2nd Annual Al Fresco 104 Street Block Party

We had every intention of returning to 104 Street in the early evening to check out the Block Party festivities (including the wine tasting, fashion show, and yoga demonstration), but after our weekly trip to the City Market that morning and a few hours at the office, relaxing at home with a glass of wine before heading out for that night’s 10pm movie screening was just what I needed (both Chris and Sarah wrote about the Block Party happenings, so I was able to see what I missed).

Armed with our camping chairs, we reached 104 Street at around 9:30, which gave us enough time to wander before showtime. A DJ was on hand to add to the celebratory atmosphere, and yes, a few in the crowd were dancing in the street! Some of the vendors from the City Market were still open (Fridget and Sugar Soul hats, among them), and the patios that had been set up for the dinner hour were, not surprisingly, packed.

Vendors

Blue Plate Diner’s patio

In terms of food, Sabor Divino was grilling up a storm with their chicken piri piri, while Daniel Costa of Red Star had a crostini bar open for those seeking lighter fare.

Outdoor barbecue

Kerstin’s Chocolates had a table also, fitting as the movie being shown that night was Chocolat. In addition to their Chocophilia bars, they were also selling one of their hotly-anticipated bacon and chocolate truffles, featuring bacon peanut brittle (instead of Berkshire bacon, they are using a hickory-smoked bacon from Sandy Lane this year). Cyrus was kind enough to give me one to try – the peanut butter flavour was definitely the predominant one, and though I was hard pressed to locate the bacon flavour, I can’t say that was entirely a bad thing – I still haven’t been completely won over by the bacon + chocolate combo.

Kerstin’s Chocolates table

Bacon Brittle Peanut Butter Truffle covered in chopped peanuts

Nearing 10pm, we didn’t see any evidence of a screen being set up on 104 Street. We finally asked, and were directed to the small parking lot sandwiched between the Great West Saddlery Building and the Armstrong Block. Given our biggest quibble with last year’s screening was the distraction of revellers more interested in talking than watching, this was the perfect spot located away from the outdoor patios. As the Block Party was organized as a fundraiser, however (this year benefiting the Edmonton School Lunch Program), I wished someone was out deliberately collecting money. While the silent auction run by deVine’s continues for the next week, I would have rather have deposited cash in a box to support the cause.

Outdoor movie theatre

We did enjoy ourselves though. Chocolat is a great movie, and even more so in a novel setting on one of Edmonton’s most vibrant streets on a cool summer night.

Screen after dark

I really hope this becomes an annual tradition!

2010 Highlands Street Festival

I think street festivals – an event to highlight area businesses, to create a gathering space for neighbours and others, and to, in other words, celebrate a neighbourhood – are fantastic. Alberta Avenue’s Kaleido Festival (commemorating their fifth anniversary in 2010) and the East Meets West Festival (put on by Little Italy and Chinatown) are great examples of neighbourhood festivals.

When I stumbled upon details about the Highlands Street Festival (organized by the Highlands Community League) in a recent E-SAGE newsletter, I was surprised to read that this would be the fifth incarnation of the event. Centering at 112 Avenue and 65 Street, business, musicians and artists would be highlighted. Mack and I made plans to check it out after our weekly trip to the City Market on Saturday.

Between the abysmal weather, and an ETS bus completely passing us by at our stop, getting to Highlands was a bit harrowing. We eventually made it though, and found that thankfully, the festivities had continued in spite of the downpour.

Welcome to Highlands!

Festival central

Poor puppies

Most of the activities were relegated indoors. We started at Mandolin Books and Coffee Company, where a musician was entertaining a small crowd. We also happened to run into one of our old high school principals, who not only grew up in Highlands, but resides there still now. She’s been attending the festival since it began five years ago.

Inside Mandolin

We stopped in Sabrina Butterfly Designs and Chickies, a charming little antiques store. While we didn’t buy anything, it was the first time either of us had been inside these shops. The storekeepers were friendly, and very open to people just passing through to take a look.

