Hello Edmontonians, and welcome to summer.

In between teaching, hosting, hula-hooping and watching football it seems like the summer is melting quicker then the popsicle I forgot in the sun. As we all know, summer is truly the best time to be in Edmonton. The weather is good, the days are long and we have a million things to do in July and August.

Here is what’s cheap (or free) in this city this week.

Until July 18, the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival is running in Churchill square. Come on down and see some wonderful entertainment from around the world. Although the cost is free, donations are more then accepted as nobody *really* wants to be a starving artist.

Tuesday night check out “Much Ado About Nothing” in Hawrelak park, part of the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. As it is pay-what-you-will night, it makes for an entertaining, low cost evening. The festival runs until the end of the month and tickets usually are priced from $15 to $22.50.

For those women who are interested in spicing it up a bit (and I always say, an educated woman is not only smart, she’s happy) there is the “Orgasams 101″ workshop running out of the Traveling Tickle Trunk. Although people may complain that $25 is a bit much for a few hours, I say it is not. This workshop is priceless. It’s for women only, and you can check out their website for more education opportunities. (July 25 offers a Penis Pleasing workshop….These classes fill up fast though so make sure you register ahead of time.)

Thursday, July 15 gives a few opportunities to work on your inner artist. The AGA is back with their summer adult art classes. This week focuses on the Group of Seven and how to do acrylic landscape painting. At $12 a class these aren’t free, however, they are a wonderful way to try something new. A few blocks away, at Latitude 53, the rooftop patio series is still running, with the 15th featuring JCI.

Friday, the Fava summer party is at the Ortona armory and, being a potluck, means plenty of food and fun. Kick it back here, or enjoy one of Edmonton’s many patios with a walk, after, through the valley, while the sun sets.

And as for Saturday and Sunday… I’ll leave that up to you. For me it means farmers market, hooping at the Leg grounds and coffee at Credo! But who am I to tell you what to do?

Any ideas for what other Edmontonians do? Please leave a comment, or Twitter me at artstylelove.

365 Days of Sunshine, by Angela Ostafichuk

Summer’s almost here and it’s time to celebrate.

Turn off your TV and get going!

After reading “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin, I’ve decided to follow the golden path of having a more fulfilling life. In my quest for happiness this year I want to do as much as I can to see what makes me tick.

So turn off your TV, and feel free to join my 365 days towards a
better life.

Little or no money you say? No worries. Edmonton is one of the best places to be in the summertime with multiple outdoor festivals, events and concerts. There are literally hundreds of things to do here, some better then others.

From sex workshops to looking at the stars to eating popsicles while dancing in the street, the key is to think outside the box this summer. So whether you have 10 cents, 10 dollars or a 50 (call me!) in your pocket there’s something for everyone.

Last week saw Nextfest start around the city. The Enterprise Square Gallery features works from new artists and is worth a stroll through, at no cost. The rest of the festival is still amazingly priced with $5 for the nightclubs and $10 for a show.

Think outside the box for summer 2010.

Tuesday June 8, the Creative Age Festival kicks off. Although deemed as a festival for the 65+ crowds, there is lots to do even if you’re not loud, proud and retired. Grab gramps and head down.

Both Wednesday and Thursday (June 9 and 10) feature free movies at
the EPL. Wednesday is The Girlfriend Experience and Thursday features It
Might Get Loud. Both FREE, they start at 6:30 in the Milner Library.

Thursday also kicks off Pride week with a show at The ARTery titled “Peculiar Peckers: Drag Kings & Other Phallic Things” which will be worth checking out. Tickets are $5 and the entertainment is priceless.

Friday is a day to work out, so come join my friend Elly and I on what we like to call “walk and watch” on the stairs by Victoria Trail. If you have no clue what I’m referencing to, join us and you’ll see.

Friday is also a great time to just chill on one of Edmonton’s lovely patios, enjoy a walk through the river valley or read a book.

Saturday is jam-packed with events.

Of course everyone knows it’s the Pride Parade, that kicks off on Jasper at 1pm.

Before that, though, there are many events downtown including a pancake breakfast before, and a block party after on 104th, which goes until 10 pm. Add the Nextfest wrap-ups to Pride and downtown is the place to be.

Stay tuned for more cheap thrills as I figure out how to go big without going broke.

Where is the best place for cupcakes? Bubble tea? People watching? This summer I plan on solving these mysteries so keep reading Edmonton and keep it fresh.

More from Angela at her blog, or on Twitter.

We are so lucky.

I believe I may have hinted in the Headlines this morning that I will be watching the Lost series finale this Sunday. Hey, even if you haven’t been a Lostie, there’s still enough time to grab the DVDs and watch enough key episodes to get in on the fun. Otherwise, good luck avoiding everything about the show while you spend weeks trying to catch up after the show ends.

