Welcome to another weekend, Edmonton.

This weekend just so happens to be a Make It! Edmonton weekend. The craft and design show is back at the Alberta Aviation Hangar, with all kinds of great handmade goods. You can also help out the Canadian Kidney Foundation while you shop, by bidding on the silent auction – which will include items from the Make It! designers.

Tickets are $5 at the door, but we can get some of you in for free. Would you like that? Let us know if you want to go to Make It! this weekend.

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On Saturday, at the Russ Barns Arena, E-Ville Roller Derby wraps up the season with the Gage Cup between the Slice Girls and Berzerkhers. Sticking with roller derby…the Oil City Derby Girls become the “Knicker Kickers” to take on the Red Deer Belladonnas (who become the Whale Tails) in an Underwear Affair on wheels.

In music…you’ve got Rammstein at Rexall Place tonight. I expect it to be roofless by tomorrow. The Bridle Party and Van Funk & The Lebarons are playing an early show at Brixx tonight. Captain Tractor has a CD release at the Roxy Theatre (they play in Permanent Records tomorrow at 5pm). Over at New City Legion it’ll be Black Mastiff with Field & Stream and Morals. Men Without Hats are at the Century Casino. Buddy Guy is at the Polish Hall. Tomorrow’s Hair of the Dog is a good one; with Caity Fisher (you may remember her from our most recent episode of television). Saturday night The Empress has Howlin’ Dan, with John Woroschuck. And on Sunday Jimmy Rankin is at the Haven Social Club.

Capital City Burlesque “Unleash the Geek” this weekend, at the Starlite Room.

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? (It had to be since it’s the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibians 2011 Spring Show & Sale.)

Biodiversity Week (it’s a thing) kicks off in Edmonton at City Hall. Earth Alive will be a family-friendly event, and you could learn how to increase the wildlife population in your backyard.

The third annual #yegHelp event is Saturday night at Lux. Proceeds of the event will go to La Salle women’s shelter.

If you’re into helping, you might have already known that the sixth Homeless Connect Edmonton is this Sunday at the Shaw Conference Centre. Homeless Connect is an interesting event, it provides all kinds of services to Edmonton’s homeless community; everything from mental health assessments and immunizations to haircuts and laundry.

For you fans of reading, this is a good weekend. The Edmonton Public Library’s Books to Eat fundraiser is Saturday night, while Audrey’s hosts An Afternoon with the Authors Sunday.

Sunday afternoon, The Pure Speculation Festival is holding Mini Spec!: a fundraiser for the big deal (which happens later this year).

Still on Sunday, there will be an Open House at ENTS. That’s the Edmonton New Technology Society; a cool little collective workspace in Oliver. E-mail them to get in on it and check out their space.

You can always see a movie, now that blockbuster season has begun (does it feel like it’s starting earlier to anyone else?). Oh, and get rid of your old couch at the City’s  Big Bin Events.

This weekend in Edmonton will be punctuated by a federal election and Earth Hour.

While you may start seeing election signs popping up, if the Conservative minority is brought down by the opposition parties, you will get at least a one-hour reprieve from attack ads during Saturday’s Earth Hour. The City of Edmonton will get into the darkness of things with a power-saving party at Churchill Square.

It’s a big roller derby Saturday in Edmonton (fitting, since the federal election could get ugly). You’ve got the E-Ville Roller Derby in Xanaduel and the Oil City Derby Girls All Stars taking on All Stars from Saskatoon. E-Ville plays at the Hangar on Kingsway and Oil City is at the Grindhouse.

The big Edmonton music event this weekend is the 2011 Edmonton Music Awards, at Haven Social Club. It’s a two night affair, Sunday and Monday, with plenty of live performances from plenty of local musicians and bands.