Inside Sabrina Butterfly Designs and Chickies

Lovely connecting yard

I was most looking forward to visiting the retail location of Catfish Coffee, which just opened at the beginning of April (you can also buy their coffee every Saturday at the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market, and at Mandolin down the street). The shop is clean and spacious, with a full view of the roasting machine, and set up on that day with carafes of all of their coffee varieties available for patrons to sample (with collected donations going towards the 2011 Highlands Beautification Project).

Catfish Coffee

Roasting machine

Though the owners aren’t able to run a full-scale cafe in the space, it was set up that way on Saturday, complete with music provided by Kristilyn Robertson.

Enjoying the ambiance

It was great to chat with the staff (they’re hoping to extend their retail hours over the summer). Of course, we couldn’t leave without picking up a bag of coffee too – the Guatemalan Highlands variety seemed fitting.

Though I’ve been to Culina Highlands a few times, this was my first trek through its neighbouring businesses. I was glad to have the excuse of the Highlands Street Festival to do so! I’ll be sure to look for it next year.

Come One, Come All: Freewill Shakespeare Festival Picnic Contest

The Freewill Shakespeare Festival (formerly known as the River City Shakespeare Festival) is one of Edmonton’s most popular summer events, presenting live theatre at the Heritage Amphitheatre at Hawrelak Park. There’s nothing quite the same as taking in a play outdoors on a warm evening – between the story and the venue, I find I’m easily transported elsewhere, ushered away on a cloud of beautiful language and the calm of night.

The 2010 incarnation of the festival will see, as with every year, a comedy and a tragedy: Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth will be returning to the stage. It looks like Macbeth is getting a Cold War-era makeover, and with James MacDonald at the helm, it’s sure to be a powerful production.

This year, in an effort to reiterate the outdoor nature of the shows, the Festival has come up with a novel way of combining two of my favourite things: theatre and food.

FREEWILL Foodie Picnic Contest

Calling all foodies! The FREEWILL Shakespeare Festival is thrilled to partner with Sunterra Market in the search for the perfect picnic to bring down to the park this summer.

Post your perfect picnic details on the FREEWILL Facebook page, or include it in a post on your personal blog, to enter to win a great prize pack including: two Festival Passes, a $100 gift certificate to Sunterra Market, and reserved picnic seating on the date of your choice. Marianne Copithorne, Freewill Artistic Director, and John Kirkpartrick, Guest Director, will be judging the contest.

All entries must include the opening line:

“The FREEWILL Shakespeare Festival celebrates its 22nd season, June 29 – July 25 at the Heritage Amphitheatre in Hawrelak Park. My dream picnic from Sunterra Market…”

Entries must be posted to the FREEWILL Facebook page no later than 4:00 PM on June 28, 2010. If you are posting on a personal blog, please paste the URL link to the post on the FREEWILL Facebook page or email the link prior to the closing date.

I think this contest is a great way to remind people that the Freewill Shakespeare Festival is an opportunity to have a different night out – not only to take in wonderful productions in a beautiful setting, but also to make it a full experience with your favourite nibbles and snacks.

I look forward to seeing your picnic basket creations!

Ice on Whyte 2010

Mack and I finally attended Ice on Whyte today, twice in fact. We stopped by this afternoon on our way home, dutifully paying our $2 admission and joined a crowd of adults and young families at Festival Park in Old Strathcona.

At Festival Park

We took our time admiring the ice sculptures, all of which had already been adorned with prize ribbons in both artists’ and people’s choice categories. Mack and I both liked “stretched” – an adult and baby giraffe, complete with frosted spots on their clear ice flesh.

“aquarium”

“stretched”

We then walked over the ice bridge to the castle, which, unlike in previous years when I have visited, was complete with ice furnishings! The fountain was particularly neat, where patrons had moulded coins into its surface.

Would you like some ice?

Cooling his hands at the fireplace

Freezing coins into the fountain

The ice maze was probably better left to those under three feet. Though the entryway was accessible to anyone standing over five feet tall, the only through exit was via a small crawl-hole. It’s a kid’s world out there!

