By Gene Kosowan
Civic pride is huge in Edmonton, with two professional sports teams, beautiful local parks and national recognition as a great place to live. But even though most of us like it here doesn't mean we don't like to get away occasionally. For those who want to see the sights (and check out some of the top festivals surrounding Edmonton), here are seven trips you'll want to mark on your calendar in 2018. [Photo credit: University of Alberta Botanic Garden]
Let’s not kid ourselves – Camrose, located about an hour southeast of Edmonton, has long been a pretty sleepy city. But thanks to the introduction of the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Centre, a wide variety of eclectic events have come to Camrose, along with a number of touring acts and other artists.
When you should visit in 2018: Camrose is anything but sleepy during the Big Valley Jamboree, the largest country music festival in western Canada. Scheduled Aug. 2 to 5, major attractions this year include Alabama, Florida Georgia Line and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Just a hop, skip and a jump west of Edmonton is the town of Devon, boasting a population of nearly 7,000 people. The big draw for visitors is its lush natural scenery, especially on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River.
When you should visit in 2018: Centennial Park is a busy spot during the summer with a vast array of picnic spots and hiking trails. Vegetation is a big deal to Devon, especially with the elaborate University of Alberta Botanical Garden, featuring some 240 acres of stunning plant life, including a Japanese section and the forthcoming Aga Khan Garden, which you'll be able to check out yourself when it opens this June.
When it comes to national parks bordering Alberta in the Rockies, Banff seems to get all the attention, while Jasper tends to fly under the radar. Not a biggie, since the park and the town of 4,500 prefer to play it low-key, which means Jasper tends to seem like a neighbourly community with an alpine backdrop. Besides the winter skiing and summer hiking, the town offers a myriad of events year-round.
When you should visit in 2018: February’s Devour! The Canadian Rockies Food Film Festival features a number of five-star chefs each creating a full-course meal inspired by a cinematic outing. October gives patrons the opportunity to catch what the Milky Way looks like among a thousand points of light (totally invisible to urban dwellers) at the Dark Sky Festival. But if it’s music you want, don't miss the three-day Wild Mountain Music Festival in nearby Hinton each July to catch emerging and nationally-renowned roots acts.
Settled in the late 1800s by Father Morin (who brought with him a number of French settlers), Morinville is about as French as any municipality in Alberta can get. That translates to its year-round festivals, which largely celebrate the history of this central Alberta town.
When you should visit in 2018: In June, on the weekend that falls closest to St. Jean Baptiste Day, folks from Edmonton flock to Morinville to take in the culture and celebrate history. Back in 1908, Pope Pius XI declared St. John the Baptist was the patron saint of French Canadians. To mark the occasion, Morinville hosts a celebration called Festival Days each June, with plenty of francophone food and music to share. Other events throughout the year include the Snowman Festival in February, Rendez Vous de la Francophonie in March and Lite Up the Night in December.
You can’t even see the lake of the same name from the town, but what’s interesting is how a settlement of less than a thousand can be so active. Located roughly an hour northeast of Edmonton, there's a full schedule of events on the way in Smoky Lake in 2018.
When you should visit in 2018: Smoky Lake is home to the world-famous Pumpkin Fair and Weigh-Off, held each October. Some winners have even snared world records at this event, which also includes threshing bees, a farmers' market, live entertainment and the always crowd-pleasing pumpkin drop, which involves giant pumpkins being hoisted by giant cranes followed by a rather messy fate. Smoky Lake is also home to the CN Museum, where you can visit a train station circa 1919. And just added at nearby Metis Crossing for July is Sasquatch Gathering, a three-day festival of live music, camping and — according to visitors of previous versions held elsewhere — one of the wildest festivals in the province.
This municipality an hour east of Edmonton is home of the world-famous Pysanka, a giant Easter egg that took an innovative mathematical formula to design. So ingrained is the monument in the town’s psyche that there’s even a Pysanka Festival in July, featuring everything from artists, markets and beer gardens to live showcases to commemorate the predominantly Ukrainian culture.
When you should visit in 2018: In addition to the Pysanka Festival, don't miss Veggfest in August, which has hosted major draws such as Randy Bachman and John Michael Montgomery. For those who want to check out more historical events, the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village has preserved a lot of Slavic agrarian remnants and even hosts the odd festival, such as June’s Kalyna Festival and Ukrainian Day in August.
These are but seven day trip options for Edmonton travellers in 2018, though chances are you might want to make a weekend out of a few of these attractions. Whether it’s nature, culture or simply a reason to escape the city, chances are at least a few of these will warrant repeat visits.
