This winter festival lasts about 4 days in January and was started in 2003. This year (2018) was…read moremy first visit and the temperature was a very chilly -20C, great for ice sculptures but not so great for standing around outside too long - kudos to the brave volunteers at the gates standing around handing out guides and giving directions! On Saturday afternoon there was no wait at all, but in the evenings it might be easier to buy your ticket online and skip any ticket line by going through the VIP booth. The ice carving happens at the start of the festival, followed by judging, and then the finished pieces are on display till the end of the festival. There is also an ice bar, which this year seemed heavily sponsored by Strathcona Spirits including a nice hot buttered rum drink which was just the thing to warm up with! A food truck also offered nonalcoholic hot drinks and hot food also. Apparently in previous years there's been an ice slide for kids, but that wasn't present this year. There was an ice carving tent also, offering regular opportunities for both adults and kids to try your hand at carving an ice tile - not as easy as the talented sculptors make it look! The sculptures from the contest were super impressive and illuminated by coloured lights which no doubt look even better at night. The festival was fairly small overall though and doesn't take long to look around. They've made arrangements with a number of other local retailers on Whyte for whom you can get discount coupons if interested. Website: http://www.iceonwhyte.ca/about/

Ice on Whyte this year was absolutely amazing! I think they really did a good job accounting for…read moreweather this year. They had the ice sculptures inside a canvassed area, which kept it from being windy, so allowed for maximum time outside. At -21, frigid, with 80% humidity, we were still able to stay outside long enough to enjoy each of the sculptures. One of the things I liked the most this year was learning how to do an ice sculpture. We made it just in time for the last session of ice sculpture classes, where each person got a square block of ice, a chisel, nails for tracing and some shapes to trace to make our very own ice sculpture! My family is full of love so we all chose hearts :) On a safety note: they even provided PPE! Safety Glasses and Gloves for anyone doing the ice sculptures! There was a separate closed, heated tent where they had beer gardens, which was packed. I felt like this year was very well organized and would definitely go again next year.

It's smaller than I expected, but that makes it easy to navigate for kids. There are a few food…read moretrucks and arts and crafts stands. The performers enjoy being there. They blatantly ask for money, around $20, from you for watching. Give what you can. It's in Winston Churchill Square, which is fine during the day but not somewhere you should walk at night.

I've been here pretty much every year since I was a kid, and I've never not had a great time…read more The performers vary a fair bit in terms of talent, but if you watch a few, you're pretty much guaranteed to be impressed overall. I love that they added a fresh fruit vendor. It's great to see healthy options pop up at events like this..... though I'll admit that I didn't get any, and instead opted for green onion cakes and ice cream. Hey, it's tradition. Hopefully the next generation can form new traditions involving the fruit vendor, because I'd like to see him stick around. :)

Very expensive for very little food. Japanese Village sesame…read morebeef with rice was so small and not worth 4 tickets for a price of approx. $7.00 Also, the dish was very salty. Good venue but this will be last year I attend because the price does not match with portion size. Jennie

Hello Summer! Edmonton truly is Festival City whether it's Ice on Whyte or the ever so awesome A…read moreTaste of Edmonton! It doesn't get any better than wandering Churchill as the amazing smells waft from site to site. What to pick? What to choose? So many delicious eats and treats to try. Pro tip #1 NEVER GO ALONE. Always come in a group so that you can share and sample among friends. Pro tip #2 Buy your tickets in advance and save $10 on a sheet of 40. Follow them on Facebook, twitter, or on their website for the current details: http://tasteofedm.ca/ A Taste of Edmonton can also be an idea networking or teambuilding outing for colleagues. I've been lucky to participate in a Charity Cook Off here (and yes Judge's choice went to team Pookersons baby!) You can sign up for special VIP tent events in the evenings (perfect for a date night) or just wander around and people watch any time of day. You simply can't go wrong with YEG festivals. A Taste of Edmonton is where it's at in Summer YEG. Do not miss Canada's largest outdoor food festival!

