Recap: Winter Shake-Up Festival

After work on Friday, I met up with Mack and Hannah to take in the first ever Winter Shake-up Festival and Market at Churchill Square.

A public event, it capped off a two-day conference all about winter: design, marketing, business opportunities, and of course, how to encourage more people to embrace the season. Although it ended up being unfortunate timing that the festival coincided with the coldest evening this January, it resulted in a true winter experience – one the organizers had to plan for, and attendees had to dress for.

We loved the overall feel of the Square – they kept the layout tight, and the welcoming light installations and scissor-lifted lights added some magic.

Given nature’s unpredictability, organizers had a number of ways for folks to warm up. Our favourite was through their selection of hot drinks, including apple cider, spiked coffee and mulled wine.

There were also three brave food trucks on hand, and the even braver souls who ordered from them. I’m sure a topic for future conferences could be designing winter al fresco-friendly food – most people ducked into tents to consume their fare, while others huddled under heat lamps to keep their exposed fingers warm.

Over forty market vendors participated, either in large heated tents, or in the individual huts we’d first spied at All is Bright. On this cold night, this set-up seemed to put those in the huts at a slight disadvantage, as they were on the periphery of the action, but the aesthetics of the covered stalls are closer to the European-style markets organizers wanted to emulate. It will be interesting to see how this aspect might be improved for future events.

I really loved that several dynamic activities were also being offered on the Square. Attendees could try out segways, fat bikes, and a snow slide built on top of the steps of the amphitheater.

Although I recognize the liability the slide presents if unattended, it was unfortunate the structure had to be demolished the day after the event. I know maintaining it would require a cost, but something as simple as a slide can bring so much joy to children and adults alike, and would provide a reason to interact with the outdoors in a space otherwise pretty barren in the winter.

Kudos to the organizers for a great first time event – let’s hope the momentum continues!

2013 What the Truck?! Roundup

While I did recap the first three What the Truck?! events that took place this year (Ginger Beef Throwdown, Old Strathcona and The Quarters), I fell off the wagon this summer and failed to keep up with the rest.

Louise McKinney Riverfront Park

Louise McKinney is a beautiful location to be sure, one that provides a gorgeous vantage point and approach to the river valley. However, we knew that the gradient and the few access points might act as barriers for some, but we were hoping that the trucks would be enough of a draw on August 24, 2013.

We had to change our original site map on the fly due to a concurrent event taking place in the adjacent park, which worked for the most part, but wasn’t perfect. Due to the same event, on-site parking was even more scarce. And so, in order to prevent drivers from looping through the vending area, Mack and I ended up having to second our family members to act as parking attendants and control vehicle access. While a majority of people were understanding (and took advantage of our recommendation to park along Jasper Avenue), it really was disheartening to see the number of drivers who didn’t hesitate to spew vitriol when told there was no on-site parking available. Mobility challenges and families with young children aside, I couldn’t fathom why some didn’t want to take advantage of an absolutely gorgeous day and spend more time outdoors.

Louise McKinney

That aside, for those that did take in the event, we heard pretty positive feedback. The relatively smaller crowd meant shorter lines, and everyone seemed to appreciate the location’s proximity to our river valley.

Beautiful vantage point

It was great to see people sprawled out on the grass, picnicking with their buffet spreads, or utilizing concrete parking curbs as benches.

Al fresco!

I was able to try Yellow Bird’s gyu-don beef rice bowl. The one dish filled me up for the rest of the evening, a tasty combination of beef, egg and veggies.

Gyu-don from Yellow Bird

A big thanks to the Shaw Conference Centre, who allowed us to set up in their parking lot, and to the Downtown Edmonton Community League for sponsoring a number of our events this year (including this one).

Churchill Square

Our final What the Truck?! in Churchill Square on September 20, 2013 was our biggest event ever, and it was not only clear that the Square was bursting at the seams with vendors, but also that food trucks have been thoroughly embraced by Edmontonians.

