Shut Your Mouth, It’s Art Crawl
While Whyte Avenue’s Art Walk has nothing to do with the TV comedy Bob’s Burgers, they do have streets of art in common.
Yes, today through Sunday you can find artist after artist all around Whyte Avenue and Old Strathcona. More than 200 artists will be selling their paintings, drawings, photos, sketches, and anything else they can fit onto the sidewalk. It’s always a busy weekend, and remember to bring cash.
It’s a Handmade Mafia weekend, so get yourself over to the Strathcona Baptist Church for plenty o’ fun. (It ties into the Art Walk too.)
If you’re into rabbits you’re going to want to check out the Year of the Rabbit and Hare Band Cabaret at the Catalyst Theatre. Even if you’re not a fan of rabbits, the stone and canvas art from Jason Carter and a play by Bridget Ryan may be just the ticket.
In other festival news…
The Freewill Shakespeare Festival continues in Hawrelak Park, with Othello and Twelfth Night. The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival is in Churchill Square, with some late night madness this weekend to close things out. The Edmonton and Northern Alberta Historical Festival wraps up this weekend too. That seems so timely with all the history and heritage in the news this week.
Race Week Edmonton officially begins on Monday, but the annual Soap Box Derby is Sunday on Victoria Park Hill. Also in racing this weekend, the Sourdough River Festival (and raft race), in Terwillegar Park.
In live music…
The Grapes of Wrath play two shows at the Haven Social Club tonight…Samantha Schultz will wow you with her guitar skills at the Blue Chair Cafe tomorrow evening…Ghost Cousin releases a new album Saturday night at Wunderbar…and our old pals Boy and Gurl come up from Calgary for a show at On The Rocks Sunday…
On Sunday, a new Fork Fest begins. Get your eat on!
The Eskimos, FC Edmonton, and Capitals are all home for games this weekend.
The Summer Party Begins
We are one week away from actual, proper summer, but the fun is in full swing this weekend. There is so much fun that I am going to break it down into sections.
Festivals
Edmonton’s Pride Festival kicks off with the Pride Awards, and parties tonight, and the parade through downtown Edmonton tomorrow. The Pride Parade ends up at Churchill Square for the rest of the afternoon.
Festivals for the old – Creative Age – and young – NextFest – continue this weekend. NextFest’s got, among so many things, a great show at the Avenue Theatre tonight.
Opera Nuova’s Vocal Arts Festival continues until Jun 26. Talking ’bout singin’.
Saturday and Sunday, there are 4 plays in the Sprouts 2011 New Play Festival for Kids, from Concrete Theatre, at the Stanley A. Milner Library.
Bike Month continues, uh, all month, with a bike repair-a-thon this weekend.
Saturday on 104 Street is more than the farmers’ market, with the Al Fresco block party. Take that, cars!
Music
Tonight…Sharks, Mockingbird Wish Me Luck, The Fight, and Owls By Nature are all at the Pawn Shop.
Saturday night, Gurf Morlix plays the Haven Social Club in a tribute to Blaze Foley.
Did I mention NextFest’s great lineup?
Arts
It’s a Handmade Mafia weekend!
DEDfest’s got a screening of Dead Alive at Metro Cinema this evening.
Sports
The Edmonton Energy are playing basketball, the Edmonton Capitals are out on Telus Field, and FC Edmonton is kicking around Foote Field.
Miscellaneous
Movies are always a good time. We are in for a sci-fi summer.
Saturday is river valley day! This is the 14th year celebrating the Edmonton region’s glorious river valley and its parks. Edmonton’s event is at Rundle Park. There are pancakes.
There’s a Pre-TEDx party tonight at Suede Lounge, with the (sold out) event happening tomorrow. (You can watch a live webcast of the event tomorrow at the TEDx Edmonton site.
Mount Pleasant Cemetery is throwing its gates wide open to everyone on Saturday. This is as much about Edmonton’s history and land use (with 2 new cemetery plans in the works) as it is morbid curiousity.
You can take your car to an Edmonton CARSTAR location Saturday and have it washed for a good cause, as part of the national “Soaps It Up” fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis.
Mostly Christmas Stuff
Another week has wrapped and it’s time enjoy a few days off. Likely that is the scenario for you. So, here’s some stuff that I know about that’s going on.
This is happening too.
That snow and cold may be putting you off the idea of even leaving the comfort of your home. You can also avoid the outdoors at the movies.
With Christmas approaching, gifts can be a priority. So, why not hit up the Butterdome Craft Sale or the Handmade Mafia? Or both.