Edmonton Fringe Festival is a great collection of unique theatre experiences and fun outdoor shows…read morecomplete with various food trucks and beverage options. I love the excitement of listening to the plugs for various plays and the conversation in the air about what people have seen or plan to see. This is a unique and exciting festival that works for everyone.

Edmonton has one of the greatest Fringe Theatre Festivals in the world. It's well organized, and…read morewell run by volunteers. Edmonton hasn't had a championship sport francize for a while, but we have a championship Fringe. Support the Festival, support the artists.The pandemic is over. Leave your cocoon, and go mingle in a big sweaty crowd. It's good for your health. Recommended are (1) Millennial Sex Witch (2) Clown Macbeth (3) Tiger Lady (4) Krampus. See something weird! This ain't no mainstream festival.

Amazing Christmas displays. Beautiful light displays. Holiday music setting up that cheerful mood…read more Fabulous food options. Glow is located in the Edmonton expo center. It's in hall a and b. Once inside you are transformed into a Christmas fairytale...or so the theme feels like that this year. It was a beautiful walk through which takes about 45 minutes to breeze through it. But definitely about an hour and a half is sufficient. You can get all your Christmas photos and get your glow on!!! Personally the horse carriage and the hanging lights you walk through are so fun. I loved it! The little lit up train was also very very cute!!! In hall a there is a fun area and lots of food options...I personally liked the grilled cheese food truck. They even have a Christmas market there to buy some goodies! Neat little concept for sure. There is s mandatory $10 parking fee...which is a ding but at least the parking is secure and safe with minimal walking to the expo center. Overall. It's worth the money spent. Get glammed up. Check your coat so you get beautiful photos. And definitely have a drink and enjoy the beautiful Christmas lights!!!!

Lights, lights, and more lights! Glow has some lovely and large displays which make for nice…read morebackgrounds for photos for families, friends, and couples. If it was busy, it might take time to get your photo in the perfect spot. On a weeknight, it was mostly families with little ones to enjoy the train ride and lights. Most of the time, we didn't have to wait too long for photos in certain spots. Glow is in two adjacent halls with one hall having a stage and vendors selling holiday themed items. There wasn't any entertainment on the stage when were were there. The other hall had food trucks, tables and chair, large displays, and Santa! The line up to see Santa wasn't long and there's a helper to take photos with Santa on your phone. I was expecting more light exhibits but it was a bright place and something fun to do during the holidays.

Never been - always mean to, but it's always sold out before I remember. Got a Saturday ticket…read morethis year. Really wanted to see Taj in person. Very impressed with the scale of the event. Seems pretty well organized, especially comparing it with last year's unfortunate Blues Festival fiasco. Just one very obnoxious security volunteer at the main stage. Glad I caught Taj at Stage 6 earlier. When I arrived at the main stage, 10 minutes before Taj was scheduled, I selected a questionable spot right next to the walkway, near the stage - mind you, it's just me with a coat to sit on, don't need a lot of room - but I wasn't surprised when one of the two security guys right in front of me told me that wasn't acceptable. So, I spotted a place that was even better positioned (lined up with the center of the stage). It was a tarp free spot about 2 1/2 by 4 feet - plenty of room for a little old lady - and I ask the only guys on the only occupied tarp adjacent to it if I would be bothering them. They said there was no problem. Taj Mahal started his show and everything was good. UNTIL the same security volunteer stands right in front of me and declares that I can't watch from there because I didn't put a tarp there and it wasn't fair to the people that did. (I don't need a tarp - I need a 2'x2' space.) I tried to tell him I wasn't bothering anyone, but I could see that he was bothering everyone and, rather than ruin the show for everyone else, I retreated to spot on the side of the tarps (a tiny sliver mostly on the exit path - but I guess the point was that I shouldn't have a center view, or something). Would you believe that this S.O.B. moved to where he could glare at me for the entire hour and he also sent a junior security volunteer to stand right beside me, after giving them some lengthy instructions of some sort. Well, I ignored them as well as I could and enjoyed the show anyway. I was a little sorry for Taj because he is actually a legend and there were so many empty tarps right in front of him. Anyway, what I wanted to say, was that PAUL HUKULAK (HUKULUK?) security volunteer should: a) take that stick out of his YouKnowWhere; and b) not be anywhere near a folk festival - where people are actually, usually, invested in being decent to each other. BTW, I went back to take a picture of the spot I wasn't allowed to watch from, and a random tarpless person was sitting there in their chair. Good for him - he cheated the a-hole out of that illegal spot while I distracted him.