Inside the maze

The ice slide was the most popular attraction that afternoon, with adults and kids alike lining up to race each other down the frosty decline on a crazy carpet. It looked like fun, but after my clumsy mishap a few years ago, I avoided a potential repeat tumble.

Even though it was the last day of the festival, several ice carvers were still on site working on various sculptures. It was –19 with the windchill this afternoon, but the carvers did not look like the cold bothered them in the least.

Hard at work

Following dinner this evening, we returned to Festival Park to see the sculptures illuminated at nightfall. I’d never been to Ice on Whyte after dark before, but I was glad we took the time to do so – there was a different vibe on the grounds – it was more relaxed and peaceful somehow.

“aquarium” after dark

“branching out”

Ice bridge

Besides sculpture viewing and the ice slide, there was a blues concert going on in the small indoor venue. As with all festivals, it’s nice to see Ice on Whyte expanding and offering different events.

Whee!

Make sure to check out Ice on Whyte next year, or if you can’t wait that long – the next Winter Light event is Hearts of Fire on February 13 at the Boyle Street Park.

You can see Mack’s photoset here.

Mispon Winter Light Gala 2010

I was really excited to attend the kick-off event of this year’s Winter Light festival, Mispon Gala (mispon is “it’s snowing” in Cree). Based on last year’s evening of entertainment and food, I thought things could only get better, with Winter Light now in it’s second year.

Before entering City Hall, I walked past Churchill Square, expecting to find some outdoor activities similar to the previous year such as fire pits, light and lantern installations, or a snow maze. Unfortunately, the Square was bare.

All of the evening’s activity was concentrated at City Hall. Three fire pits had been set up around the ice rink, with some braving the cold playing around on the ice as we were leaving, but for the most part, everyone was indoors.

Outside City Hall

The ceremonies had just started when I arrived, with several festival event organizers taking their turn at the microphone to introduce their respective projects. After that, the audience was treated to a performance by Kristine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque – a cheeky, reverse burlesque that had the dancers pulling on layers of clothing. It was somewhat amusing, but not my cup of tea.

Krstine Nutting’s Warm Up Burlesque

To end off the night, Johnny Quazar and the Swingbots provided the musical backdrop as NAIT catering dished out comforting plates of food, including Big Rock Winter Spice Ale glazed meatballs and maple baked beans with sourdough crostini. Our favourite actually turned out to be the honey-scented bannock with Saskatoon marmalade – the bannock was sweet, with a lovely consistency similar to a scone.

Johnny Quazar and the Swingbogs

Bannock and Baked Beans

I was a little disappointed festival organizers didn’t go the route chosen last year – offering free hot chocolate to those who brought a reusable mug (I realize I should have brought a container for the food samples as well). I do think, however, that the more festivals remind us to bring containers with us, the better – it will eventually become habit.

In the City Room

As a whole, I was expecting more of the gala – more people, more excitement, more festivities. The tone seemed restrained this year, and as Mack noted, the lack of outdoor activities (for a festival that celebrates the cold season) was unfortunate. I am still looking forward to some of the upcoming events though, such as Ice on Whyte and the Silver Skate Festival. Check the website for more details.

Meet the Locals Food Festival

On Thursday night I headed out to Planet Organic in Old Strathcona to take in their first ever Meet the Locals Food Festival.

Meet the Locals Food Festival

Meet the Locals celebrates local food producers and manufacturers, and is deliberately set during a time when some believe local food production stops – the organizers wanted to draw attention to homegrown food that is available seasonally and year round. And as Planet Organic locations in Edmonton stock about three dozen products from area companies, they definitely have a strong base to draw from.

Grainworks display

The festival has two components: tasting tables and cooking demonstrations. On that night, six local companies were on hand providing customers with product samples. I had the chance to try some elk from Shooting Star Ranch (so incredibly tender), flatbreads made with wholesome and filling lentil, chickpea and whole wheat flour by Rio Vita, fresh bagels from Henderson Bagels, hummus and spanakopita (still warm) from Supreme Georgio’s Fine Foods, and chocolate from Kerstin’s Chocolates.

