Fringey Weekend
Not sure if you’ve heard anything about this Fringe festival we’ve got going on in Edmonton, but that comes to it’s spectacular conclusion this weekend.
We’ve been posting videos, mostly trailers, of some plays.
Oh, and while Fringeopolis will finish up this weekend, there are popular plays being held over.
The Fringe, however, is not Edmonton’s only festival this weekend.
We’ve got the Labatt Blues Festival down in Hawrelak Park…the Dragonboat Festival over in Louise McKinney Park…and East Meets West in Chinatown/Little Italy, with East Meets West: Tropicana Afrika on Sunday…
The Blues Festival has plenty of great artists, but that’s not the only live music worth checking out.
The Edmonton Show VI is on tonight at Avenue Theatre, with Scenic Route to Alaska among the arts and entertainment…there’s a Degrassi Junior High dance party at the Pawn Shop, with DJs Caitlin and Spike…Matt Landry and the Dryland Band are among the bands playing at Brixx tonight…My Sister Ocean headlines a show at Brixx on Saturday…Ricky’s in Mill Woods is starting up a series of Saturday night music nights (with a little help from our old friend Consilience) with Kaleb Kaiser, Mack Behm, and Nelson Lemay kicking things off…The Edmonton Show VI is back on Sautrday night (still at Avenue Theatre) with a killer lineup of Sugarglider, Mitchmatic, and A.O.K….and Chris Isaak is at the Tentue on Sunday night…
Movies on the Square is back in Churchill Square, with Rio and Hop on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. There’s a 1920s picnic at Tiptop Park on Saturday. And you can Yelp your way through East Whyte with a passport to deals and discounts.
In sports…the Edmonton Eskimos are home to the B.C. Lions tonight…the Edmonton Capitals are home to the Chico Outlaws all weekend…the 82nd running of the Canadian Derby is Saturday at Northlands Park…and FC Edmonton is home to the Atlanta Silverbacks on Sunday…
Fringe Events
Alright, so there’s no getting around the big event happening right now in Edmonton. The 30th Edmonton International Fringe Festival; Fringeopolis is on this weekend and until August 21. Almost all of the 180 plays will be happening in the Old Strathcona neighbourhood, but watch for venues in other parts of the city, like the Edmonton Public Library, downtown, and 118 Avenue.
We’re posting videos for Fringe plays, so keep your eyes on our “From the Web” category.
Now, that is not the only thing happening in Edmonton. A couple of smaller festival/street party items this weekend:
- Art in the Alley – art, music, an outdoor movie, and more, all happening in the Alley of Light. That’s the backlane that runs from Beaver Hills House Park, past the Sobeys, across 104 Street, over to the U of A’s downtown campus.
- Eastwoodfest – Back for another summer, this celebrates all things Eastwood (118 Avenue, betweem 85 and 87 Street)
- There’s a tea party at the U of A’s environmental students group naturalized site, which was top community garden in the Front Yards in Bloom contest.
In sports…the Edmonton Capitals are back home, hosting the Yuma Scorpions this weekend…FC Edmonton is home to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers…the Oil City Derby Girls’ rookies are taking on the Yukon Roller Girls…northwest of Edmonton, the St. Albert Heavenly Rollers take on the Cold Lake Lakeland Lady Killers (such a good name), on the 76th anniversary of roller derby…this weekend is also the kick off to the Prairie Football Conference season, with the Edmonton Wildcats home to the Calgary Colts, at Clarke Park (beside Commonwealth Stadium)…
In Friday music…it actually kicks serious butt…The Edmonton Show is back for a VIth run (that would be 6th), with Ann Vriend and Liam Trimble leading the way…Whiskeyface kicks off their tour at Brixx with The Sorels…Michael Rault and Sans AIDS are at The ARTery…Romi Mayes is releasing a CD tonight at the Haven Social Club…Carrie Day is at The Carrot (don’t forget about The Carrot!)…All Time Low is at the Edmonton Events Centre…
Saturday…The AwesomeHots get the day going with a Hair of the Dog afternoon show at the Black Dog…Paperplanes and Dragonboats release an EP, with The Paronomasiac, at The ARTery…
You'll be screaming with excitement over The Room.