If you’re in that gift-giving frame of mind, remember to send us photos of you donating to a charity.
This will be the last Christmas you can shop at Nokomis. So, enjoy it while it’s still here to spread clothing love.
On Christmas…Candlelight Christmas a the John Walter Museum…Candy Cane Lane opens…The Salvation Army’s Festival of Carols is over at the Winspear – the ESO is also collecting for the Edmonton Food Bank at all events right now…It’s Christmas music to the max in Edmonton: Check out YEG Live for all your options. (And there are a lot.)…A Christmas Carol continues at the Citadel…ETS is back with Christmas light tours.
The City Market is back at Churchill Square this Saturday. If you’re into slow food, or want to be, check out Slow Food Edmonton’s Terre Madre Day (and holiday brunch on Sunday).
The Fringe, yes that Fringe, is finishing up a family-friendly run of Jack and the Beanstalk.
And the Oilers and Oil Kings are both at home (not at the same time of course).
It is Christmastime
Before I even tell you what I think is happening this weekend, I’ll just let you know that we are indeed in the holiday mode. There are singing trees, festive events, and carols. Oh the carols!
So, let’s begin with a bunch of Christmas stuff.
When I was talking about the Christmas concert I attended this week I noted the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was kicking off its seasonal shows. They’ve got Handel’s Messiah, with the Richard Eaton Singers, this weekend.
Over at the Blue Chair Cafe it’s the Rault Family Annual Christmas show…the Christmas Carol Project is at NAIT’s Nest…The Cosmopolitan Music Society is doing their Christmas thing…the Shaw Conference Centre has the Festival of Trees…
The City Market is back for some holiday food action. You can catch vendors at Churchill Square and City Hall. The Handmade Mafia is rocking Orange Hall, for your shopping convenience.
Souljah Fyah is releasing a new CD at On The Rocks. CKUA is presenting a great show with Colleen Brown, Trevor Tchir, and Jeff Stuart and the Hearts.
December is a new month, and new months mean new movies. And Gregg knows all about that.
Hard Core Logo: Live wraps up its run at the Roxy this weekend. Much Ado About Nothing is in the middle of its short run at the Walterdale.
If you are into coffee you are going to want to be at Transcend-Garneau, Saturday evening. They’re hosting a Barista Jam, with coffee folks from around the city.
The Oilers and Oil Kings are in Edmonton this weekend.
On Sunday there’s an interesting event at Enterprise Square. It’s all about reclaiming lost, empty, unused spaces in our urban environment. Such a good idea!
An early Merry Christmas to Share Edmonton and YEGLive.ca for keeping me in the loop on Edmonton events.
Cold, and cool, events
It's a big movie weekend. I think I spot a wand in that lineup.
It may be a chilly weekend in Edmonton, but put your long johns on and get out there!
It looks like a good live music weekend. (I feel like I say that most weeks…)
You can check out Krystle Dos Santos at Jeffrey’s Cafe & Wine Bar (not my wine bar, by the way). She’s an amazing, local jazz singer. You should catch her live if for no other reason than to be able to say to people “Oh, you simply have to see her live.”
Oh, you simply have to see Krystle Dos Santos live.
Saturday is full of great music.
Gobble Fest welcomes back Gobble Gobble from their latest tour and has many guests alongside them. A band that might still be off your radar, The Bridle Party, is releasing their first album tomorrow at Naked, on Jasper. Cygnets is also releasing an album tomorrow night (at the Pawn Shop). Jason Collett is all up in Haven Social Club’s business Saturday night.
On the Festival beat…Exposure is in its final weekend, so get out and enjoy the final throes of Edmonton’s queer arts and culture festival. The U of A’s Festival of Ideas continues to fill your brain until Sunday, with a big finish from David Sedaris.
Interested in the way a city is put together? Like LEGO? One or both of those work for you? Then check out The Way We Move Challenge at The Telus World of Science this weekend. Using the toy blocks, the City of Edmonton is going to get you interested in transportation planning and design.
If you’re still looking around for a Friday night idea, why not check Cheap Date Night at The Traveling Tickle Trunk.
Gift sopping will soon be (or already is) the order of the day for most people. This weekend there are three spots you might want to check out if you’re into that kind of thing. My Filosophy is donating some of the proceeds of their Saturday sales to the Stollery, so you’d be helping while shopping. The Handmade Mafia is out with a very special holiday show this weekend, at the Strathcona Community Hall. And St. Albert’s got a giant craft sale.
