Hi Edmonton,
Last weekend of summer before the school buses take over, and the weather is mostly cooperating. Inside today, we've got council holding the line on bike lanes, a $42 million rain bill, and a downtown that is genuinely stacked this weekend.
The one I'd flag to a friend: the Alberta Day drone show at the Legislature on Sunday night. Free, and the grounds are a good hang either way.
— The Edmonton Edit
⚡ Quick Hits
Council is keeping the full $100 million bike lane expansion, all 14 contested routes included.
Record summer rain left the City with roughly $42 million in uninsurable damage and delayed LRT work.
Boots and Hearts West lands at Ice District for its first ever Edmonton edition.
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🏛 City Update
Council keeps the full $100 million bike lane expansion
City administration proposed dropping 14 planned routes from Edmonton's active transportation network expansion. Council's infrastructure committee said no, and the existing plan stays in place.
More than 60 people registered to speak at the meeting, and most of them wanted the expansion to continue. That's a notable turnout for a committee session.
The decision upholds the 2022 plan to build out the city's bike network with traffic safety as the stated goal. Some neighbourhoods have pushed back hard on specific routes, so this isn't a settled fight locally.
The bigger variable is the province. The Alberta government is preparing legislation on bike lane placement for the upcoming session, which could change how much say the City actually has.
For now, the plan proceeds as written.
Record summer rain leaves the City with a $42 million bill
Record-breaking rain in June and July did about $42 million in uninsurable damage to City infrastructure and projects. Staff brought the number to council's infrastructure committee this week.
The City plans to recover most of it through the province's Hazard Assistance and Resilience Program, which would cover 90% of eligible losses. Edmonton would carry the rest.
The delays are the part you'll actually feel. Work on Valley Line West, Capital Line South, and the Yellowhead Trail freeway conversion all slipped because of the weather.
The Edmonton Construction Association flagged saturated sites as a real problem and warned that extreme weather is becoming a regular cost, not an exception. They're pushing for contract changes that account for it.
Translation: more construction season, later completion dates, and a risk conversation that's going to keep coming up in the 2027 to 2030 budget.
📅 Things To Do (Next 5 Days)
🎉 Boots and Hearts West
📅 August 28 to August 29 📍 Fan Park @ Ice District 🎟 Single day and weekend passes available 🔗 Republic Live / OEG Sports & Entertainment
Canada's biggest country festival runs its first ever Edmonton edition downtown this weekend. Russell Dickerson and Shaboozey headline, with Midland, Max McNown, Kalsey Kulyk, Tyler Joe Miller, Thelma & James and more filling out the two days.
→ Tickets / Info: https://bootsandhearts.com
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🎉 Alberta Day (Drone Show)
📅 August 30 📍 Alberta Legislature Grounds, 10800 97 Ave NW 🎟 Free 🔗 Alberta Legislature Grounds
A full day of free family programming on the Leg grounds, capped with a drone show after dark. Easy Sunday plan, and one of the few genuinely free big-ticket nights left this summer.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/alberta-day-edmonton/
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🎉 Monster Jam
📅 August 29 to August 30 📍 Rogers Place 🎟 From $37.05 🔗 Rogers Place / Ticketmaster
Giant trucks, loud arena, thrilled children. If you have kids in the 5 to 11 range, this is the weekend's highest-return outing per dollar.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/monster-jam/
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🎉 Jerk & Jollof Fest
📅 August 29 📍 Louise McKinney Riverfront Park 🎟 Free 🔗 Jerk & Jollof Fest
Caribbean and West African food, music, and family competitions in the river valley. The High Level Bridge is being lit yellow, green and red for it, which is a nice touch.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/jerk-jollof-fest/
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🎉 Yorùbá Gb'òde
📅 August 29 📍 Sir Winston Churchill Square 🎟 Free 🔗 Yorùbá Gb'òde
A free celebration of Yoruba tradition downtown with food, music, and heritage programming. Pairs well with Jerk & Jollof if you want to make a day of it.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/yoruba-gbode/