All weekend…the Edmonton Rock Music Festival, a collaboration of The Rock and Roll Society of Edmonton and K-97, takes over Hawrelak Park. There will be plenty of, uh, rock.
You can always catch a movie in the cool confines of a theatre. And The Room is at Metro Cinema tonight at 11:20pm. If you haven’t seen The Room yet, YOU NEED TO SEE The Room. (Metro Cinema is now in the Garneau Theatre.)
You can hug your way to donated peanut butter, at West Edmonton Mall.
Oh, and if you’re using the LRT this weekend, remember that the train will not stop at Coliseum station because of work on the station platform.
The First Crazy Weekend of Summer
Get ready for a busy weekend, Edmonton. (And the festivals are just getting started too.)
The 10th Royal Bison Craft Fair is at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre. This one’s gonna be good, with Culina serving up food, and more craftsters than you can shake a knitted-stick at.
Not too far from the Royal Bison, it’s the first East Whyte Street Party. The block party, including Eva Sweet Waffles!, is on 100 Street, between Whyte Avenue and 81st Ave. Businesses up and down Whyte (between 99 Street and the tracks) will have specials and deals for you too. We’ll see you there!
A few blocks away from that…the City of Edmonton is talking food and agriculture policy, outside of the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market.
Sticking with the City…Saturday sees the 3rd annual ETS Community Fair at West Edmonton Mall. And Big Bin Events continue, so you can get rid of all of your old couches.
The Edmonton Energy are in action tonight, playing the USA All-Stars. (The Edmonton Energy are our IBL basketball team.)
In music…Hale Hale, Raptors, and Randy Graves are playing the Pawn Shop tonight with Andrew W.K. So you know it’ll be a party. Anvil is at the Starlite Room. Rusty Reed’s and the Sherbrooke Community League are putting on the “Blossom into the Blues” festival this weekend. Opera Nuova’s Vocal Arts Festival is on right now too. On Sunday…Timbre Timbre at the Avenue Theatre
On Saturday watch out for people running around Edmonton in the City Chase (kind of an Amazing Race style event) and then on Sunday, you’ll see folks running and biking in the Subway Coronation Triathlon – which brings with it road closures.
On the political side of things…the Alberta Party’s got Big Idea Night to kick-off its leadership convention this weekend…and there will be a rally at the Alberta Legislature Sunday, to pressure the provincial government into funding education and avoiding hundreds of teaching cuts this fall…
SEE Magazine might be disappearing, but Merge is back. They re-launch with a party tonight.
You can still catch new one-act plays from local playwrights at the Walterdale.
There are always movies to be watched.
On Sunday, buy some baked goods to help the Slave Lake fire victims. Never before has gorging yourself on brownies been so helpful.
You can wash down all those brownies and cupcakes with beers. Zombeers.
Weekend
Let’s begin this look at the weekend with theatre, shall we?
Just a heads up, though, LRT service will be disrupted north of Churchill on Saturday and Sunday.
The Citadel Theatre’s got Hunchback on now. It’s a new imagining of the Victor Hugo novel, not the Disney movie, from the minds of Catalyst Theatre. Speaking of Catalyst…over at the actual theatre, until March 19, is “Shatter,” about the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion.
Also until March 19, MacEwan’s Theatre Arts and Theatre Production programs present “Company,” their final performance of the school year.
The Brian Webb Dance Company presents Toronto Dance Theatre’s Pteros Tactics this weekend.
The E-Ville Roller Derby and Northern Lights Theatre are teaming up for an exhibition match/fundraiser.
There are a few shows around town…Kieran’s Art Trading Post is at Bohemia tonight…tomorrow is the Edmonton’s coin show and sale…and It’s Mom, Pop & Tots Fair weekend.
It’s another great live music weekend in Edmonton…
The Edmonton Show IV goes at Avenue Theatre tonight. It’s got music, dance, arts, and more.
Also tonight…Mark Berbue is at the Pawn Shop, with Ayla Brook and Old Ugly’s Doug Hoyer. (Speaking of Old Ugly…Jessica Jalbert is at Wunderbar Saturday night)… The Accident Will releases a CD at DV8, with DeSousa Drive and Bad Acid…The ARTery’s got Prairie Nights…Haven Social Club’s got a CD release from Christine Fellows, who will play with Shotgun Jimmie…and the Jimmy Swift Band is at the Starlite Room…
Saturday afternoon, Hair of the Dog has Samara Von Rad, which is a rad name. Saturday night Weird Canada (Canada’s best music website) presents a show at The ARTery that will likely blow your mind.