Rio Vita Flatbreads

I also had the chance to chat with Emily from Mighty Trio Organics, a company located near Redwater that produces cold-pressed, unrefined hemp, flaxseed and canola oils. I was particularly interested in the canola oil, which is made from GMO-free canola sourced from a farm twenty minutes away from them. Though I have heard the term “cold-pressed” before, I didn’t really know what it meant – Emily explained that when manufacturing the oil, cold-pressed oil is not heated to beyond 40 degrees Celsius, preserving the essential nutrients in the oil. She poured me a bit of oil to sample, and I was blown away by it – orange in colour, more viscous than conventionally-made oil, and possessing a slightly floral aroma, it tasted richer and unlike any canola oil I have tried before. I would imagine that like most high-quality products, I would end up using less of this oil in cooking. They didn’t have the oil in stock that day, but I will be heading back soon to pick up a bottle for myself.

I also stayed on for the first of two cooking demonstrations by Madison’s Grill Executive Chef Blair Lebsack.

Blair Lebsack

Blair’s commitment to supporting local farms was apparent throughout his forty-five minute class, as he talked about personally visiting all of the farms that supply products to Madison’s Grill. On the menu, besides the Sylvan Star Cheese gouda, apple-pear compote and crackers, were a spinach and radish salad with goat yogurt dressing and a bacon cassoulet topped with bison sirloin.

His meal utilized no less than eight local products, including Fairwinds Farm yogurt, Alley Kat Raspberry Mead, black eyed peas from Grainworks, bacon from TK Ranch and bison from Olson’s High Country Buffalo.

The dressing on the spinach salad was superb, and it was just a simple combination of vanilla goat yogurt and sherry vinegar. I also had to commend Blair on his attention to detail – prior to the start of the cooking class, he removed all of the stems from the baby spinach leaves. When an attendee asked why he was doing that, he explained that it made the salad easier to eat, and negated the potential hazard of a diner getting spinach stuck in their teeth. The restaurant would then use the stems for purees to ensure that nothing was wasted.

Spinach and Radish Salad with Goat Yogurt Dressing

He also incorporated what he believed to be under-utilized vegetables into the meal – radishes in the salad and celery root in the cassoulet. I have to say that my favourite part of the cassoulet wasn’t the vegetables or the beans, but the bison striploin that topped it. With a sprinkle of salt to finish, it was a perfect bite of steak.

Cassoulet with Bison Striploin

As Meet the Locals is taking place once a week for three months, you still have a chance to check it out in December and January. And until then, although farmers’ markets are great places to shop and interact directly with food producers every week, it’s hard to beat the convenience of a store like Planet Organic that offers local products seven days a week.

Meet the Locals Food Festival at Planet Organic, 7917-104 Street
Continues December 14-20 and January 11-17
Tasting Tables: Monday-Friday 3-6pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-4pm
Cooking Demonstrations: December 14 and January 11 at 6:30pm with Julianna Mimande, co-author of We Eat Together; December 17 and January 14 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm with Gail Hall of Seasoned Solutions; January 16 at 6:30pm and 7:30pm with Sebastian Lysz of Relish Culinary Consulting

October in Edmonton is for Halloween!

Dedmonton, Canada’s Halloween Festival, runs this month. I’ve mentioned some events included under the festival’s umbrella, but for more, check out the website for a great calendar of Halloween-related events.