Also in music…Tonight, Sonic Band of the Month, The Red Threat, is playing at the Pawn Shop…You can also saunter over to Metro Cinema for “Edmonton Tonight,” a live talk show of sorts…Tonight and tomorrow, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (fresh off announcing their 60th season performances) and messzo-soprano Anita Krause, and Da Camera Singers, present Durufle’s Requiem…Tomorrow, why not head over to Wunderbar for B.A. Johnson (and The Moby Dicks and The Mitts) at Wunderbar? Why not indeed.

Western Canada Fashion Week continues over on Whyte Fashion Avenue.

Maybe you want to check out a movie. Good idea. (I hear Hobo with a Shotgun comes out this weekend…)

The Edmonton Rush and Edmonton Oilers are both at Rexall Place this weekend.

But hey, our lighthearted discussion of news expertry is ledeing (get it?) me away from another important story – and that story is that our foxy friends at E-Ville Roller Derby are having an information session tonight for any and all interested in getting involved.

I was talking to Jessica Cross (of the Berzerkhers) and Tess Dehoog (of the Slice Girls) on Twitter today, and they have informed me that tonight’s session is targeted at folks who may be interested in joining E-Ville’s “Fresh Meat” class this January.

Why roller derby?

Tess says “As cliched as it is, you only live once and derby is a sport that pushes your personal limits, forces you to grow and be awesome.”

You probably don’t need more reasons to check it out.

The meeting is tonight at the Edmonton Sportsdome (10104 32 Ave) between 6:30 and 8:30. And, while they’re capping the January intake at 50 skaters, they will take all the referees they can get. Which means if, like me, you would love to get involved but you, also like me, have a tendency to cry when people run into you there are still plenty of opportunities to be had.

Community League Day is Saturday, September 18. My community, Strathonca Centre, will be holding its annual arts BBQ. It times out nicely, since our neighbour, King Edward School, will be celebrating 50 years the same afternoon. And the Edmonton Weavers’ Guild, a tenant of our community hall, is hosting an open house.

If you’re not in my neighbourhood, you’re probably in, or close to, one of the 89 other communities throwing a party Saturday. Get out there and find out who your neighbours are, what people are up to, and snag yourself some free food.

Sunday is the Terry Fox Run. It’s the 30th anniversary.

This weekend is also Alberta Arts Days. There are plenty of events happening, at plenty of places.

Alley Kat is launching their fall brew, Pumpkin Pi, with a party tonight.

You could always see a movie.

D.O.A. at New City tonight.

U22 is hosting an evening of young musicians at the Horizon Stage in Spruce Grove. Among the performers is one of our favourite locals, Lyra Brown. U22 is actually quite busy during Alberta Arts Days.

Rae Spoon is playing The ARTery tonight. Tonight is also a fundraising Friday happy hour. Tomorrow at The ARTery it’s the release of the latest issue of Notebook Magazine.

Visualeyez is back. That’s Latitude 53′s performance arts festival. This year’s theme is food.

Jailbait kicks off the Northern Light Theatre’s season. Oh, it’s theatre season.

There’s some roller derby action at Northlands.

How could we go without mentioning Western Canada Fashion Week? We couldn’t.

And…BIEBER!

Alright. Let’s talk roller derby.

This long weekend, the Oil City Derby Girls are sending their All-Stars to picturesque Boise, Idaho for the Spudtown Knockdown. One of two Canadian teams in mix, they’re sure to do Edmonton proud.

If you’re not headed to Idaho for the Labour Day weekend, you can catch the Spudtown action online, at the Derby News Network.

Oil City is back in Edmonton action on September 18. They’ll be taking on Calgary’s Hellion Rebellions in the WildRose Challenge at Northlands. The Edmonton EXPO Centre is a bigger venue, so be sure to head out and support the locals.

Now, while that’s two events, it’s not the double-whammy I promised.

No, the second half of this roller derby smackdown concerns the E-Ville Roller Derby. Their new season begins this month.

These ladies will get their new season rolling (see what I did there?) with a double-bill on September 25, at the Kingsway Hangar.

E-Ville also has a junior league (where teens can learn the basics of the game), and they’ve got a fundraiser coming up at the start of October.

Edmonton, get out there and support your very active roller derby scene.