I'm already a fan of Vacancy Hall even though the day I went only had two businesses open…read more Leprechaun FX was open and their store is right at the back of the hall and specializes in boutique guitar pedals. I had in fact heard of them just because my husband is a massive music nerd and loves all the gear that comes along with guitars. Next to them is Saraswati Designs with a beautifully laid out space displaying so much jewellery! Such variety, I was in there for ages! And, they have a sale table with some great deals! The hall itself is found underneath the Mercer building. Enter the Rostizado entrance but head downstairs to a cool quirky communal studio space. They make a point of hosting upcoming designers and local entrepreneurs. I want to go back and enjoy all the stalls they have set up in there, especially the one who makes those 'Still In Edmonton'Shirts. This place is definitely worth checking out if you find yourself downtown, or looking for an unusual gift, or just wanna know about some cool happenings in our great city!

Vacancy hall is in the basement of the Mercer building. When you go down the stairs there is a…read morerestaurant on your left (used to be a coffee shop) and a retail store on your right (door is usually closed which prevents customers from entering IMO). Once you go past these two businesses there is a small foyer where the bathrooms can be accessed then double doors going into Vacancy Hall. Within the Hall there are walls and garage door style doors for 6-7 separate businesses. They're all on the side which creates a central space for events. Since it's a basement the ceilings feel a little low but it's actually quite practical. Exposed tubes, pipes, and ducts give it some ambiance as does the painted mural on the far back wall. The communal event space can be used to throw parties, concerts, charity events, etc. Most of your equipment will need to be brought in though. They have a few tables, lighting, and garbage cans you can use which is thoughtful. Any audio equipment, seating, and decorations would need to be brought it. The legal capacity is 195 people but the 2 bathrooms available are single use locking doors which wouldn't work for a group that size. I don't know each of the stores that have rented spaces in the Hall but each location probably deserves it's own Yelp profile so I guess that's a job for another day!

Wow this was so disappointing, The Hall itself was fine, but received complaints that the bar staff…read morewere drinking shots when they thought no one was watching, I guess when someone else is paying. Staff in the bar horrible!

Nice hall, incompetent bar staff, disorganized very poorly set up and drinking alcohol while…read moreserving, suspect they weren't paying for their drinks. Not to be trusted!

Ritchie Mill is off the beaten track and it's a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Whyte…read moreAve. It's a bit of a well kept secret too. This pub/restaurant usually has pretty good specials so you will usually get a pretty good value no matter what. It's also a very comfortable place to eat or have a drink. The atmosphere is really nice and relaxed. The staff are great. I've never had an unfriendly server or bad service at Ritchie Mill. The food here is decent. It's nothing to write home about, but it's not too shabby. Ritchie Mill is unique so it's a cool place. If you're looking for a chilled out place to hang with friends - check it out. If you're looking for a nice dinner, I'd go elsewhere.

This is a superb mix of commercial enterprises, under one (warm & dry) roof! Fabulous coffee…read more(Transcend), delicious meat cuts (Meat) and excellent food with drinks (Biera)......in an upscale building just conveniently away from the hustle and bustle!!

What an incredible idea. An interactive are gallery, each room designed by different local artists…read morewith two secret rooms to find and treat (yeah actual candy hidden in this place too). So many talking points, great photo ops and cool backgrounds. This was a great way to spend an hour or so looking at the detail in each space. Finding those secret rooms was exciting and so fun to open up the doors, drawers and control the music, sit in, climb on and hang out. I think it's only here till the end of October so check it out before it goes. Can't wait to see what these creative masterminds come up with next year!

I work as a designer and it's hard to believe that this was my first year attending Vignettes. I…read morewas absolutely blown away by the creativity and the amount of work that went into each room. My friends and I ended up spending a couple hours going through all the rooms. I was surprised that it took us this long but there was just so much to see and take in. We each had our own favorite rooms and we had a hard time leaving. Some rooms we went into more than once and each time we experienced more. This is a great way to spend an afternoon and see so much amazing talent that our city has to offer!

The Edmonton Expo Centre is the go to place for events taking place in Edmonton…read more The latest event I went to was the Edmonton Comicon, which took place there. It's an impressive building and grounds - the layout is good, easily accessible - unless there's a big crowd.

Nearly $20 for parking at these events is egregious GTFO…read morewith this greed. Park down the street

Great way to spend a rainy day, as you can still view nature while indoors (it was pouring rain…read morewhen we went!). The different plant varieties and climate environments (tropics, arid, etc) were wonderful to experience and shows this place is run by people who care about plants. The plants in each section were well taken care of, and the design with the pyramids separating the different ecosystems was pretty unique. There's also a koi pond here. It'll probably take about an hour or less to walk through all the plant exhibits. They also sell plants too in the gift shop area. They have a small cafe to rest, but the drink was okay.

I was stopping by in the area looking for a botanical garden. I saw three glass pyramids. It was…read morecozy place to be one with nature and at the same learn about biomes.

Really great space - open and large enough for pretty much any occasion, formal or casual. I…read moreattended an event here and really enjoyed it. I can't speak to what it is like actually organizing an event here, but if I was with the group seeking this kind of space, it would be at the top of my list.

I can't speak to organizing an event with the Foundry Room, however we were vendors for a pop up…read morefunction through my work. The space is simple and beautiful! So much natural light in the day and a total blank canvas to make the space your own. I spent half the day imagining all the parties I could throw if I had endless funds. Checked out their website and it looks like the do rent the space for events and weddings for smaller groups. Cool space to check out.