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🎉 Hong Kong Carnival 2026
📅 August 29 📍 William Hawrelak Park 🎟 Free 🔗 Hong Kong Carnival
Hong Kong street food, an exhibition showcase, quiz games, and a mini music concert at Hawrelak. Good low-commitment park afternoon.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/hong-kong-carnival-2026/
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🎉 Chinatown After Dark
📅 Opens August 29 📍 10640 98 Street 🎟 Free 🔗 Chinatown After Dark
Chinatown turns its alleys into patio and play space with seating, entertainment and activities. It runs into October, so this is the start of a good recurring option.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/chinatown-after-dark/
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🎉 Northern Enchanted Faire
📅 August 28 to August 30 📍 The Pointe Agricultural Events Centre, Sherwood Park 🎟 $5 to $15 plus fees 🔗 The Pointe Agricultural Events Centre
A brand new renaissance-style faire with live entertainment indoors and out, a knight tournament, and blacksmithing demos. Worth the drive if your household is into this sort of thing.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/northern-enchanted-faire/
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🎉 Ignite Market
📅 August 28 to August 30 📍 Booster Juice Recreation Centre, 2051 Leger Rd 🎟 Free 🔗 Ignite Market
Three nights, 40-plus food vendors and 40-plus local merchants, live entertainment. Free to get in, which makes it an easy south-side stop.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/ignite-market/
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🎉 Art Battle Edmonton
📅 August 29 📍 Casino Yellowhead 🎟 $20 to $25 🔗 Art Battle Edmonton
Twelve artists paint live in twenty-minute rounds and the crowd votes. Loud, fast, and more fun than it sounds on paper.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/art-battle-edmonton/
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🎉 Fulton Fest
📅 August 29, from 2:30 p.m. 📍 Fulton Drive Bowl 🎟 Free 🔗 Fulton Fest
A neighbourhood festival in the Fulton ravine. This is the kind of small local thing that makes a Saturday feel like Edmonton.
→ Tickets / Info: https://edmonton.taproot.events/calendar/2026/08/29/fulton-fest
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🎉 Wholly Handmade
📅 August 29 to August 30 📍 The Agora, 401 Festival Lane, Sherwood Park 🎟 Free 🔗 Strathcona County Community Centre
More than 120 artisans and crafters. If you start Christmas shopping in August, this is your event and we won't judge you.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/wholly-handmade-october/
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🎉 Lemonade Stand Day
📅 August 30 📍 Various venues across Edmonton 🎟 Free 🔗 Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation
Annual lemonade stand day supporting the Stollery. Kids run the stands, you buy the lemonade, everyone wins.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/lemonade-stand-day/
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🎉 Vintage Tractor Pull & Show
📅 August 29 to August 30 📍 Bremner Farm, 53452 Range Rd 225, Sherwood Park 🎟 $10 🔗 Strathcona Vintage Tractor Association
The 19th annual pull, with over 100 tractors competing across ten classes. Unironically a great time.
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🎉 Edmonton Mural Festival
📅 August 15 to September 15 📍 Various venues, Edmonton 🎟 Free and ticketed 🔗 Edmonton Mural Festival
Local and international artists are turning walls across the city into an open-air gallery through mid-September. Free to just walk and look.
→ Tickets / Info: https://www.todocanada.ca/city/edmonton/event/edmonton-mural-festival
🍽 New In Edmonton
Long-standing Capilano restaurant Fargos has opened a second location at 11998 109A Avenue NW. The grand opening is set for September 4, so you can either go early and beat the crowd or wait for the party.
Sip Soda Co. also opened its fourth Edmonton-area shop at 10512 82 Avenue NW, which means Whyte Ave now has dirty soda on tap.
And a small piece of good news: Pho Tau Bay reopened on August 21 after a temporary closure. Their Soup Grandma is back.
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The more locals we have, the better every edition gets.
That's it for today. Take care of yourself out there, and take care of someone else while you're at it.
See you soon!
