focused on “how to renovate without damaging historical features”.

To learn more about these informative sessions, contact David Holdsworth at 780-496-5281 or go to www.edmonton.ca and type in “This Old Edmonton House”

Enjoy!

Quotes from The Examinar, February 24, 2010 – “Home Sweet Heritage”