Bike park delayed, Whyte's scramble stays put

Hi Edmonton,

It's been a soggy stretch and it's costing us one of the summer's biggest openings. Grab your umbrella, because there's a lot going on this weekend anyway, from a rock festival at the Expo Centre to street art on Whyte.

— The Edmonton Edit

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⚡ Quick Hits

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The new mountain bike park in Queen Elizabeth Park isn't opening this month after all. It was supposed to welcome riders on July 25. Now it's pushed to September.

Blame the weather. Heavy rain through June slowed down work on trail features and the rest of the park's infrastructure. This is a volunteer build, led by the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance, on the old wastewater treatment plant site along the river valley. Volunteers have already put in more than 3,000 hours, and they're expecting to hit 5,000 within two months.

That's a serious amount of sweat equity for a park that isn't even open yet.

For anyone who's been counting down to ride it, the wait just got longer. A new September date is coming once construction wraps up, so keep an eye out.

The City was planning to swap out the scramble crosswalks at 105 Street, Gateway Boulevard, and Calgary Trail and turn them back into regular crosswalks. That's part of a bigger transit priority project. It's not happening yet.

The change got delayed so it lines up better with events and construction happening in the area. If you've gotten used to crossing diagonally on Whyte, you get to keep doing that a bit longer.

City Council hit pause on the protected bike lane plan for 50 Street through Capilano, Gold Bar, and Fulton Place. The original design would have removed street parking along that stretch.

Administration is now looking at an alternative design instead. If you live in those neighbourhoods and were worried about losing parking, this buys some time.

Council's infrastructure committee signed off on a new Dedicated Renewal Fund. The idea is steady, long-term money for fixing up infrastructure across the city instead of one-off patches.

For residents, that's supposed to mean fewer crumbling roads and pipes waiting years for a fix.

🎉 Whyte Avenue Art Walk
Date: Jul 10 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Location: Whyte Avenue, Old Strathcona, Edmonton
Cost: Free
Over 460 artists set up along Old Strathcona for this one. Good excuse for a slow wander and zero pressure to buy anything.

🎉 Rockin' Thunder Edmonton
Source: Edmonton Expo Centre
Date: Jul 11 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: Doors 1:00 p.m.
Location: Exhibition Lands Racetrack, Edmonton Expo Centre
Cost: Two-day pass from $240+
Creed, Three Days Grace, and The Glorious Sons headline this two-day rock fest. If you were an early-2000s rock kid, this one's for you.
→ Tickets / Info: https://edmontonexpocentre.com/events/rockin-thunder-2/

🎉 Rocky Mountain Nationals (NHRA Canadian Open)
Source: Showpass
Date: Jul 10 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: Varies by day
Location: RAD Torque Raceway, 50342 Rge. Rd. 253, Edmonton International Airport area
Cost: Average ticket ~$77
Canada's biggest drag racing weekend, with Nitro Funny Cars and Top Fuel Harleys screaming down the strip. Bring earplugs if you're sensitive to noise.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.showpass.com/2026-rocky-mountain-nationals-single-day-tickets/

🎉 Grindstone Comedy Festival
Source: Showpass
Date: Jul 9 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m. shows
Location: Grindstone Theatre, Edmonton
Cost: $18–$520 depending on show
Edmonton's indie comedy crowd shows up hard for this one every year. Multiple shows a night means you can easily build a comedy double header.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.showpass.com/discover/edmonton/this-weekend/

🎉 Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (StreetFest) - final weekend
Date: Through Jul 12, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. onward
Location: Sir Winston Churchill Square, Edmonton
Cost: Free
Last chance to catch the jugglers, acrobats, and buskers downtown. This is your classic pack-a-picnic-blanket kind of afternoon.
→ Tickets / Info: https://edmontonstreetfest.com/

🎉 Summer Block Party - Rice Howard Way
Date: Jul 11, 2026
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Rice Howard Way, downtown Edmonton
Cost: Free
Live music plus a People's Choice Food & Drink Competition right downtown. Good one for an after-work wander.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.foundryevents.ca/summer-block-party

