Spring and summer is one of the best times to visit Edmonton, one of Canada’s largest cities. Here are some great festivals, events, and highlights not to miss if you’re going for a holiday or vacation in Edmonton, Alberta!
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Best of Edmonton, Alberta during the spring & summer
Ride the steam train at Fort Edmonton Park (Canada’s largest living history museum), which now incorporates a beautiful parlour and the restoration of authentic visitor seating as a result of the filming of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford in September 2005. Starring Brad Pitt and Casey Affleck, the film hit theatres September 2007.
Attend Edmonton’s Folk Music Festival and see the city at its most magical. One of the world’s leading Folk festivals, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is a four-day outdoor music extravaganza that attracts more than 80,000 music lovers. Situated in Gallagher Park in Edmonton’s scenic river valley, the festival offers an eclectic mix of music for all tastes.
Attend Edmonton’s internationally renowned Fringe Theatre Festival – attracting over 500,000 visitors to over 1,000 live theatre experiences every year… largest in North America, it’s second only in the world to the famous Edinburgh Fringe in size!
Check out the rides at West Edmonton Mall’s Galaxyland (the new Galaxy Orbiter opened in 2007, the first coaster of its kind in Canada) and World Waterpark (a new children’s interactive play area opened in 2008).
Ride the High Level Streetcar (spring through fall) and enjoy a trip from the top deck of the world’s highest streetcar bridge – the High Level Bridge at 46 metres (152 feet) above the North Saskatchewan River – built in 1912.
A favourite with visitors and residents alike to travel from downtown to Edmonton’s famous Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. As the streetcar clacks slowly across, the view, unobstructed in every direction, is truly breathtaking.
Explore Edmonton’s wealth of visual art on display in over 60 galleries and public exhibits including the Gallery Walk, the first of its kind in Canada.
Ready! Set! Golf Marathon! There are more than 70 golf courses in the Greater Edmonton Region, including the oldest municipal course in Canada that is centrally located in Edmonton’s beautiful river valley. Mid-summer daylight lasting 17 hours attracts both avid and new golfers alike.
See the herds of free roaming plains bison, wood bison, moose, deer, and elk at Elk Island National Park. With the exception of the Serengeti Plains of Africa, Elk Island National Park has higher densities of hoofed mammals per square kilometer than any other wild area in the world! Also boasting over 250 species of birds, the park is a bird watcher’s paradise.
Explore Old Strathcona Historic Area, voted one of the Top 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in Canada and also recently named a Provincial Historic Area. Amid many historic buildings , businesses are 90 per cent owner-operated, offering art and antiques, sports and wellness, bold and daring fashions, music supplies, home accessories, fair trade and organic products and more.
Pick a day trip and visit the country. Find animal and farm experiences and other family activities online at www.edmontonscountryside.com and www.visitthecountry.ca. Attractions include the Devonian Botanic Garden and the award-wining Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village.
See Edmonton from up, way up. E-Z Air offers helicopter services to various industries including tourism. Flights options include 1-hour custom tours for up to 3 passengers. You decide where you want to fly, and what you want to see.
Join the excitement at Edmonton’s Capital EX – Edmonton’s longest running festival! Capital EX (formerly Klondike Days) boasts a large variety of international entertainment, culture, family fun, midway thrills and shopping.
Explore the North Saskatchewan River Valley. Edmonton offers the largest expanse of urban parkland in North America with its gorgeous river valley and vast system of parks and natural areas. There are 22 major parks and over 160 kilometres of maintained trails on which you can enjoy walks, bike rides, picnics, and more.
See Edmonton’s Great Divide Waterfall. The High Level Bridge, which connects downtown Edmonton to the city’s south side, contains a waterfall that sends approximately 11,000 gallons of water out per minute for a distance of 300 feet along the exterior expanse of the bridge. The man-made waterfall, which is turned on for holiday weekends, cascades into the North Saskatchewan River.
For more on visiting Edmonton, go to: www.edmonton.com.