Churchill Square (photo by Dave Feltham)

We were really fortunate this season with good weather, and this was exemplified that Friday. It was a fitting finale for summer, and revelers came out in droves.

The crowds! (photo by Dave Feltham)

Some of the lines were long and rather unwieldy, but I’m happy to say that it looked like most people were enjoying themselves, catching up with old friends or meeting new ones.

Dining out

And while we welcomed a few new trucks to our WTT family that day, we didn’t know that we were saying goodbye to one. It was the last service for The Lingnan Express – Miles sold the truck to another proprietor, who will be rebranding the truck to be launched in 2014.

We’re always indebted to DJ Thomas Scott and his friends, who bring just the right party atmosphere to our events. You rock!

DJ Thomas Scott

And what can we say to thank our hard working volunteers, who perform thankless jobs like garbage collection? We couldn’t do it without you.

Super Su!

Thanks to everyone who came out that night and helped us celebrate a great year.

What the Truck?! Gives Back

We capped our season with a special service at the Bissell Centre. Our desire was to try and replicate the spirit of our other pop-up events, but of course, this one had one major twist: the food was free.

Six trucks served over 900 meals to underprivileged individuals that day. We can’t tell you how rewarding it was to see people enjoying themselves.

Bully at work

We always knew we were lucky to have such a great food truck community in Edmonton, but the participating vendors that day took that statement to another level. Thanks to The Act Out & About, Bully, Lemon Grass Grill, Little Village, The Local Omnivore, and Sailin’ On for your generous contributions.

Big hearts!

It was also a wonderful experience working with the staff from the Bissell Centre. The agency has had a rough month, experiencing a fire in their Thrift Shoppe, but the staff were more than accommodating to help us put on this event on their day off! Thanks to the staff and volunteers for their hard work.

Looking to 2014

You can be sure What the Truck?! will be back next year (we’ve already started brainstorming locations!), but perhaps the most exciting thing for us is an expanded team! We know this event could be so much more, but Mack and I aren’t able to grow it on our own. So we’ve invited a few more people to the table who will lend new ideas, perspectives and energy to the events. Welcome Caleng, Dave and Melina – I’m looking forward to working with you in 2014.

Team What the Truck?!

See you next year!

2012 Christmas on the Square Holiday Light Up

The weather was actually pretty cooperative for Saturday’s Christmas on the Square, with temperatures holding out at a very reasonable –5C. It was a far cry from last year’s event, where the crowd was all dancing to keep warm.

Crowds gather

There were several vendors on hand to round out the festivities. It was good to see Big City Sandwich and Eva Sweet, but the biggest line was easily awarded to the mini doughnut trailer (I have to say I consider mini doughnuts a summer food, but given the salivating crowds, perhaps the WinterCity Strategy should specifically name this treat as a method of drawing crowds outdoors).

Big City Sandwich

A new addition to the program this year was Booming Tree, a Japanese drumming duo. Although their act was mostly only tangentially related to the holidays (festive lights around the drums can only go so far), I really enjoyed their act. It was a pleasant change from the usual Christmas music.

Here’s Santa

Speaking of music, when Mayor Stephen Mandel eventually retires, he should become a stage crooner. He was more than comfortable with the microphone in his hand, belting out a carol to welcome Santa to the city.

Though it has been a few years since they brought out the giant switch that “turns on” the lights on the Christmas tree, I kind of miss that over-the-top kitsch. Still, it’s also nice to be a part of a group to collectively marvel over the lovely displays.

And it’s on!

As usual, the fireworks were timed to music, emphasizing style over the quantity of poppers. I’ve said this before many times, but I really wish other fireworks shows took a cue from this production – it is always so much more enjoyable than a seemingly random smattering of sparklers.

Fireworks!

The tree will be lit until early January – so even if you missed the light up, you have several weeks to pay it a visit.

