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Things to do in Edmonton, Alberta.

Food & Drink

Fine Dining & Upscale

Bündok — Upscale wood-fired cooking with cocktails and wine; intimate atmosphere
Baijiu — Modern Chinese cuisine with creative cocktails and great atmosphere
RGE RD — Farm-to-table Alberta cuisine; locally sourced ingredients
Uccellino — Italian fine dining; handmade pasta
Three Boars Eatery — Charcuterie and small plates; cozy atmosphere
Bar Bricco — Wine bar with interesting bites; great for date night
Tzin Wine & Tapas — Spanish-inspired small plates and extensive wine list

Casual Dining

Duchess Bake Shop — French pastries, macarons, and croissants; lines out the door on weekends
Padmanadi — Vegan Indonesian cuisine; one of the best vegan restaurants in Canada
MEAT — BBQ and comfort food; meat sweats guaranteed
Cafe Bicyclette — French bistro in La Cité Francophone; excellent brunch
The Moth Cafe — Vegetarian/vegan comfort food in a cozy setting
Pip — Cocktails and interesting bites with patio on Whyte
Arbour — Must try the radishes
Bodega at Sabor — Spanish-inspired small plates and wine
La Petite Iza — Wine, cocktails, and interesting bites with patio
Oceania Grill — Great atmosphere and cocktails
Damso Izakaya — Japanese comfort food; 50% off Okonomiyaki on rainy days
The Buckingham — Vegan pub food with alternative music vibes

Cheap Eats

Bul Go Gi House — Korean BBQ; great value
Pagolac — Vietnamese; try the Seven Courses of Beef
Guru — Indian cuisine; excellent lunch buffet
Double Greeting Wonton House — Chinese; authentic and affordable
Commodore Chicken — Fried chicken with a cult following
Huma — Middle Eastern street food

Food Halls & Markets

Old Strathcona Farmer’s Market — Open Saturdays 8AM-3PM; local produce, baked goods, and crafts
City Market Downtown — Local vendors and food stalls
Happy Beer Street — Many of Edmonton’s best breweries in the same neighbourhood on 99 St

Coffee

Transcend Coffee — Local specialty roaster; multiple locations
Lock Stock Coffee — Cozy downtown spot; great pour-over
Iconoclast Coffee — Great space, great espresso; popular with creatives
Rogue Wave Coffee — Multiple locations; consistently excellent
Little Brick Cafe — Riverdale gem; great atmosphere
The Columbian — Multi-level café and event space
Credo Coffee — Relaxed neighbourhood spot
Sugarbowl — Café/bar atmosphere with patio; been around forever
Block 1912 — Historic Whyte Ave spot; look in the furniture drawers and cracks in the walls for hidden surprises

Bars & Nightlife

Downtown (North of River)

Fu’s Repair Shop — Speakeasy-style cocktails, interesting bites, patio
Double Dragon — Asian-inspired bar; cool DJs, dancing, great atmosphere
The Bower — Cool DJs and dancing; house music on Saturdays
Clementine — Always busy, nicest bathrooms in the city; $12 cocktails on Tuesdays
Bar Yarrow — Natural wines and cocktails with interesting bites
Alchemy — Craft cocktails, atmosphere, patio
Honi Honi Tiki Lounge — Tiki-themed cocktails; tropical escape
The Red Door — Speakeasy hidden in The Art of Cake; 7PM Fridays and Saturdays only
Ikki Sake Bar — Japanese-inspired cocktails, sake, and small plates
Rocky Mountain Ice House — Cocktails, live acts, great patio
The Starlite Room — Live music venue; DJs, dancing, indie shows
The Common — Dancing, DJs, live acts; fish n’ chips are remnant of Prairie Fish N Chips
CRAFT Beer Market — Most extensive craft beer selection in the city, huge venue, patio
Red Star Pub — Beer-forward, great patio
River City Revival — Beer-forward, live acts, pub fare
Evolution Wonderlounge — Edmonton’s only gay bar; dancing, DJs, live acts, karaoke
Naked Cyber Cafe — Free open stage Thursdays 7PM; MacEwan Jazz students Fridays 9PM

Whyte Ave (South of River)