This event is something I tell everyone about. I not only attend but I volunteer and thoroughly…read moreenjoy the weekend. Simple put, it's a great atmosphere to be part of. It's a family friendly event too and being where it's located, there's a playground behind the main stage by the community hall. Main stage is where the up and coming and big acts preform. However with amazing music for 4 days be sure to check out the smaller stages. They give you the opportunity to listen to the various artists, in what I can best describe as grouped themes or as solo artists throughout the days. The festival has an app so you can plan a bit ahead of time what stages you want to be at. If you're lucky enough to be there early in the day, you can participate in the tarp run. It's really hard to explain until one actually experiences it first hand but image a very calm line waking in from the gate with bagpipes leading the crowd. Cool right? Then music stops and all of a sudden a stampede of people ensues upwards on the hill. The whole hill goes from grass to a patchwork of tarps in a couple of hours. Everything from totems, stuffed animals, blankets, chairs and duct tape is used to mark/help identify the individual tarps. Amazing is all I can say about that. Being a volunteer on the hill to help supervise proper tarp placement gives a very unique view point on that creativity. If you stick around for the big acts, you'll see the lantern parade in the evening. They march up to the middle of the hill and make their way through the crowd. It is definitely worth the wait and believe me, buy a candle (or two) for the evening. It makes the hill magical seeing it lit by candles as music drifts through the evening air. As a volunteer, I haven't had much need to try the various food vendors but have heard good things. There's a separate tent for volunteers and we are kept very well fed (yes, there's volunteers that even work in the kitchen to feed all the volunteers on site - pretty amazing!). For those looking for some shade and a cool brew, I can say the beer garden is very popular. There's always a line up of eager people waiting to enter. If you are one of them, I do caution you to double check that you don't accidentally end up in the bathroom line up (which conveniently is closely located to the beer gardens) and avoid giving your friends a good laugh when they hear that happened. So long story short, pack for the day or come for the whole weekend. You won't regret it.

It had been a few years since I came to Festival of the Trees and this year I decided to volunteer…read more It's was an excellent experience. I signed up on their website and I received a letter in the mail with a confirmation of my shifts. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make my first one as I was sick but they had a phone number and email to let them know if you couldn't make it. The Volunteer area was in the lower level and they provided me with a name tag, light up necklace, and Santa hat (if I wanted it). There was coat racks (if you could find a hanger). In the Volunteer Lounge they provided snacks of sandwiches, oranges, desserts, drinks, and frozen treats. As I walked into the hall, it was great to see all the families. The Gingerbread house displays was near the entrance and had a line up. Another popular attraction was the snow globe that you can go into and take a photo. The trees are in areas in the middle of the hall and beautifully decorated. The coupons for activities are reasonably priced at 50 cents. There's decorate and get a little tree for 8 coupons that was a popular activity. Although I didn't look at all the kids' activities, I noticed there are fewer than the years ago I used to go with my nephew and niece. The Post Office where kids can write letters to Santa is a nice feature. I would like to volunteer here next year as my friend said she had a lot of fun helping the kids. The Sweet Shop where I was had a lot of kitchen items all Christmas themed and lots of sweet treats!. You could buy plates, candy jars, aprons, mugs, tea pots, packets of hot chocolate, apple cider, baked goods, chocolate covered spoons, lollipops, and so much more. The prices include GST and it's a great place to Christmas gift shop. There's a Gift Shop too with Christmas trees, ornaments, and decorations. Lots of fun browsing and shopping! There's a small concession in the corner by the stage as are washrooms. There's entertainment with singing and martial arts, and there are rows of seating too. Will be back next year to volunteer! It's a fun time, and they are organized in coordinating volunteers.

