Heritage Weekend
This is it Edmonton, the long weekend we’ve been waiting for all month. (I said long weekend, not log.)
It’s also one of those peaks of festivals that mark our summer. Here’s what I mean:
Heritage Festival (It is the Heritage Day weekend… Also, you can’t drive your car to Hawrelak for all of the fun.)
DRAW (drawing. obvs.)
Capital Ex (Woot!)
Taste of Edmonton (Deep fried deliciousness – alright, mostly deep fried.)
Food Day Canada, where restaurants create entirely Canadian-sourced meals (with Culina Mill Creek, Culina Muttart, Culina Highlands – now the Highlands Kitchen, D’Lish, The Marc, )
Yeah!
In sports…the Eskimos are home tonight to the Toronto Argonauts and the Capitals play host to the Lake County Fielders. The Fielders are having all kinds of off-field troubles this season.
On a more serious note, there will be a vigil for a Fort McMurray woman missing for the last year.
Wicked continues to play at the Jube.
Edmonton comedian Jon Mick records a live comedy album, at Wunderbar. You can not only enjoy a night of fine Edmonton comedy (and comedians) but listen for your laughter on his recording. And if you want you can help him pay for the album by throwing him a few bucks. Pretty solid night.
In music, it’s a pretty solid weekend. Sister Gray is playing New City Legion tonight with Cygents, The Frolics, and Very Dangerous Animals…Luke Doucet and the White Falcon is with Michael Rault, at the Starlite Room…Capital Ex has plenty of music, including Ace of Bass Sunday night…Taste of Edmonton also has lots of live music…
On Saturday, there are two great afternoon shows on Whyte Avenue, with Tyler Butler and F&M at the Black Dog for Hair of the Dog, and The Provincial Archive at The Empress with Montreal’s Charlotte Cornfield…
Saturday night…Toy Singers have a farewell show, with Old Uglians Jessica Jalbert, Liam Trimble, and Sugarglider at the Haven Social Club…across the city, The ARTery’s got the Beehive Bonanza Mini Market and Show, with Rocktimus Crime, Service:Fair, and Jom Comyn…
Sunday night sees a long weekend showcase at the Pawn Shop, with Matt Machete ready to blow things up…On the holiday Monday, Jeff Morris kicks off his tour at the Black Dog…
Now, to get this party started, let me present to you the new album from our pals The Fight. (The whole album is embedded here, just flip through the tracks. Oh, and buy it if you dig it.)
See you Tuesday!
p.s. Speaking of The Fight, Jom Comyn, Service:Fair, Jessica Jalbert, Liam Trimble, The Provincial Archive, Tyler Butler, and Sugarglider, this Sunday night is likely the last time you’ll be able to catch the edmontonian presents on ShawTV (channel 10 on Shaw cable), so tune in at 9pm and be able to tell your space-grandkids you saw it on an actual television set.
Set your phasers to Festival
(As always, this isn’t a definitive list of what’s going on in Edmonton. Just stuff I know about or want to check out. ShareEdmonton and YEGLive are way more definitive.)
This is where your mettle for festival season begins to be tested, Edmonton.
We’ve had great festivals this summer, like the Jazz Fest, SOS Fest, Doors Open Edmonton and the Street Performers Festival. But now, now, is when you need to hydrate and find sleep when you can.
Now is when Edmonton becomes an endless string of carnival rides, mini donuts, race cars, deep-fried food, arts, music, theatre and parties.
This weekend we’ve got the Honda Indy Edmonton. That’s three days of race action at the City Centre Airport. There will be spin-off parties, including the tent on Jasper and the Race Week Music Festival at the Sutton Place hotel. (Side note: Drake is playing the Edmonton Event Centre, Saturday, with an after-party at the tent.)
Capital Ex kicks off its ten day run today. The only way you’ll be slowed down here is if you eat that giant hamburger they’re calling The Monster.
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival is into its final days of Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing.
Churchill Square is full of food. That’s because Taste of Edmonton is back to fill your stomach with a selection of tasty treats from city restaurants.
You can draw at Draw. The annual arts event that includes, umm, drawing, DJs, food, dancing, and who knows what other kinds of fun. It’s at more than one location this year. Find yourself some space to express yourself visually at Latitude 53, Harcourt House, and SNAP. Things finish off at FAVA.
And that’s just the festivals.
We’ve got live music all over the place, including some Old Ugly action at Axis Cafe, featuring Kumon Plaza, Jessica Jalbert, and Jaded Hipster Choir. Wolf Parade is at the Starlite Room. A guy you’ve probably heard of, Neil Young, is at the Jubilee tonight.
You can refuse to believe the rumors, but SkeptiCamp Alberta is happening Saturday, at the U of A.
For the family, Sesame Street Live is at Rexall for shows throughout the weekend.
The Edmonton Prospects are home to Medicine Hat at John Fry Park.
Don’t forget you can seek air-conditioned refuge in a movie theatre.
Remember to pace yourself. Right after Capital Ex and Taste of Edmonton we’ve got the Heritage Festival, Folk Fest, the Fringe (and the edmontonian and Unknown Studio birthday party). It’s going to be September before we know it. (And once it is September we’ve got Symphony Under the Sky.)
p.s. If you’re by a computer Saturday night, at 9pm, why not come right back here and catch our attempt at a TV talk show: “Saturday with Samsonow.” It’ll be something. It might even be good.