Christmas is near…

Kudos to the organizers for another great event!

2011 Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square

The annual Holiday Light Up on Churchill Square is something I don’t like to miss, even if the weather is less than conducive for an outdoor event! Mack and I braved the cold to partake in this annual tradition.

Cold!

Earlier in the afternoon though, I trekked down to the Square to pick up some groceries from the City Market. As with the previous two Saturdays, to help tie the Market into the day’s festivities, a third of the vendors were set-up in a tent on Churchill Square.

City Market outdoors

Though I thought this location was a boon to the vendors last year, it was a much different picture then, as it was easily about twenty degrees warmer than it was today. One of the two heaters stopped working an hour in this morning, something that didn’t bode well for those positioned in that half of the tent. Over in City Hall, however, it was very pleasant, with musicians livening up the atmosphere. Many shoppers were asking about which vendors were in the Square, but didn’t seem willing to step outside to explore them firsthand. I wonder if some clear signage with a map of vendors would have been an incentive to do so? Or, because of the weather, simply have allowed all of the vendors to remain inside the Hall?

Later that evening, Mack met up with me and we sipped hot coffee in anticipation of the light-up and fireworks. Closer to 5pm, the crowd swelled to a few hundred – it’s always heartening to see Edmontonians embracing outdoor activities.

Stilt walkers wandered into the crowd

After a few Christmas songs to warm up the crowd, Eskimo cheerleaders and Councillor Jane Batty welcomed Santa Claus himself up on stage (it was pretty amusing when Councillor Batty expressed to Santa that “one or two Councillors” will be receiving coal this Christmas).

On a break from the North Pole

I was a bit disappointed that the organizers opted not to use the giant light switch that they have in the past, but counting down to the light-up itself was still a great time. The 71 foot white spruce, weighing 8000 pounds, had been donated by Millar Western. Decorations included 14,000 LED lights, sparklers and snowglobes, about 4,000 more than last year.

Tree

I look forward to the fireworks spectacle every year, primarily because it is the only show in our city that is timed to music. I wonder if it was the cold that impacted the execution of the fireworks this year, because something delayed them this time around, which meant that they didn’t end up accompanying the music. We still enjoyed them though – fireworks are always a great way to kick off the holiday season!

Fireworks

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The tree will be around to view until early January. Make sure to check it out when you have a chance!

2011 Olde Time Fair on the Square

It wasn’t an overly warm day, but in spite of the overcast conditions, the weather was conducive to the outdoor Olde Time Fair on the Square festivities.

Churchill Square

While it may not have been as bustling as last week’s River City Round Up Kick-Off, organizers made up for it with spirit (the DJ in particular was energetic), and fire.

Retro fire and police vehicles on display

Mack loves a good fire pit

There was a whole host of activities for children, including carnival games, arts and crafts, wagon rides and the always-coveted balloon animals.

Games

Similar to last week, food vendors were also on hand to feed the hungry hoards, most of which didn’t seem to mind the slight chill. Still, we had to wonder why the City didn’t bring out the heat lamps on this occasion to keep the seating area warm, especially given they already had staff manning the fire pits.

Vendors

For whatever reason, the City Market had been split up in half. Some vendors were inside the heated tent located right on Churchill Square, while others were located in their usual home. Again, signage wasn’t great in pointing shoppers to City Hall, but given how busy it was inside the City Room, perhaps word of the year-round market is picking up steam after all.

Inside the City Market tent

It’s hard not to be drawn to Doef’s display at City Hall

Doef’s has the right to these heart-shaped cucumber moulds in Canada – expect to see these special cucumbers everywhere leading up to Valentine’s Day

Before we left, we took a picture of the Christmas tree that will be lit up at next Saturday’s event – hope to see you there!

Christmas tree

2011 River City Round Up: Food, Festivities and the City Market

Though we were disappointed that there was no cattle drive at this year’s River City Round Up kick-off, it’s always a treat to watch horses walking through the streets of downtown Edmonton.