I am all aglow with Christmas spirit after taking in the 2013 festival of tree's this year. I was…read moresuper pleased they eliminated the colorful strobe lights from last year that projected images onto the floor and surrounding area. They were a cute idea but they took away from the color and shine of the tree's themselves. My boyfriend had commented that it looked like there were less tree's this year. While I can't say I agree with him one hundred percent if they did take away some tree's I think they used it to increase seating around the stage. I had no issues finding chairs this year to enjoy the entertainment as opposed to prior years where I was left standing. This was the first year I bought coupons to do an activity and I thought they were extremely reasonable at fifty cents a pop. We bought eight to do the trim the tree activity and that got us a mini tree with some fairly decent quality decorations. They had a mini backpack activity going on as well and I really think stuff like that is a great way to do a fun activity with your kids and have a souvenir left over afterward that they are more likely to hold onto then say a coloring sheet or Popsicle stick figure. As with every year the tree,wreath,and gingerbread house decorators went all out to create festive and stunning pieces and I would love to see the festival in a larger venue to allow more people the opportunity to participate as well as help with some of the foot traffic congestion issues. Despite a tiny hiccup or two however the Festival of Trees is still one of the most magical ways to celebrate the season and give money to the great folks at the University Hospital Foundation.

This place in my opinion is one of the best farmers markets in the Edmonton area. I love that they…read moreare trying to build something like the Edmonton Granville Island. The people at all the booths are super friendly and all have amazing products.

When they recieved the ok they opened during Covid. They have a great guideline in place and I'm…read morehappy they are open. The best vendors and the friendliest of people. During this time its important to shop local as much as you can!! #shoplocal

If you want a cup of tea in a china cup and saucer in a relaxing, cozy atmosphere I highly…read morerecommend Clair-I-Tea. Kris is a wonderful woman that will make you feel right at home. I also had a reading with Hartwell.. He was very articulate with his explanations and would definitely go see him again.

If you happen to be looking for something to do on Whyte Ave, this is a good place to go. There's a…read morelot of street parking nearby and inside is quaint and cozy. The space has a lot of seating for pairs, but we were allowed to move tables and chairs to gather at with our group of 6. There's beautiful metalwork art for sale on one wall and the other side has a nice selection of teas, crystals, clothing, jewellery, incense, and other fun 'mystic' merchandise. They've also have a lot of healthy food and snacks on display too. My kids happened to like the scones, so much so, that I bought 3 as an afternoon snack! The cream and jam complimented those scones really well. Cally's teas are a part of Clair-I-tea (I was a little sad when I heard they closed their previous location a year ago, but glad they have re-appeared here!). They have a great assortment of teas, it's really hard to pick one, but there's little tins that you can open and smell, plus they also label the ones that are caffeinated which helps tons when my kids are in tow. I chose earl grey cream and winter cherry tea; it's perfect for sitting & relaxing in the space and you get a whole pot of tea to go with the fancy little tea setting. I actually want to come back to buy a bag of tea now because the flavours are pretty unique to me. They also have psychic services too, available by drop-in or booked appointments; you can choose what kind of reading: tarot, palm, etc. The wall opposite of the cashier has the names of the fortune tellers and what their pricing is like which is fairly reasonable and helps to avoid any surprises when it comes to payment. My friends had their tarot read in the back room and the psychic also let them record the reading on their phone and take pictures of their tarot spread which is really helpful to reflect on later! Overall, I really appreciated the service here, and enjoyed my afternoon tea; I definitely will be coming back to try out the psychic services and pick up a few stones for my crystal grid!