The fifth edition of Pecha Kucha, Edmonton Next Gen’s popular series showcasing everything from design, art and sustainability will take place at the Myer Horowitz on October 2. Mack wrote about the last incarnation here.
On October 2-4, the fifth annual Pure Speculation Festival will celebrate science fiction and fantasy. Some of the sessions look like they will be fun, like a tongue-in-cheek session on zombie preparedness.
The Edmonton Film Society’s Fall 2009 series, Kings of Cool, continue on October 5. Screenings of these classic films are just $5, and run nearly every Monday at 8pm.
Edmonton commemorates 20 years of Read In October 5-9.
Did you miss the last Edmonton Tweetup in September? Not to worry, you have another opportunity on October 6 to meet up with other Twitter users, this time at Ceili’s.
A family friendly way to celebrate Oktoberfest is taking place on October 6 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra – sing along with “Bavarian alpine music” and even learn how to yodel! With Robert Bernhardt as the conductor, it’s almost guaranteed to be a fun night.
Joining an Edmonton Ghost Tour is a great way to spend the evening, offered October 12-29 this month. I went on one years ago, and it was an entertaining ride, particularly around the Halloween season.
Music Wednesdays at Noon continue at the McDougall United Church on October 14, 21 and 28.
DedFest: Hellberta’s Horror Festival, showcases the best in independent horror cinema October 15-18.
The 17th annual Edmonton Scarecrow Festival rolls into Northlands Park October 16-18. All funds raised go to ABC Headstart.
The 2009 North of Nowhere Expo: Festival of Independent Media & Underground Art is a non-profit activist-arts festival and runs October 16-31 at the Edmonton Public Library and Metro Cinema.
ChangeCamp asks the question, “How do we re-imagine government and citizenship in the age of participation?” Join other engaged citizens at Lister Hall on October 17 to discuss answers to that question.
To mark the worldwide celebration of Home Movie Day on October 17, the Stanley Milner Library is hosting an event where you can chat with archivists about preserving your home movies, and stay for screenings.
A cool event is coming to Edmonton for the first time on October 17 – Timeraiser is a unique event that merges a volunteer fair with a silent art auction. As a means of enticing young people who are looking for a way to explore volunteer options, attendees are able to bid on artwork with their time instead of money. I’m eager to see this in action.
Need a reason to go for a stroll? How about the 124 Street Fall Gallery Walk? On October 17-18, at least seven galleries and area businesses participate in this biannual event that showcases local artists.
The Pop Culture Fair, featuring the “world’s most popular collectibles” is on October 18 at the Mayfield Inn Trade Centre.
LitFest, Canada’s only festival dedicated to creative nonfiction, runs October 21-25. Their theme this year is “Brain Food”, and though it has a more metaphorical meaning, they do have one event intertwined with food (Savouries pairs appetizers with readings).
After October 17, the Edmonton Corn Maze is transformed into the Farm of Fear. Check it out October 21-24 and 28-31. Though I’ve never been (I don’t think I could handle it), as it is “not recommended for young children”, I think it’s safe to say peeled-grapes-as-eyes are out of the picture.
It’s a play I’ve been waiting to be remounted for years – turns out, patience pays off. The Bone House, Marty Chan’s thriller revolving around the hunt for a serial killer, returns to the TransAlta Arts Barns October 22 –November 7. I’ve written about how that was the play that introduced me to the city’s theatre scene – I can’t wait to see it again.

Enjoy your October!

Edmonton Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2009

I met up with my sister and a few of her friends last Thursday for the fall/winter incarnation of Edmonton Fashion Week.

Serendipity by Kelsey McIntyre

The final night of the weeklong celebration of fashion saw a mix of seasonally appropriate, cold weather wear, alongside optimistic, albeit out of place, spring lines. Although I appreciate that the organizers provide designers with seemingly free reign when it came to exhibiting their collections, I think some control should be exerted – otherwise, the show comes off as disjointed and inconsistent.

More than other Fashion Week shows I have attended in the past, the age range of the audience varied widely this time around – from families with young children, to groups of teenage girls, to clusters of retirees. I think it’s great that such diverse individuals decided to attend the event.

I have to also make mention that I loved the music played that night. And probably because of being trained after numerous seasons of The Hills, I almost expected (and wanted) a continuous listing of the the evening’s soundtrack.

As for the collections themselves, Kelsey McIntyre and Jason Matlo stood out the most for me, although for different reasons. I was happy to have had the opportunity to see McIntyre’s Serendipity collection again (she also exhibited in the spring), and as previous, I could definitely see myself wearing her designs – fitted pants, feminine but practical sweaters, and flirty skirts. And oh, the dresses…

Serendipity by Kelsey McIntyre

Matlo’s shows (he had two) got off to an odd start. Instead of letting the collections speak for themselves, he felt the need to project choice words up on the backdrop, such as “chic”, “classy” and “sexy”, prior to his first model hitting the catwalk. Form-fitting, Babe by Jason Matlo definitely displayed his appreciation of the female figure.