Last Saturday, Mack and I watched the parade on a crisp fall day. The crowds were modest, though I think most people were situated closer to Churchill Square.

The wee donkey near the start of the procession was hard to beat, but it was clear all of the participants were having a blast. I also loved hearing the sound of hoofs against the pavement, the clip-clop that echoed down the block.

The rear cavalry

Churchill Square was party central, with a stage set-up alongside vendors and food trucks.

Inflatable welcome

It’s only a bull

Drift had created a sandwich just for the event – Nature’s Green Acres braised beef with a house-made whisky BBQ sauce and crispy onions ($7.50). It was delicious, and if I had the opportunity to try it a few more times, might become my favourite Drift sandwich!

Braised beef sandwich from Drift

The Lingnan Express was also on hand (if you’re curious about how the truck came to be, check out this episode of The Quon Dynasty online). We hung out with Miles and Ajit for a bit inside, and warmed up with a sample of their won ton soup. The broth in particular was great – Miles said thirty chicken carcasses went into the soup!

Miles loves kettle corn

Towards City Hall, there were pony and wagon rides, crafts and balloons for kids, and even square dancing!

Pony rides

The City Market was going on, as usual, inside City Hall. It seemed busier than usual, no doubt the beneficiary of all of the festivities outside. It was great to have Martin Kerr on hand to set the tone inside – his voice does wonders of bringing the street to the hall.

City Room

We were able to pick up some of what we needed, but what is still lacking is produce (Kuhlmann’s, Doef’s Greenhouses, Greens, Eggs and Ham, and Steve & Dan’s were on hand last week). I recognize that it is a chicken-egg argument, and that a consistent customer base is needed to support more vendors (and we reside in a northern climate where produce selection in general in the winter months will be limited), but the selection isn’t great. I will be patient, knowing it will take time to grow the year-round component of the City Market, and hopefully others will be as well.

This was the first of three Saturdays where Churchill Square will be the hub of activity – tomorrow will see the Olde Time Fair on the Square, and next week, possibly my favourite Christmas event in the city – the Holiday Light Up on the Square. See you there!

You can take a look at Mack’s photo set here.

White Night and The Works

Last Thursday, Mack and I spent the evening at two different events downtown – it’s great to be able to just wander out our door to the next summer festival!

I love events that repurpose spaces – there’s something about embracing the uncommon that adds that bit of je ne sais quoi to an otherwise ordinary activity.

That’s one of the reasons why I was so drawn to White Night, a fashion showcase that took place last Thursday at the Edmonton City Centre Mall. The location? The pedway above 101 Street. I couldn’t wait to see how they would transform the space into a runway.

I secretly hoped that the conversion would also involve opening up the bridge’s second floor as a viewing platform (how cool would that have been?!) but no dice. Still, it was neat to see how the pedway could be used for something other than retail and café seating.

More than just a pedway

White Night was a part of White Out, a week of events to bring awareness to domestic violence, and the work done by the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS). White Night commissioned ten local fashion designers to create garments inspired by a white ribbon, a symbol of domestic violence. The dresses would be available for bidding through a silent auction, with all proceeds to benefit the ACWS.

At White Night

Local dignitaries, including Mayor Mandel, were on hand to mark the occasion. Although many in the audience had incorporated white into their outfits, I think someone forgot to send that memo to Minister Thomas Lukaszuk.

Minister Lukaszuk (I think I just liked how loud his shirt was)

When the show began, it wasn’t immediately clear that the fashions weren’t those created by the local designers. It turned out that the first part of the show was meant to highlight clothes available from merchants at City Centre Mall – for their own marketing purposes, though it may have been a little cheesy, it would have been better if an announcer was stating where each outfit could be purchased.

Retail showcase

Thankfully, the event MC did announce when the special dresses started rolling down the runway.

