Weekend Events
If you happen to look at Gallagher Park and wonder what the heck all those people are up to, it’s cool, it’s Folk Fest.
But that’s not the only festival in Edmonton this weekend. Heck no! It’s also Cariwest, so expect Jasper Avenue to be flooded with colour for the parade tomorrow, and then party all day at Churchill Square.
It also happens to be Animethon weekend.
And today is International Beer Day! So, drink some beer.
Now, outside of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival there’s still music to be had.
You can’t much more opposite folk than metal. The Starlite Room and Brixx are hosting Metal Fest 2011 tonight. Down at Hawrelak Park tonight you can help raise money for the Canadian Liver Foundation at a concert with Sister Gray and The Apresnos. Also tonight…The Secretaries, Hellfire Special, Throttle, and Nature are at the Pawn Shop…Over at Wunderbar, you can help Hang Loose raise money for a “Solidarity Rock” trip to Cuba. They’re playing with with Service:Fair and The Frolics.
Tomorrow night at Wunderbar it’s Field + Stream, Extra Happy Ghost, and Lab Coast…Dragonette is at the Edmonton Events Centre, with Dirty Radio…and The Weekend Kids, with Old Sins, Liv, and The National Security Council are all at Brixx.
This weekend also officially opens the Garneau Theatre as the new home of Metro Cinema. (For non-Metro movies, Gregg’s got some thoughts.)
FC Edmonton is home to the Puerto Rico Islands Saturday night, at Foote Field.
And a reminder: The LRT does not stop at Coliseum station this weekend, but still runs Clareview to Century Park.
Late Headlines
Good day, Edmonton. As Sally mentioned earlier, I was out and about and got hung up. But, fear not, I still love me some Headlines.
Hundreds of Edmonton teaching jobs could be cut, as the Edmonton Public School Board tries to balance a budget that’s not getting any extra love from the Alberta government. The same Alberta government that’s going to be asked to put in up to $100-million for our city’s new downtown arena.
I guess education and teaching degrees do make one qualified to work an arena concession stand.
Speaking of provincial education dollars, Beaumont is getting a pair of new schools.
Meanwhile…the closed-door, after-hours vote to approve the arena deal isn’t getting a whole lotta love.
Starting with the arena again…you’d think that was some kind of big deal or something. (more…)
The Winspear Presents
Edmonton loves its folk music festival. There’s no denying that when you see how quickly the weekend (though it’s starting to stretch out to most of the week) sells out each summer.
So I’ve been meaning to write about The Winspear Presents series of concerts happening this spring. Programmed by Edmonton Folk Music Festival producer Terry Wickham, it’s a selection of folk, troubadour, and world music, well in advance of the annual pilgrimage to Gallagher Hill. (more…)
And away we go
Man, when Edmonton’s festival season is in full swing it is a happening place to be.
This weekend you’ve got your Folk Fest, your Animethon, CariWest, Fragapalooza, but it’s also Rock’n August in St. Albert and Monster Truck Madness south of the city.
Woo!
A couple of traffic notes about those festivals, watch for people congestion at the top of the hill into Gallagher Park for Folk Fest, and the CariWest parade happens Saturday, at noon, on Jasper Avenue.
The Eskimos begin the post-Macioacoa Machocha post-Maciocia era, and go for win number two in 2010, tonight against the Argos.
Slow Food Edmonton hosts its annual summer Beer and Boar BBQ this Sunday, at Alley Kat.
For the family, Fred Penner (I saw him at my music store, and coffee shop, one time in Winnipeg) and the Doodlebops will be at the Valley Zoo, Saturday. You could also party like it’s 1849, this weekend.
The Starlite is hosting Metal Fest this weekend. METAL! Friday and Saturday.
Hey, if metal’s just too heavy for you, but you want to see some live music Friday night, why not duck downstairs to Brixx, and check out The Mystery Ponies. They play with Dirty Picture Show and The Bridle Party.
Also in non-Folk or Metal music news, Christian Hansen and The Autistics play On The Rocks Sunday night. Bring your dancing shoes.
I still check ShareEdmonton, a lot, because it’s a great events resource. Now I know there’s a Handmade Mafia happening Saturday.
What else are you up to this weekend?
F it
Since I forgot to post a pending event yesterday, I’ll give you two today.
And they’re both brought to you by the letter F.
You’ve probably already got your tickets for the Edmonton Folk Music Festival (it starts tonight with Van Morrison). I hope you have your tickets. If not, you’re, ummm, how can I tell you this…out of luck.
I’ve been noticing the work on Gallagher Park as I bus it from downtown Edmonton. Hope the weather works out for all you folkies.
If you’re still trying to be a folkie, check that Twitter hashtag I link to, below. You may have to watch all weekend for people offering up passes.
Over in the Leduc Recreation Center, Fragapalooza starts tomorrow. That’s going to be all about video games, shooting each other, and the Rock Band competition. Stock up on energy drinks and coffee.
It’s actually kind of neat. 300 participants bring their own computers, hook up to the network and game away. You should also be able to find one or two people blogging from this gaming festival.
Hey, both of these events have their own Twitter hashtag too. Follow #efmf for all things Folk and #yegfrag for all things Frag.
This will clearly be the most times, in 200 words, I’ve used the letter F.
Doin’ The Fest
(Editor’s note: We are just recovering from an exhausting Folk Fest weekend. And now you’re telling us we have to Fringe for 10 days? You’re killing us, Festival City.)
Joel Plaskett is always a favourite across Canada. (Photo @ecodomestica)
It’s a weekend that tens of thousands of Edmonton and area residents look forward to all year long. For those of us who are die-hard attendees of the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, it’s easy to forget that there are people who have never set foot inside Gallagher Park during Folk Fest weekend. Every year, sure enough, there are folk fest newbies who are seeing it all for the very first time.
This year, the 30th incarnation of the festival, I hit the park with my boyfriend Tommy, one of these festival virgins, and we had a fantastic time sharing everything the festival had to offer.
It’s the weekend, so let’s party
You need balloons to have a proper party. (Photo: Alain Saffel)
Oh man, this is a good weekend.
There’s the Edmonton Folk Music Festival down in the river valley. Cariwest is downtown. We’ve already told you about some cool art openings and a rock-your-face-off metalfest.
But there’s more! And the weather even looks to be co-operating.
Fort Saskatchewan is playing host to a videogame festival that goes by the name of Fragapalooza. It’s BYOC.
Sunday is Ukrainian Day, which means there will be loads of fun over at the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village and likely a few Uke-themed parties around the city. (I know Ceili’s is having one…)
And there’s Latin Fest! Did you know about this?
And the other thing you can do, especially if you’re a child of the 80s, is watch a John Hughes movie or two.
Whatever you do, be careful out there.
p.s. remember that the LRT is not running south of the river after 7pm
