I know I boost and boast about Edmonton an awful lot these days. It feels like I'm doing it every day. But some weeks, you just find so many reasons to love this city. Especially when the sun is out.
I have free time to write this post right now because the kids are at a City Recreation program. For free. Play Rangers (1) takes them into the River Valley, does outdoorsy things and generally makes them happy for two hours. And then there's the Green Shack (2), coming soon to a playground near you. These are awesome, blessed things.
Tonight, we may could head to 118th Ave for a Drive In-Movie showing of the Princess Bride (3). Like, a real drive in, complete with muffled AM radio sound from a localized transmitter. The showing aligns nicely with the Thousand Faces Festival (4), an 'Art and myth' explosion I got to write about this month for The Rat Creek Press (another bit of Edmonton Awesomeness, so make that number 5).
Tomorrow morning, Market season officially begins on 104th street (6), as the City Market (7) heads outdoors. Throngs of shoppers can once again bask in the smell of kettle corn and the sounds of buskers playing acoustic covers of pop hits. Is there anything better, I ask you?
YEG does seem pretty happy these days – very literally evidenced by a moon-walking Don Iveson (8) in the #YEGhappy video. Just try not to smile while watching that. If it that doesn't make you smile, the much older 'S**t Edmontonians Say' video (9) sure will.
We just got our very own visual arts newspaper, Arts and Culture XL (10). Things are looking up for Edmonton.
Things are looking torn up too. Just walk down 104th Ave and try and dodge the dirt pits. Between the new Royal Alberta Museum (11), the new Rogers arena district (12) and the proposed Galleria project (13), our downtown is about to warp 88MPH into the future.
But you don't have to take my word for it.
I've discovered some great outlets to get a second opinion on Edmonton – specifically her art scene – this week. Prairie Seen (14) has many great features on local artists. Edmonton Arts Council has a tumblr blog (15), reporting on such awesome goings-on as the painted #openpianoyeg project (16). I Heart Edmonton (17) is another blog to check out, and I think you can figure out what that one is all about.
Of course, it's the long weekend, so you may not even be in Edmonton this weekend. But for those who stick around, you could use your still-totally-free EPL Library card (18) and check out the MakerSpace downtown (19). You could also take in one of the three Open Source Street Art walls (20). The third graffiti 'free wall' opened just yesterday, just off Whyte Ave. Of course, it's likely high time for a trip to Whyte Ave anyways. You can eat at the newly opened MEAT (21). Or try the also-new Farrow Sandwhiches (22) for some exclusive Bows and Arrows coffee.
Heck, why eat indoors now that food truck season is back (23)?
Yeah, I'd better stop now. I've got a city to enjoy.
See you around town!