O’Byrnes Irish Pub — Most consistently poppin dance floor on Whyte; live music, beer, patio
Blues on Whyte — Live blues music every night; legendary venue
Black Dog Freehouse — Three levels with different vibes; rooftop patio; live acts and DJs
Steel Wheels — Edmonton’s best dive bar; bring a sharpie to leave your mark
The Next Act — Beer, pub fare, patio; neighbourhood pub vibes
Union Hall — DJs, live acts, dancing; “free before 10PM with ticket reservation” shows
Yardbird Suite — Notable live jazz and blues; world-class performers
Soju — Korean-style karaoke bar with small private rooms
Cook County Saloon — For the real yeehaw experience; country dancing, pub fare
Duggan’s Boundary — Best Irish pub; authentic atmosphere, live acts
The Buckingham — Alternative music, punk shows; vegan pub food
Spotlight Cabaret — Live drag shows, karaoke, patio
Biera — Blind Enthusiasm brewery with great food and patio

Breweries

Blind Enthusiasm (Biera & Monolith) — Belgian-inspired ales with excellent food
Situation Brewing — Great beers and pizza on Whyte
Sea Change Brewing — Solid craft beers; taproom and patio
Bent Stick Brewing — Small-batch local brewery
SYC Brewing — Southside brewery with great IPAs
Alley Kat Brewing — Edmonton’s original craft brewery

Major Attractions

West Edmonton Mall — Largest mall in North America; 800+ stores, Galaxyland amusement park, World Waterpark with wave pool, ice rink, mini golf, escape rooms, aquarium
Fort Edmonton Park — Canada’s largest living history museum; costumed interpreters on recreated streets from 1846, 1885, 1905, and 1920
Royal Alberta Museum — Alberta’s history through exhibits; Syncrude Gallery of Aboriginal Culture, Wild Alberta, Natural History Gallery; free on Family Day and Alberta Culture Days
Art Gallery of Alberta — Modern architecture; Canadian and international art; free admission 4-7pm last Thursday of every month
Muttart Conservatory — Four iconic glass pyramids with three climate zones and rotating seasonal displays; accessible via Valley Line LRT
TELUS World of Science — Science exhibits, planetarium, and IMAX theatre; hosts “Adults Only” nights
Alberta Legislature Building — Beautiful Beaux-Arts architecture from 1911; free tours, wading pools in summer, skating rink with Christmas lights in winter
The Neon Sign Museum — Free outdoor collection of vintage neon signs along 104 Street

Outdoors

River Valley & Parks

North Saskatchewan River Valley — Largest urban parkland in North America (7,400 hectares—22 times Central Park); 160+ km of trails for walking, cycling, cross-country skiing
Hawrelak Park — Popular for festivals, picnics; skating and cross-country skiing in winter
Mill Creek Ravine — Beautiful trail for biking and walking through the city
Victoria Park — Picnic site in summer; make bannock and skate the oval in winter
Rundle Park — Golf course, trails, and toboggan hill
Terwillegar Park — Off-leash dog park; swimming in summer
Keillor Point — Formerly “The End of the World”; panoramic river valley views

Nature & Wildlife

Elk Island National Park — 35 minutes east; bison, elk, and dark sky preserve for stargazing; no entrance fee issues like Jasper/Banff
Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area — Hiking, wildlife viewing
Devonian Botanic Garden — U of A’s botanical garden; Japanese garden, nature trails
John Chicken/Gold Bar Park — River access for kayaking; urban beach vibes

Winter Activities

Rabbit Hill Snow Resort — Skiing/snowboarding; deal days on weeknights
Sunridge Ski Area — Skiing/snowboarding; deal days on Mondays
Snow Valley Ski Club — Skiing and snowboarding in the city
Edmonton Ski Club — Skiing, snowboarding, tubing; deal days on Tuesdays
Gallagher Park Hill — Best tobogganing in the city
Outdoor skating rinks — Victoria Park, Hawrelak Park, Legislature grounds; all free
Ice Castles (seasonal) — Frozen ice sculpture experience; usually in Hawrelak Park

Climbing

Wilson Climbing Centre — Climbing and bouldering
Boulders Climbing Gym — Bouldering-focused
Vertically Inclined — Rock climbing and yoga
Blocs Climbing — Southside bouldering gym

Swimming

Oliver Outdoor Pool — Swim and lounge, then grab ice cream at Kind or Made by Marcus
Queen Elizabeth Outdoor Pool — Heated outdoor pool
Mill Woods Recreation Centre — Wave pool and waterslides
Kinsmen Sports Centre — Lap swimming and leisure pool

Stargazing

U of A Astronomical Observatory — Free public stargazing Thursday nights
Elk Island Dark Sky Preserve — Best dark skies near the city
Aurora Borealis — Visible outside downtown from December to late February; head to Elk Island or rural areas

Culture & Entertainment

Museums & Galleries

Royal Alberta Museum — Alberta’s flagship museum
Art Gallery of Alberta — Contemporary and historical art
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village — Living history museum 45 minutes east; costumed interpreters
Alberta Aviation Museum — Vintage aircraft in a WWII-era hangar
Loyal Edmonton Regiment Military Museum — Military history