Don’t forget, November is Movember. There’s a moustache party at Original Joe’s Varsity tonight.
I also forgot to mention The Gateway is celebrating it’s 100th birthday this weekend. Follow the Twitter hashtag #gw100 to keep up with returning alumni, events, and general shenanigans. (The Gateway is the University of Alberta’s student newspaper. We can only hope that means 80-year-old dudes coming back to re-live their glory days by downing Jagr Bombs at Hudson’s on Campus.)
Some Edmonton Events
There’s some good music happening in Edmonton this weekend.
CJSR’s FunDrive benefit show is tonight at The ARTery.
Todd Snider is at the Myer Horowitz. (Thanks to hi54lofi for the heads-up on this one.) Kat Danser is playing the Arden…you know you like swamp blues. Michelle Wright is bouncing around the capital region. Homefest is also this Sunday.
Lyve on Whyte gets Old Ugly Saturday night with Doug Hoyer and Mitchmatic. Oh, and Emily is going to the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Also happening this weekend…Farmfair International (kind of a precursor to the Canadians Finals Rodeo, or CFR), the Oilers host the Red Wings, politicos are trying to Reboot Alberta (3.0) at the Delta South, there’s an open house at MacEwan University, it’s a Handmade Mafia weekend, and the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) is holding a kick-ass book sale.
Thanks to Leanne for reminding us about the Edmonton Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival.
Don’t forget there are always new movies and November is Shop Local month.
Peace!
Election events
Alright, so the election itself isn’t until Monday, and you’ve got no excuse not to vote so I’m hammering on the election.
Advance polls are open at City Hall today and tomorrow. You can also vote at polling stations in your actual ward Saturday. Find out where.
To celebrate all of this democracy you can Rock the Vote, Sunday, at the Pawn Shop. Sunday night’s lineup of local talent should show that Edmonton’s younger voters can get energized.
The Taboo Sex Show…naughty but nice…is back at Northlands. If you’re going, stop by The Traveling Tickle Trunk booth and say “Hi” to that great crew.
LitFest is here! That’s Edmonton’s non-fiction festival.
Saturday is the second annual Timeraiser. That’s where you bid on auction items with your volunteer hours.
If you like beer, and your kidneys, you should check out Sha-Bam, which is an event of beer, arts, and The Kidney Foundation of Canada – Northern Alberta chapter.
Wunderbar’s got a couple of good shows this weekend. Tonight it’s Warning to Avoid and The Mystery Ponies. Tomorrow night it’s The Party Martyrs. All good times.
If you’re in the mood for something bluesier, try Bombchan at The Common. That’s not to be confused with The Edmonton Commons. The Journal really hates it when you try to play shows in their lobby.
October is the scariest of months…as detailed in Gregg’s latest movie previews…But it also means Scarecrow Festivals, Howl-O-Wiener Roasts and the Boo at the Zoo. And it’s not even Hallowe’en weekend yet.
There’s also an Olde Time Fair at Churchill Square and Handmade Mafia at the Orange Hall.
And, since I really want to annoy you with talk of the election (Monday, October 18, vote, vote, vote) we’ll be doing a live show once the polls close.
So, at 8pm, curl up with your laptop, throw the Macbook on the bar for all to see, and let us entertain you for an hour or so, with one of Edmonton’s few live election night shows. More details to come…I’m just lazy…
Are we having fun yet?
For those of you that have tracked down the TV show “Party Down,” that headline is all sorts of funny.
For the rest of you, it certainly leads us to a list of events that could fill your fun quota for the weekend.
Dogapalooza. You couldn’t name an event much better. This is all things dog, at the Westlawn sports fields. It’s really everything you could think of, even a dog blood bank. There will also be plenty of businesses and services on site (like our friends from Tailz) so you can get all the information you need to be the best dog owner in the world.
The Kaleido Family Arts Festival is celebrating five years on the ave (the 118 Ave). This is an all-weekend explosion of arts, with every type of art represented. Should be no need to ask if you’re having fun yet.
The Marketplace at Callingwood has Cornfest and Family Fun Day. Saturday.
There’s free yoga at the The Yoga Loft (10309 82 Avenue) Saturday and Sunday.
The Die-Nasty Soap-A-Thon is this weekend. The non-stop improvising begins tonight at 7pm and runs until Sunday at 9pm.
Corn Maze. There’s the corn maze.
Sally already told you about the CD release and show with The Provincial Archive at the Roxy Theatre. This is a band you need to start liking now, before they’re huge.