I wonder if its DVD sales will be awful for a few years, until it’s been wiped pretty clear of pop culture?

Anyway…

You have to ride the streetcar at least once each summer.

It doesn’t look like it’s going to be a great weekend, weather-wise, so maybe you’ll ust hit the movie theatre. It’s totally a good couch weekend too.

If you are looking for some of your first taste of BBQ, maybe hit school board candidate Michael Janz’s campaign kick-off party, Saturday afternoon. It’s right by the McKernan-Belgravia LRT station.

Henry Rollins is at the Winspear tonight. Let Sally know how that goes.

Fort Edmonton Park opens its 2010 season this long weekend. Too bad they didn’t have time to put in the log flumes and historically accurate laser tag.

I’ve learned, through the power of the Internet, that Saturday is the International Day of Biodiversity. So, head on over to the courtyard behind the Stanley A. Milner library and learn about plants, bugs and stuff.

Victoria Day weekend means the High Level Bridge streetcar starts running!

Public Enemy playing the Edmonton Event Centre Sunday night. We should have ordered an edmontonian clock for Flavor. It really is a weekend of hip hop, since you’ve also got Hip Hop in the Park (Louise McKinney, that is) Saturday afternoon. Hip Hop in the Dark goes tonight.

The Uncas rock the Pawn Shop Saturday.

And thanks to our good friends at ShareEdmonton I can remember to mention that the Edmonton Energy are home tonight for IBL action.

No matter what you’re getting up to, if you’re leaving the house remember that there are LRT closures this weekend. The train won’t be running between Churchill and Clareview stations.

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!

Right after I tell you what I’ll be up to this weekend.

I’ll be at MediaCamp Edmonton tomorrow. It should be a good time.

Being a “camp” it’s going to be one of those un-conference thingys. That’s where the participants (me and 200 of my friends) pitch OUR ideas. There are no set sessions, no planned speakers. We will dictate what the day is about.

So, if the day is terrible it’s our own fault.

It’s about collaboration, basically. The room will be full of traditional media (newspaper, radio and TV folks, my old peeps), new media (bloggers, podcasters, online journalists, my new peeps) public and media relations (the corporate, organizational, and government “spin-doctors” and storytellers) and developers (people who know what the heck is actually inside our computers and how to use that to create new software, new forms of storytelling, new things).

It’s a free event, so if you fall into any of those categories you can come on down to the Shaw Conference Centre tomorrow.

By working together, for at least one day, we should be able to figure out some new ways to tell stories, new ways to use the Internet, mobile technologies, emerging tech, new software, and each other, to build better communities. My definition of a better community, here, is one that knows more about itself, more about what’s going on and how it all works

I’m also hoping to talk my way into some of that sweet Journal moola The Unknown Studio guys are always flashing around town.

You can follow our shenanigans through the Twitter hashtag #yegmediacamp. You should also be able to search”yegmediacamp” after Saturday, to find blog posts, photos and videos of what we talked about.

The Edmonton Journal will also be streaming the opening panel, live at 10am.

But, enough about me. Let’s talk about what you could get up to this weekend. (Unless you’re also going to MediaCamp. Then, you should come over and say “Hi.”)

Tanner Gordon is playing, and releasing a CD, tonight at NAIT’s Shaw Theatre.

You could always see a movie.

The Edmonton Symphony for kids has “Mozart, Boy Genius.”

The City of Edmonton has a couple of events. The Muttart Conservatory is holding its annual bedding plant sale. That should get you in the spring mood. And the Valley Zoo is celebrating mothers.

By the way, it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday.

The Edmonton Rush continue their first-ever playoff run. They’re in Washington for the National Lacrosse League Western Final. Follow the action at the Rush or NLL website.

Now, this feels a little light. Let’s see if ShareEdmonton can’t help us out.

Ah yes, before the big event next week you can help #YegHelp with a few bucks tonight. CityTV’s Ryan Jespersen (ask him about fantasy hockey) and his wife, Capital FM’s Kari Skelton will be doing the guest bartender thing over at Lux. Drop some money into the tip jar to help Royal Le Page’s Shelter Foundation. I went last year, but tonight I’ll be hanging with newsy and PR friends.

There’s the Women + Health Conference at the Radisson south.

The Twitter crowd will be singing Saturday night. Singing!

Sunday sees an important, and kind of cool, event at the Shaw. It’s Homeless Connect 4. This is when homeless people can get connected (see what I did there?) to services available. Plus, they can get a haircut and really simple stuff we would take for granted.

See ya!