Dress by Trish Pasnak

Dress by Genette Salgado

Dress by Kelsey McIntyre

Dress by Cherie Howard

Our favourite, without a doubt, was the gown designed by Nomin Gantumur. Fitted and petite, the detail in the dress was exquisite.

Dress by Nomin Gantumur

Those interested can continue bidding for the dresses (and other goods and services donated by City Centre merchants) until June 30 (you can see the rest of our photo set here). Congratulations to the ACWS and City Centre Mall for organizing a great night for fashion and a good cause!

After the event, we walked over to Churchill Square to check out the opening night party of The Works.

The Works

Ian Johnston

OKA (the didgeridoo was great for the dancing crowd)

The Works is on until July 5. I know we’ll be back at least once more – I want to check out the coffee cup by Ben Sures.

Hope you’re able to enjoy this long weekend too!

Saturday in Edmonton

It was a great day to be in Edmonton this weekend – I’m not really a football fan, but the excitement in the city for Grey Cup weekend was palpable. It helps that where we live is right in the thick of things, but based on the numbers of people on the streets – tourists and residents alike were out in full force taking in one of our biggest events this year.

We started our Saturday at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market (which seemed to be emptier than usual, no doubt because of the festivities downtown), then wandered over to the Cosmopolitan Music Society, which was hosting the 9th Royal Bison Craft & Art Fair.

Inside the Royal Bison

There was some uncertainty earlier this year whether or not Royal Bison would continue, as founder Raymond Biesinger moved to Montreal, but thankfully, three of the artists/vendors saved the fair from demise. It’s such a great event – I love the unique products, but also the variety available.

Fun vinyl accessories by Majesty Inc.

Suitcase amps!

Beautiful jewellery by Saraswati

Omar Mouallem is multitalented – associate editor at Avenue Edmonton, he is also a writer and rapper

Sarah Jackson of A Jam Story was nice enough to tell us our love fortune (something we missed out on at the last ArtsScene event)

We picked up a few gifts, then zoomed back home, just in time to catch the Grey Cup parade just outside our building.

There were snowbirds

And cheerleaders

Mascots

And smile-inducing floats

Horses

And those that clean up after them

Our armed forces

And of course…a sea of green

I knew from attending an Eskimos game against Saskatchewan that Roughriders fans are rabid supporters of their team, but I really didn’t know how much until this weekend. It really was amazing to be a part of, if only for a few days. (You can check out Mack’s post on the parade here, and see the rest of his photos here.)

After ducking inside to warm up (funny how staying stationary in even mildly cold temperatures can be chilly), we wandered over to Huddle Town, centering on Churchill Square, to check out the festivities.

A football game in front of City Hall

It was really amazing to us how many people were outside wandering around, enjoying themselves, not minding the cold. We hear so often that being a winter city prevents more programming of events outdoors – and though I recognize that the weather was actually not too bad, to some extent, the “build it, and they will come” mantra seems to hold true.

The crowds

The Gridiron Zone, for example, held in the square just south of the Stanley Milner Library, is empty most of the year. One reason provided was that the concrete isn’t sound due to the parkade structure just underneath. Well, everything seemed fine this weekend – as the space hosted sponsor booths, and, what else – a bar.

Inside the Zone

Lines seemed to be the word of the day, however – besides the massive wait for the Zipline (please, please bring it back in the future!), there were lines to get into the Spirit of Edmonton, the Huddle Dome and even the tented sports bar by City Hall!

Lines everywhere

In spite of the waits, everyone was in such a good mood. We even got a random hug from a woman walking around with a huge “Rider Nation” flag!

Spread the love

There really was something for everyone though, and enough activities to keep crowds busy. The music at the outdoor stage kept things lively, and of course, food is never a bad thing. It was great to see Eva Sweet out so we could warm up with some hot waffles!

Fozzy with Chris Jericho

Eva Sweet (without a truck!)