Babe by Jason Matlo

His second showcase wasn’t notable so much for the clothes, but for his choice of models, which included the runner up in this past season of Canada’s Next Top Model, Linsay Willier. As someone commented, her air of confidence was unmistakable. Although she wasn’t necessarily much taller than her fellow models, she definitely seemed to be.

Linsay Willier wearing Jason Matlo

The other three collections didn’t really appeal to me, although Lani Van Rooyen had some show stopping gowns (why the models had to walk like they were jilted brides was another issue entirely). Amanda’s favourite outfit of the night was by Laura Dreger, which featured a leopard print coat, leggings, and a Starbucks cup as an accessory (you can read more about her thoughts about fashion at her blog).

Lani Van Rooyen

Laura Dreger (not Amanda’s favourite outfit, but another leopard print one)

Edmonton Fashion Week Spring/Summer will be returning in April – check the website for updates in the spring.

Thanks to Amanda and Eric for taking all of the photos – you can take a look at the photo set here.

Stage a Revolution: Day 11

Our last day at this year’s Fringe was short and sweet – two plays nearly back-to-back, which, given that the skies threatened rain all day, meant that the prospect of getting drenched waiting in line was somewhat lessened.

We started the afternoon off at a new Fringe venue – The Laugh Shop – to see The Art of Being a Bastard. Set-up cabaret style not unlike the Yardbird Suite (which I similarly don’t like), the hodgepodge of chairs and tables wasn’t an ideal theatre. The play, one of two written by Matt Alden this year, was another very contemporary look at life, this time out of the lens of three shy twenty-somethings who wished they had more luck with the ladies. It was an enjoyable hour, though it did take a while to get going. The three actors kept up with the fast-paced production very well, juggling multiple characters and visibly sweating after a few of the frantic side-scenes (Mack in particular enjoyed the rap number, while I loved the Saturday Night Fever nod). It was another light, fun play that I imagine was written specifically for the Fringe, but of the two I watched in this category, Space was better.

Our last play this year was David Belke’s A Final Whimsy. Watching Belke’s yearly offering (this year marked his twentieth festival) has become a tradition for me. Whimsy focused on two sisters rehearsing a song for their father’s upcoming wedding, and needing to hash out some of the mysteries surrounding their mother’s departure from their young lives. Although the church setting was appropriate given the context of the play, the echoing acoustics made the dialogue hard to follow sometimes, particularly when the conversations were heated. That said, the vaulted ceilings worked for the musical portions of the show, with Andrea House’s rendition of “All I Have to Do is Dream” being the delightful standout. In all, it was a sweet story about family and what people will do to protect each other from painful truths.

Because the shows I wanted to see all scheduled themselves so well this year I didn’t end up spending that many days on the grounds. For that reason, it felt like I could have seen twice as many productions as I did. Of course, although the Fringe ended today, there are still opportunities to catch several popular shows that have been held over – check out the schedule here.

Thanks for a great Fringe! I am looking forward to next year already.

East Meets West Festival

After a trip to the City Centre Market (after a few busy weekends and the Fringe, I think I was going through withdrawal), Mack and I walked over to Chinatown to check out the first East Meets West Festival.

We weren’t sure what to expect – the grassroots committee had put together the festival as a means to promote the Chinatown and Little Italy neighbourhoods – but if anything, we were happy that the event seemed to attract locals that perhaps wouldn’t otherwise set foot in the area.

Lion Dance

We arrived just on time for the opening lion dance, and ended up wandering up 97th Street which had been closed to traffic. As Mack noted, the tables were too spread out and sporadic, and there was a definite lack of food vendors (food smells are half the reason outdoor fairs attract crowds). Still, knowing that this is hopefully the first of many such festivals, I’m sure it will be much improved next year.