Gregg’s got the lowdown on movies actually worth seeing.
The City Market begins its run of Saturdays at City Hall, as preparation for it usual summer selling on 104 Street.
Oh, and Sunday night, Lucky 13 is hosting Carlton himself, Alfonso Ribeiro.
Have a lovely weekend, Edmonton.
Of Edmonton Events
We have come upon our first weekend in the post-2010 election era. I expect candidates and councillors to be sleeping in the next couple of days.
There are a number of things happening if you’re not napping.
On your way home tonight you could stop in at The ARTery and raise money for HIV Edmonton while enjoying the end of the work week. Friday night, Dan Hill plays the Shaw Conference Centre for a Canadian Diabetes Association fundraiser. Justin Rutledge is at the Haven Social Club. Library Voices swing into the Avenue Theatre.
Still Friday, there’s a Bicycle-powered party at the U of A.
Saturday night, Falklands returns home from a cross-country tour to play Teddy’s. Yes, Teddy’s. This should be a good one.
M.A.D.E. In Edmonton closes out “Edmonton Design Exposed” with a party at Bohemia. It’s a little spot that’s out of the way but worth trekking to.
We are starting to see all of the Hallowe’en movies now. Watching movies is still a viable pastime.
The Oil Kings, Eskimos, and Oilers are all home this weekend. There’s roller derby at the Edmonton Sportsdome (and it’s even got a nice Hallowe’en theme to it, with Regina’s Pile O’ Bones in town).
The City of Edmonton continues its series of Hallowe’en events with Pumpkins & Pirates at the Muttart Conservatory.
By the way, it’s Friday, which means it’s Free Cookie Friday over at Luzarra. Head down to Whyte Avenue for a coffee and mention Luzarra’s free cookie tweeting. Then you’ll get a free cookie.
And, as always, the geniuses at ShareEdmonton.ca and YEGLive.ca helped me fill out your social calendars. Those guys are awesome.
This is also happening all weekend long. Pure Spec is at the Radisson south.
What to do, what to do
Yes indeed, we’ve made it through another week.
Martin Kerr was out at the Beverley Farmers' Market. Maybe you'll see him at the first Downtown market of the summer, this Saturday.
So, let’s find you something fun to do.
Not to brag, but I bet, maybe even as you’re reading this, I’m having the most weekend fun of all. The dentist is yanking one of my wisdom teeth out.
Have fun with your non-pain pill related events, suckers.
If you’re an Edmonton politics fan you may already know the Alberta Liberal Party is holding their convention and AGM this weekend.
The Tallest Man on Earth is playing a sold out show at Brixx. He’s not actually that tall.
Everybody’s favourite band (to say) is playing the Avenue Theatre tonight. It’s Fucked Up.
More local, Saturday will see the first Joe Bird Award. It’s a bit of a celebration over at the Empress Ale House.
#YegHelp is this Saturday night. That’s a big fundraiser for the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. There’s a fashion show too. Plus, I’ll link to most anything with a #Yeg in it.
Almost a #Yeg, the public teachers are hosting a tweetup tonight.
Maybe this will be the weekend you finally check out lawn bowling. Maybe.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the E-Ville Roller Derby girls are having a championship this weekend. Have you seen roller derby in E-town yet?
Of course, the summer blockbuster movies just keep on coming!
There’s a 2010 Alberta Comedy Spectacular being recorded for the CBC in St. Albert.
Ooh, and the Found Footage Festival is on tonight!
Meanwhile…over at Share Edmonton…
The Edmonton Energy return to the basketball floor!
There will be plenty of running and walking this weekend with the Community Action Dash and Enerflex MS Walk.
Don’t forget, the ESO is always a good choice. This weekend, they’ve got a wonderful soprano in, to sing Schubert.
And, I don’t normally look beyond the weekend, but I fear I’ll forget to mention A Night of Highwire Films, which is happening Wednesday. There!
