By Joel Dryden
From Nextfest to the Edmonton Pride Festival, June in YEG boasts a stacked calendar just in time for all of us to enjoy a cold one on a great Edmonton patio. Though Edmonton might be known as the Winter City, June proves its summer season is just as formidable. Here’s the best of Edmonton this June. [Photo credit: Mark Male]
The 20-odd seats at Chocorrant have rarely been vacant since the dessert and pastry shop opened in mid-April on 124 Street. The picturesque desserts and croissants have drawn rave reviews, with their lunch soups and sandwiches quickly becoming fan favourites.
If cake has been calling your name, you’ll be pleased to hear that the Art of Cake has opened an expanded space in Edmonton’s Brewery District. Open since 2007 at their previous location in Edmonton City Centre and operated by pastry artists Gloria Bednarz and Guenter Hess, the Art of Cake designs beautiful made-to-order cakes that truly can be described as works of art.
Brought to you by the folks behind The Common, the charming Grandin Fish ‘N’ Chips has been serving up mouth-watering dishes since it opened in late February. Grab an authentic plate of the classic eponymous dish, or take your pick from the other options on the varied menu, including seafood chowder or oysters.
Edmonton’s theatre and arts worlds have long been well-regarded, largely owing to its great venues and merchants such as the Yardbird Suite, The Paint Spot and L’UniTheatre. So it’s fitting that those locations will be among the venues hosting Edmonton’s brightest up-and-coming artists during Nextfest 2017, scheduled for June 1 to 11. The annual Theatre Network festival showcases the best local visual artists, musicians, filmmakers and dancers across 11 jam-packed days. For more information, check out Gene Kosowan’s Smart Tip.
Show your Pride during the annual 10-day Edmonton Pride Festival, scheduled to run June 9 to 18. Of course, the centerpiece of the festival has to be the Pride Parade, which will make its way down Whyte Avenue on June 10. This year’s parade marshal is the Edmonton Two-Spirit Community.
The Citadel Theatre will play host to the 17th annual Improvaganza, Edmonton’s international improv and sketch comedy festival. Hosted by the Rapid Fire Theatre Society, the event is scheduled to run June 14 to 24, and featured performers include CBC’s The Irrelevant Show, Vancouver’s The Sunday Service and Edmonton’s own Folk Lordz and Marv N’ Berry.
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Discover more fun things to do in Edmonton:
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Though there’s plenty in Edmonton’s arts scene to keep you busy this June, don’t neglect the great sights and sounds of the city in the summer season. Grab some BBQ and enjoy some live outdoor music at the fourth annual Porkapalooza at Northlands, or break out your Celtic best for the 2017 Highland Gathering at Grant MacEwan Park.
Earlier this year, Edmontonians enjoyed the magic of ice carving during the annual Ice on Whyte festival. Its summer equivalent, Sand on Whyte, will enchant families with impressive sand carved creations by pros like Peter Vogelaar and Denis Kleine. You might be surprised at the intricacy of these sand creations – previous iterations of the festival have seen sand ogres and castles lining Whyte Avenue.
With so many things on the calendar in Edmonton, you’ll have plenty of ways to enjoy the sunshine this June. Get out there and make the most of summer in YEG.