Though I’m sure people didn’t come out for the free stuff, there was quite a bit of swag to be had, some more random than others (we took the can of baked beans, but we live nearby; who would want to carry it around with them?). My favourites were the Mardi Gras-inspired beads from the organizers of TigerTown and the Grey Cup bandana.

Mack with his swag!

For non-sports fans, Alberta House could have been a bit of a sanctuary, with a good variety of arts and culture programming. We finished off our tour of Huddle Town with a quick demo by Brad Smoliak, who used quick-cook barley from Progressive Foods to make a risotto (which also featured pecorino from The Cheesiry, and wild boar bacon from Hog Wild).

Brad Smoliak at work

The finished product (I’ve made it before, but never with bacon – it tastes so much better with bacon!)

Kudos to the organizers for such a great weekend! Hopefully it leads to even more events downtown in the winter.

Olde Time Fair on the Square 2010

Mack and I managed to catch the tail end of the Olde Time Fair on the Square at Churchill Square on Saturday afternoon, just before ducking off to Jane & Yi-Li’s wedding reception.

Churchill Square

The set-up seemed similar to last year, though it seemed most of the family-oriented activities had wrapped up for the day, with the exception of the always-popular petting zoo and hay rides. There were several food vendors were on-site (including Eva Sweet, Fat Franks and the Fork and Spoon Brigade) and even live entertainment.

Entertainment

Test your strength

Horses!

The big draw for us, of course, was being able to pick up some produce from the City Market vendors. As expected, the proportion of craft to food vendors was higher than during the regular season, but there were many familiar faces from the Market, including Medicine Man Bison, Green Valley Farm, Sunhill Gardens, Coal Lake Honey and Prairie Mill.

Inside the tent

Kuhlmann’s had the largest display by far, and probably the most inviting, if not only because most of the other vendors were in enclosed tents with much less natural light.

Kuhlmann’s

While I’m excited that the City Market is continuing until mid December in this way on Churchill Square, the limited number of food vendors would make it difficult to do the majority of my shopping. Moreover, as no list is published to let the public know who will be attending which market, heading to the Old Stratchcona Farmers’ Market just seems like the more efficient choice – at least until the City Market finds an official indoor home for the winter months!

Vendors

Regardless, I’m glad we were able take in the event – it’s always great to see a bustling downtown!

CommuniTEA Infusion Launch

One of the ideas that really resonated with me from Jim Diers’ talk back in November was the concept of “bumping places” – locations in the neighbourhood where residents could casually meet others – cafes, grocery stores, parks and the like. Some areas are undoubtedly more populated with such communal spaces than others, and Central McDougall, my adopted neighbourhood during the day, is not one of them.

So when Diers gave the example that night of a mobile meeting place, an ingenious van-turned-portable teahouse (complete with lawn chairs and fold-out overhead shade), I thought that was the perfect bridge to a more permanent solution. Even better, Diers shared that such a van was coming to the streets of Edmonton, courtesy of the Edmonton Learning Community.

A non-profit that works with people with developmental disabilities, the ELC had spearheaded the initiative with the support of the City, who helped purchase the vehicle. With some repairs and a colourful wrapped exterior, the CommuniTEA Infusion van was born (this slideshow provides more background on the project, from shots of the van pre-transformation to other shortlisted designs).

CommuniTea Infusion

The CommuniTEA Infusion van will be working closely with the Office of Great Neighbourhoods this summer in order to set up in communities targeted for revitalization – including Central McDougall.

Mack and I met up at Churchill Square this afternoon to attend the launch.

Councillor Sohi addresses the crowd

Serving up tea

Yes, that’s an iPod dock in the tea bar!

Mack enjoying his tea

Steeps Urban Teahouse sponsored the tea for this event, but the ELC is looking for more donations to support continued operations of the van.

Bravo to the Edmonton Learning Community and the City for this wonderful initiative. I’m already looking forward to the day the van stops by my neighbourhood!

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