The ARTery has a neat new idea. They’re holding Friday Fundraising Happy Hours from 4-7 PM. Finally, your end-of-the-week drinking can help a good cause. In September it’s Room to Read.
Donations also get free popcorn!
The Bohemia Cafe is hosting a bandapalooza of sorts, Saturday. They’ve got Jason Myatt, Nick Watt, Micelli, The Party Martyrs, The Mystery Ponies, Brash Tax, and Animal Men of the Northwest. Whew.
Paul James is at the Blue Chair Cafe tonight. He’s a little more electric tomorrow at the Bonnie Doon Hall. Sally keeps thinking he’s Colin James’ brother or something.
It’s been Canadian Country Music Week in Edmonton this week. The big finale is at Rexall Place, Sunday.
Starlite Room has Capital City Burlesque Friday night.
There’s a Handmade Mafia, Saturday at the Orange Hall.
Oh, one more thing, the YWCA is holding its first “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” next Tuesday. That’s when men are going to walk around Churchill Square in high heel shoes. There’s still time to donate and be a part of this event, which is all about helping victims of domestic violence. Can you believe this is still such a problem in 2010?
What a busy weekend you have
There will be martinis.
Ah, the weekend. Our brief taste of freedom each week. Let’s enjoy it, Edmonton.
How about you get your thoughts provoked over at the Global Visions Film Festival? I believe it’s Canada’s longest-running documentary film festival.
The first Saturday of the month means time for the Handmade Mafia to provide you with awesome goods.
The Yardbird Jazz Festival kicks off tonight. Sweet.
Over at the TransAlta Arts Barns, the Night of Artists takes over for the weekend.
The Barns close out the weekend with a Yogathon for Charity.
Perhaps you’re feeling a bit peckish. Well, you can head over to the Shaw Conference Centre for the Rocky Mountain Wine and Food Festival.
The Likwid Lounge is hosting a veritable smorgasbord of aweseome Saturday, with a fundraiser show for a new independent record label. The lineup includes The Joe, A.O.K., Zebra Pulse and Audio/Rocketry.
As mentioned in the headlines this morning, Farmfair International IS ON.
The Alberta Ballet kicks off its Edmonton season with Romeo and Juliet.
The Edmonton Classical Guitar Society has “Between Two Continents on Eight Guitars,” or G8.
Maybe you’d like to see what Grant MacEwan University has to offer. There’s an app for that.
You can always see what Edmonton’s ChangeCampers are doing to change things around here.
If you’re a fabulous lady 50 or older there’s the “Fabulous at 50 Experience and Martini Party” (as noted in the sign above).
Perhaps you want to get rocked gently, by Andy Kim at the Century Casino?
With Remembrance Day coming up the Cosmopolitan Music Society presents “Lest We Forget: A Musical Tribute” at the Winspear Centre.
Finally, Said the Whale plays Brixx tonight.
And while it’s not exactly a weekend event, in the new week you’ll be able to listen to/download the new podcast from The Unknown Studio, with guests me and Sally. I shower the Unknown Studio boys with love until they blindside us with their 60 Minutes-style questioning.
An Edmonton Weekend
It seems there’s always something to do in Edmonton.
This weekend, I tried to catch a few events and take in some Edmonton fun.
Friday night, I waited in this line to see the Edmonton International Film Festival’s 24/One selections. This was a choice selection of short films made in 24 hours.
Anticipation!
Saturday saw the monthly Handmade Mafia show at Orange Hall and Savoy Lounge, in Old Strathcona.
Crafts!
Saturday night was all about the music. First, Van Funk & The Lebarons at Wunderbar. Then, The Wheat Pool at the Pawnshop. I even had the will power to avoid eating 12 hot dogs at Fat Franks.
It's The Wheat Pool!
And if you didn’t notice all those pink shirts Sunday, it was the Run for the Cure. Lots of money was raised for breast cancer research in Edmonton.
Sally caught these runners post-race.
See you next weekend, fun.
Edmonton’s First October Weekend
Weekends are a time for good friends, good times and good cupcakes.
You smell that? That’s the weekend. And dead leaves. But mostly weekend.
Yes, fall arrived to remind us that we are but playthings in Mother Nature’s world. Enjoy the crisp mornings though, since they shall soon turn to frigid beginnings of days that are much too short.
And we can all rejoice, since this weekend is full of awesome.
Apologies for the random order of events. But, hey, it’s Friday and spending an extra minute trudging through possible fun options is way better than work.