Live Music & Theatre

Citadel Theatre — Major theatre productions; one of Canada’s largest regional theatres
Winspear Centre — Edmonton Symphony Orchestra; stunning acoustics
Northern Jubilee Auditorium — Alberta Ballet ($40 last-minute student walk-up tickets), Edmonton Opera
Rapid Fire Theatre — Improv comedy; Friday night shows
Grindstone Theatre — Live acts; Sweat hosts nu-disco/dance parties every second Saturday
Blue Chair Café — Intimate live music venue
Midway Music Hall — Concert venue for touring acts
The Aviary — Arts and music venue
Metro Cinema — Independent, artsy, and classic films

Unique Experiences

Old Strathcona Antique Mall — Largest antique mall in Western Canada
Crankpots Ceramic Café — Paint pottery to take home; studio fee waived on weekdays
Stanley A. Milner Library — Community cooking classes (check for new postings at 4PM Fridays)
Edmonton Story Slam — 5-minute stories night (third Wednesday of every month)
Reuse Centre — Item swaps, free upcycling classes
Russian Tea Room — Get your fortune told with tea
Green Onion Cake Man — Meet him at local festivals; Edmonton icon
West Edmonton Mall Soundwave — Rave half-submerged in water (1-2 times per year)
Talus Balls — Giant metal spheres; take the 4 WEM Bus
RUST MAGIC Mural Map — Follow the mural trail around the city
Whyte Ave weird shops — Junque Cellar, Warp and Weft, and more

Board Game Cafés

Hexagon Board Game Cafe — Huge game library; play with friends or strangers
TableTop Cafe — Original board game café; extensive collection
Board N Brew Cafe — Beer-forward board game café

Dance

Sugar Swing Ballroom — Swing, tap, balboa, jazz, flamenco, house; social dance + lesson Fridays and Saturdays ($14-$16)
On the Rocks — Thursday salsa nights
Azucar Picante — Dancing, DJs, karaoke; free salsa lessons Saturdays at 9:30pm
FootNotes Dance Studio — Ballroom, Latin, and social dancing
Cuban Movements — Latin dance classes
ETown Salsa — Salsa and bachata classes

Festivals & Events

Summer

Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival (August) — Largest fringe festival in North America; ~1,000 performances over 11 days
Edmonton Folk Music Festival (August) — World-class four-day outdoor music festival; 80,000+ attendees
K-Days (July) — Summer fair with rides, concerts, and midway
Heritage Festival (August) — 60+ countries and cultures with food, dance, and crafts in Hawrelak Park
A Taste of Edmonton (July) — Sample food from 40+ restaurants at Churchill Square
Edmonton Pride Festival (June) — Large LGBTQ+ celebration and parade
Interstellar Rodeo (July) — Indie music festival at Hawrelak Park
Edmonton International Street Performers Festival (July) — Free street performances downtown

Winter

Ice Castles — Frozen ice sculpture experience
Flying Canoe Volant (February) — Winter festival in Mill Creek Ravine
Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival (January) — Winter activities on Alberta Avenue
Candy Cane Lane — Christmas light displays in Crestwood neighbourhood (free)

Year-Round

Punk Rock Flea Market — Periodic event
First Thursday Art Walk — Gallery hop downtown

Sports

Spectator Sports

Edmonton Oilers (NHL) — Rogers Place downtown
Edmonton Elks (CFL) — Commonwealth Stadium
FC Edmonton (CPL) — Clarke Stadium

Recreation

Edmonton Sport and Social Club — Sports leagues and tournaments
Van Vliet Complex — U of A fitness and recreation
Saville Community Sports Centre — Drop-in sports and programs
Running Room — Running groups and clinics
Bike Edmonton — Cycling advocacy and group rides
U of A Outdoors Club — Hiking, camping, skiing trips

Day Trips

Elk Island National Park — 35 min east; bison, elk, dark skies
Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village — 45 min east; living history museum
Jurassic Forest — 20 min north; animatronic dinosaurs in the forest
Alberta Beach / Lac Ste. Anne — 1 hour west; lake beach
Jasper National Park — 3.5 hours west; mountains and glaciers
Banff National Park — 4 hours southwest; iconic Rocky Mountain scenery

Resources

Taproot Edmonton — Local news and newsletter
EDify Magazine — Edmonton’s culture and events calendar
r/Edmonton — Reddit community for local recommendations
Vue Weekly — Alternative weekly with event listings
Explore Edmonton — Official tourism site