Summer in Edmonton is one of the best times of the year. Not only is it time to pull out your summer gear and prepare for the heat, it’s time to submerge yourself in the city’s many different cultures and festivals! With plenty of action happening all over the city, we’ve compiled a list of our top 10 favorite things happening downtown Edmonton this year that won’t break the bank!
Bienvenido a la fiesta! Edmonton’s 5th Annual Latin Festival is in town August 19th – 20th at our Churchill Square! This vibrant and dynamic event lasting 2-day’s is packed full of live International Musical artists, dancers, and savoury authentic Latin food that’ll have you feeling like you’re in Rio De Janeiro in the middle of Carnival! With a beer garden for the adults, and booths for kids set up, there is a Little Latin flavor for everyone to enjoy during their visit! Come sway your hips to the salsa beat; taste some of the most mouth-watering food in Edmonton and celebrate the bond and culture the Hispanic community brings to Edmonton. Best of all – this amazing cultural family friendly event is free!
Cariwest is one of Edmonton’s most colorful, rhythmic, and energetic festivals that Edmonton’s Churchill Square sees during the summer. The Cariwest festival is a worldwide event celebrating the beautiful culture, costumes, music, food, and vibe that the Caribbean brings to life on a daily basis. Dance along in the streets of Downtown Edmonton to the island rhythms of Calypso and Soca music; take your picture with some of the most beautiful, glitzy and vibrant colored costume wearing performers and surprise your taste buds with exotic Caribbean cuisine. Immerse yourself in the lively 3-day Caribbean Carnival event during August 11th to August 13th with free admission that’ll make you feel like you’re in the tropics, even though you’re at home!
Creative, witty, quirky, kooky, hilarious are some of the best ways to describe the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival! Churchill Square will be hosting an impressive array of over 60 international, national, and local artists who will interact with the city’s guests and impressing us all with their innovative tales, tricks, dances and thrilling performances! Puppeteers, acrobats, and daredevils alike will unleash the peculiar and extravagant talents upon the city with free admission from July 7th to July 16th!
Prepare those taste buds! Edmonton’s food scene has a lot to offer one of Canada’s largest food festivals! Taste of Edmonton lets you take a bite of many locally owned and operated restaurants and food trucks who are coming together on July 20th to the 29th to display the many mouthwatering dishes our city has to offer for this Churchill Square carnival of cuisine! Not only will there be delicious dishes, you can count on the variety of deserts, cocktails, wine, beer and much more to enjoy while soaking up the sun! This event also includes top-notch entertainment at one of Canada’s largest FREE concert events!
Take your time on Saturdays and immerse yourself in the vibrant outdoor market with some of the best locally grown and produced products. Visit with friends, your partner, or even your pet, one of Edmonton’s liveliest outdoor Market Experiences. City Market Downtown is much more than just a shopping trip – with the opportunities to get to know your neighboring growers, producers and artisans who take pride in their work and love to help you rediscover what our city’s homegrown talent has to offer! City Market Downtown is open every Saturday from 9AM to 3PM and located on 104th Street Promenade, just north of Jasper Avenue.
A little too hot out right now? Why not have some fun in doors! Put your thinking caps on and gather your closest friends for an exciting and thrilling 45-minute escape room! Escape Rooms are live action adventure games that uses your logic, wit, and surroundings to escape your theme room of choice! Whether it be holding a bank heist; searching for missing hikers or investigating the strange happenings at an old haunted asylum – you’re guaranteed excitement! A good recommendation would be GTFO Escape Entertainment which just reopened after some extensive renovations due to a fire in the building and has some of the best and updated Escape Room’s in the city! They are located on the 2nd floor of 10018 105th Street.
Calling all aspiring Jedi! The Edmonton Arts Council is hosting a weekly free Lightsaber training at Churchill Square. Learn to use the force, or practice your skills for a lightsaber battle, The Edmonton Arts Council is offering assistance in developing your life long skill of dueling and challenging foe! Get in a fun and entertaining work out every Wednesday between from 7PM to 830PM and live out your fantasy of becoming the next great Jedi! Lightsaber’s not included.
Why not take a scenic ride on the High-Level Bridge Street car this weekend? Travel back to the early 1900’s, feel the breeze hit you through the windows and enjoy the incredible journey across the 100-year-old High-Level Bridge. Travel from historic Old Strathcona to the bustling downtown Edmonton core, for only $5 round trip you’ll get a beautiful view of the breathtaking North Saskatchewan River and Rivervalley – and a ride on a refurbished trolley car on the highest streetcar crossing in the world!
During the Summer the downtown core is a perfect place to stop in, grab a drink and enjoy the sun! Quench your thirst during the day, or even make a stop later at night, you’re never alone surrounded by good company, delicious drinks, and fresh air! A great example is tucked away by Churchill Square, Sherlock Holmes Pub with beautiful scenery and delicious British pub food. Across the street, Craft Beer Market has an amazing rooftop patio that is changing the patio game as we know it. Grab a cold one and a seat – you deserve it!
Come on down and cheer on the Edmonton Prospects with other passionate baseball fans! Grab a cold drink and a hot dog while you watch the Edmonton Prospects do what they do best – make Edmonton proud and beat their rival teams! Tickets range between $10 to $20 per game, and they even offer group packages. Bring your friends and wear your gold because it’s time to play ball!
What will you be doing in Edmonton this summer? Let us know on Facebook!