Way better.
Let’s start with an event that will likely not be something you can do on a whim (stretching is not always enough, practice helps) the CIBC Run for the Cure, Sunday. Sounds like it will be a chilly start to the race. Cheering squads: bring some mitts.
The Handmade Mafia is back at it, Saturday. Let’s go buy mitts together.
For the outdoorsy among you, Mountain Equipment Co-op is doing a gear swap, Sunday. Bring your old stuff (or stuff from the activity that broke your leg and you hate now) and get some new stuff.
Pure Speculation 2009, is all weekend at the Shaw Conference Centre and Happy Harbour on 124th Street. Science Fiction, comics, fun.
The latest Homeless Connect is Sunday. This is where services and help are provided to the homeless. Things like haircuts too. Seems like a practical idea when I mention haircuts, doesn’t it?
The Edmonton Wildcats take on the Edmonton Huskies in the Prairie Football Conference regular season ender, at Clarke Park. Saturday. 7pm.
Speaking of sports, the University of Alberta Golden Bears and Pandas have another busy weekend.
Oh, and a little thing called the NHL is underway. And fantasy hockey.
The Anarchist Bookfair runs Saturday and Sunday. Which seems very orderly.
Friday night is Pecha Kucha 5. The “chit chat” goes Old School.
Some friends of the website are playing at Wunderbar on Whyte. Come check out Van Funk & the Lebarons, and say Hi.
Also Saturday night, in the party column, CJSR is having its Fundrive wrap party at The Artery. Do it. The catering is going to be excellent.
Kenny Rogers is playing at the River Cree Casino, Sunday. Kenny F’n Rogers.
Saturday, momstown.ca is doing mom and tots stuff at Bonnie Doon.
West Edmonton Mall has roller derby and a dive-in movie. Let’s just hope the kid at the top of the water slide doesn’t hold things up while engrossed in the film. But roller derby down a water slide, that’s something to see. (It’s actually going to be in Phase 4.)
Oh, and something I’ll likely be dragged to, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in 3D. For two weeks only!
I need mitts
The headline does need a little more explanation.
Oh, this is totally going to be a self-serving post, I just need to clarify my mitts-position.
I don’t need lots of mitts, or super-warm mitts, I need a good pair of intermediary mitts.
I’ve got a decent pair of gloves for days like today, where it’s around zero degrees. Then, there’s super heavy-duty mitts that go halfway up my arm for the depths of Edmonton winter, when I just want to stay inside and drink hot cocoa all day.
But I need a decent pair for days (and they’re coming) that are -5 to -20.
Thankfully, it’s Handmade Mafia weekend in Old Strathcona. Those people know how to make stuff. I hope at least one of them has planned for the season and loaded up their table with mitts and toques.
With two locations I surely double my odds of securing a pair of mitts.
E-MAIL INTERVIEW w/the Handmade Mafia’s Amy Edgar
I recently had a quick interweb chat with the lovely Amy Edgar, one half of the dynamic duo behind the Handmade Mafia – a very popular, very cool craft show that takes place in Old Strathcona (specifically @ Orange Hall and Savoy) on the first Saturday of every month.
(For anyone keeping track, that would be tomorrow).
Q: What is the Handmade Mafia?
A: The handmade mafia is a family of handmade makers. They are local people making the items they sell.
Q: Okay, and who are the Handmade Mafia, meaning: who organizes the sales? What gave you guys the idea for them?
A: The Handmade Mafia is Ally Ng and (me) Amy Edgar, but as a whole, it’s all the people you find inside selling their goods. We felt there was a need for a monthly market in Edmonton, but also [wanted] to keep it fresh and keep a rotation of sellers. Each month you’re going to find something new! We have a lot of sellers who are doing shows for the first time.
Q: How have the sales been received by 1) vendors, 2) shoppers, and 3) the community (for instance, the folks who host the sales, like Savoy and Orange Hall)?
A: Summertime is a hard time for craft shows in general, but we do have shoppers coming out every month. The ones who are coming out are happy to see the talent in Edmonton – it’s exciting and encouraging to see such talent, and sometimes it can be quite the boost people need to go home and get creative themselves. Both of the venues the show is located at are locally owned, so in a small way it’s supporting them as well. Savoy has provided a great location, and also has a full menu and drinks for shoppers who might be hungry while enjoying Whyte Ave. Orange Hall is a local historic site, and shoppers have been happy to find both places, as some were not previously familiar to either
