Festivals in Edmonton

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Edmonton plays host to several large festivals each year, hence its local nickname as 'the Festival City.'

2001 Sourdough Raft Race, passing beneath the High Level Bridge's Great Divide waterfall during Klondike Days.

[edit] List of festivals

• The last week of April to May 1st is the May Week Labour Arts Festival^[1] a celebration of workers rights and struggles culminating in the May Day March on May 1st.

• In mid-June, Rapid Fire Theatre hosts Improvaganza, an international festival of improvised comedy that is one of Canada's largest, welcoming improvisors from across the world to a tournament of champions.

• The Works Art & Design Festival, which takes place from late June to early August, showcases Canadian and international art & design from well-know, award-winning artists, as well as emerging and student artists.

• The Free Will Shakespeare Festival (formerly called River City Shakespeare Festival) - Since 1989, the Free Will Players have staged the annual Free Will Shakespeare Festival, which takes place every summer from late June to mid-July. The festival includes full-scale professional productions of two plays by William Shakespeare, as well as Camp Shakespeare - a summer drama camp for youth ages 8–16. All festival activities take place in the 1,000 seat Heritage Amphitheatre in Edmonton's beautiful Hawrelak Park.

• In either mid-July or early August, Canada's longest-running Japanese animation festival - Animethon - is held in downtown Edmonton in Grant MacEwan College. Animethon has been a staple of Edmonton's festival scene since 1993 and welcomes over 4000 attendees during the weekend.

• The Edmonton International Street Performer's Festival^[2], taking place in mid-July, showcases street performance artists from around the world.

• For two weeks in July, Capital EX (formerly called Klondike Days) provides rides, music and other entertainment. Originally, Klondike Days (or K-Days) was an annual fair and exhibition which eventually adopted a gold rush theme. In early 2006 it was decided that the Klondike theme would be abandoned and the festival would be renamed 'The Capital City Exhibition' (or Capital Ex). Activities include chuckwagon races, carnival rides and fairways, music, trade shows and daily fireworks. Since 1960, the Sourdough Raft Races have also been a popular event.

• The Heritage Days Festival is an ethnocultural food festival that takes place in Hawrelak Park on the Heritage Day long weekend (which includes the first Monday in August).

• Mid-summer also is the time of the Taste of Edmonton food festival, showcasing local restaurants.

• The Edmonton International Fringe Festival, which takes place in mid-August in Old Strathcona, is the largest Fringe Theatre Festival in North America, and second only to the Edinburgh Fringe festival in the world.

• In August, Edmonton is also host to the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, one of the most successful and popular folk music festivals in North America.

• The Edmonton International Film Festival, which runs from late September to early October, is now in its 19th year and is one of Canada's primary film festivals.

• In early November, Edmonton plays host to the Canadian Finals Rodeo and Farmfair. This is the crown jewel in Canada's rodeo circuit and second only to the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in prestige. Calgary's world-famous Stampede is a stop on the qualifying circuit for this million dollar event.

• Other festivals and events include the Yardbird Jazz Festival ^[3], and a Dragon Boat Festival.

Canada Day is celebrated with a pancake breakfast and other morning events at the Alberta Legislature grounds, the Silly Summer Parade in Old Strathcona, the Great Divide waterfall over the High Level Bridge, and evening fireworks.

[edit] See also

• Festivals in Alberta

[edit] External links

• Edmonton Festival City

[edit] References