🎉 Something Rotten! (Freewill Shakespeare Festival)
Date: Through Jul 12, 2026
Time: 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Location: Heritage Amphitheatre, William Hawrelak Park
Cost: $40–$50
A musical comedy staged by the Edmonton Pops Orchestra as part of Freewill Shakespeare. Bring a blanket, it's an outdoor amphitheatre show.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.freewillshakespeare.com/something-rotten

🎉 Edmonton Stingers vs Vancouver Bandits (CEBL)
Date: Jul 11, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Location: Edmonton Expo Centre, 7515 118th Ave. NW
Cost: From $27
Regular season CEBL basketball, and tickets are cheap for a night out. Easy pick if you want live sports without the Oilers-level price tag.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.ticketmaster.ca/edmonton-stingers-vs-vancouver-bandits-edmonton-alberta-07-11-2026/event/11006465899364D5

🎉 Edmonton Riverhawks vs Marion Berries
Date: Jul 10 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: 7:05 p.m. (Jul 10-11), 1:05 p.m. (Jul 12)
Location: RE/MAX Field, 10233 96th Ave. NW
Cost: From $10
West Coast League college summer ball, three games in three days. A ten dollar ticket is hard to argue with.
→ Tickets / Info: https://tickets.gohawks.ca/SeatSelection.aspx?sch=260

🎉 Chocolate Mixology cocktail class
Date: Jul 12, 2026
Time: 7:15 p.m.
Location: Delavoye Chocolate Maker, 10639 124 St. NW Unit 101
Cost: $100 per person
A bartender walks you through three cacao-based cocktails. Not cheap, but a fun different kind of date night.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.exploretock.com/delavoye-chocolate-maker-edmonton/event/609607/the-craft-of-chocolate-mixology

🎉 Edmonton Jerk Festival 2026
Date: Jul 11, 2026
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Queen Mary Park, Edmonton
Cost: Not specified
Caribbean food, live reggae, and local vendors in Queen Mary Park. Family-friendly and worth going hungry for.
→ Tickets / Info: https://edmonton-jerk-festival.square.site/

🎉 20 Years of Shout Out Out Out Out anniversary show
Date: Jul 11, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Location: Blind Enthusiasm Brewery, Edmonton
Cost: Not specified
The Canadian electronic band hits 20 years with a street party at Blind Enthusiasm. If you were there the first time around, this one's nostalgic.
→ Tickets / Info: https://blindenthusiasm.ca/blogs/journal/shout-out-out-out-out-street-party-beer-release

🎉 Junior Museum Skills Workshop: Archaeology
Date: Jul 11, 2026
Time: Not specified
Location: Royal Alberta Museum, Edmonton
Cost: Not specified
Kids get a mock dig-pit and try their hand at artifact repair. A solid rainy-day-proof activity for the museum crowd.
→ Tickets / Info: https://royalalbertamuseum.ca/events/junior-museum-skills-workshops/junior-museum-skills-workshops-archaeology

🎉 Sherwood Park Wild Rose Carnival
Date: Jul 9 – Jul 12, 2026
Time: Not specified
Location: Sherwood Park Mall parking lot
Cost: Not specified
Classic midway carnival with rides, games, and mini donuts in the mall parking lot. Simple, nostalgic, exactly what it sounds like.
→ Tickets / Info: https://wildroseshows.ca/events

Zaab Thai

Address: 9142 23 Avenue NW, Edmonton

Status: Now open

This one's taken over the old Loma House spot. It's a straightforward Thai kitchen, and the neighbourhood's been short on good Thai options for a while.

Ariana Kitchen

Address: 13720 50 Street NW, Edmonton

Status: Opened

Halal Afghan and Turkish food under one roof. If you've been looking for that combo specifically, this is a new one to add to the list.

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That's it for today. Take care of yourself out there, and take care of someone else while you're at it.

See you Tuesday!