Edmonton Invites Visitors to Come Outside and Play This Winter
With no less than 9 festivals to enjoy the great outdoors and action packed entertainment this holiday season, an Edmonton vacation this winter should be on everyone’s shopping list
Edmonton Canada's festival city, is a great northern city. "We embrace the winter," says Ice on Whyte festival producer Wanda Bornn. "Whether it's cold or warm outside, mother nature is our friend so come outside and play!"
EDMONTON, AB - Edmonton Canada's festival city, is a great northern city. "We embrace the winter," says Ice on Whyte festival producer Wanda Bornn. "Whether it's cold or warm outside, mother nature is our friend so come outside and play!"
From the thrill of those always-energetic weeks of the grand Christmas rush through to the end of the season, winter in Edmonton offers no shortage of great things to do outside and inside too. What you choose for fun might be as simple as enjoying a leisurely walk in the multitude of walking trails throughout the city's famous river valley as part of your Edmonton vacation which is an experience not to be missed as it is 22 times larger than New York's Central Park. Or it could mean taking in a concert or a play or taking the plunge down a massive ice slide enjoying the crisp winter air.
If you want to stay inside where it's warm and cozy, there is no better to usher in the holiday season than partaking in A Christmas Carol, November 28 -- December 23 at the Citadel Theatre downtown. "This remains the best stage version I've ever seen of Dickens' classic," according to Liz Nichols of the Edmonton Journal.
Theatre performing arts buffs have a multitude of other classic favorites over the Edmonton winter season from which to choose. Another holiday must-see experience in Edmonton is the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra's performance of Handel's Messiah, December 3 -- 4 at the Winspear Centre downtown, where the acoustics offer some of the clearest sound in the world.
In the weeks leading to Christmas, the music of the holidays continues. December 10 -- 11 at the Jubilee Auditorium, see the lavish and magical production of Alberta Ballet's Nutcracker. December 12 at the Winspear Centre, see and hear A Pro Coro Christmas, featuring choral classics to lift your spirits and even sing along to! December 13 at the Jubilee Auditorium, see Rita MacNeil's Spirit of Christmas, featuring special Frank Mills, famous for his instrumental hit Music Box Dancer.
For those who like their fun outdoors, this northern festival city comes alive all through January with non-stop events! "The winter festival season begins on January 8 and runs right through to March and all in all, there are nine festivals," says Pamela Anthony, producer of Winter Light, a celebration that showcases Edmonton Alberta as a distinctly beautiful and active winter city.
The festivals supported by Winter Light bring all kinds of fun to the season. January 8 and 9, there's the skating, curling, street hockey and assorted outdoor fun of the Deep Freeze Festival,held in the thriving arts district of Alberta Avenue (on 118 Avenue). January 13 -- 23, the Ice OnWhyte Festivalcomes alive in the city's charming, historic Old Strathcona area with great Edmonton restaurants and unique shopping after the outdoor winter fun.
"One of our biggest attractions is the international ice carving competition," says Wanda Bornn, producer of Ice on Whyte. "We have 10 teams from everywhere in the world, including Russia, Alaska, Latvia, the US and Canada, of course. This is one heavy competition - literally. We ship 600 blocks of ice from a family of ice carvers in Ontario and each block of ice weighs 300 pounds, so that's heavy!" she laughs.
One of the busiest Edmonton attractions of Ice On Whyte is the 100-foot-long ice slide. "On weekends, people line up for 45 minutes to go on it a second time," says Bornn. "There are YouTube videos of it!"
Two other Edmonton winter events that are more than worth experiencing are Winter Light's Illuminations, January 29 in Churchill Square and Winter Light's grand finale, the Star Party, March 5 in Elk Island National Park, 40 minutes east of Edmonton. "Illuminations brings light and fire and pyro to Churchill Square," says Pamela Anthony. As for the Star Party, the true stars are those that twinkle particularly bright in this one-of-a-kind dark sky preserve. "Be prepared to witness something amazing," says Anthony.
To learn more about all the winter activities in Canada's festival city Edmonton to plan an Edmonton vacation, visit www.edmonton.com/liveallyear
Edmonton Tourism promotes Greater Edmonton as the destination of choice for tourism, conventions, major events and film production and is a division of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC). For more information, visit www.edmonton.com. Learn more about Edmonton through the stories of people who've experienced it at www.edmontonstories.ca.