There is so much happening this weekend! The Edmonton area is gearing up for Easter, with a bunch of Easter events, plus there are a handful of concerts and plays you don’t want to miss.
There is also a collection of festivals and shows for you to browse, but if participating rather than observing is more your style, we have a few ideas there, too.
World Poetry Day
[Friday] If you appreciate a well put-together couplet or stanza, head to a bookstore or your local library to pick up a volume by your favourite poet, then head out to a local park and soak up the sunshine, or to a pleasant café or bistro to enjoy it.Easter Events
[Saturday] The Strathcona Museum and Archives is hosting two Pysanky in the Park workshops throughout the day on Saturday, where you can roll up your sleeves and learn to paint pretty Pysanky Easter eggs. [Saturday] In addition, the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts (ACUA) is holding their annual Easter Market. Pick up handmade artisinal goods, baked goodies, and of course, pysanka. [Sunday] Rutherford House’s Easter Eggstravaganza, where you can stroll through the historical home, enjoy freshly baked cookies and mingle with the Easter Bunny.On Stage
There are some fabulous performances to check out this weekend.
[Friday, Saturday, Sunday] If you love prestidigitation, then head over to Festival Place in Sherwood Park to immerse yourself in the wonder of the Champions of Magic, where the magic happens on the stage, and among the audience, too! [Saturday] The Sawmill Restaurant is staging their Supper Club Burlesque Cabaret where you can enjoy a three course meal, while dancers from House of Hush entertain with their live cabaret. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] Enjoy hits such as “The Hills are Alive” and “Do-Re-Me” in a new stage production of the classic The Sound of Music at the Citadel Theatre. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] Or, instead, relive the wonder of The King himself, at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre, where award-winning impersonator Matt Cage will send you down memory lane while you enjoy a sumptious meal, in his One Night with the King show. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] A quieter but comedic performance, Robot Girls at the Varscona Theatre is a highly local production about the coming of age of four young women. The play is set here in Edmonton, written by a local author and staged by a local company. The Saturday matinee is a pay what you can performance. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] For an screamingly funny evening of music and good food, Jubiliations Dinner Theatre is hosting Top Gunn: A Maverick Musical that is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the well-known movie franchise. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] The Alberta Ballet’s Hansel & Gretel is a family-oriented performance at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium, that runs for this weekend only. If you love ballet, don’t miss out.Sporting Events
A very mixed bag of sports events!
[Friday] Unified 56 features Canada’s top Mixed Martial Arts promotion, which returns to the River Cree Resort and Casino. [Friday] While at the Midway Music Hall, Top Talent Wrestling showcases some of the best pro wrestlers in Alberta. [Sunday] Edmonton’s Oil Kings face off against the Red Deer Rebels at the premium hockey venue, Rogers Place, in a late afternoon game.In the Garden
It’s never too early to start planning for your garden this summer.
[Friday, Saturday, Sunday] The Orchid Society of Alberta is holding their annual Orchid Fair at the Enjoy Centre in St. Albert, all through the weekend. [Sunday] At the Alberta Avenue Community Centre, you can participate in seed swaps at the Edmonton Seedy Sunday. The event will also feature speakers and presentations, and hot food will be available.Music
Edmonton’s profile as a hub for local music, and a destination for international talent remains intact with this weekend’s lineup.
[Friday] AV & the Inner City is an all-female soul/roots group which was awarded an Emerging Artist Award based on their performances at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, despite not having a single recording to their name. Don’t miss this single live performance. [Friday] Bywater Call, a powerhouse 7-piece Southern Soul, Roots Rock band out of Toronto, are appearing for a single blues concert at the MacLab Centre. [Friday] In the last of only two performances this month, Candlelight Concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations. Discover the music of Coldplay and Imagine Dragons at Pioneers Cabin under the gentle glow of candlelight. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] The Theory of Relativity is a musical that explores how young adults, searching for human connection, deal with their personal feelings and situations and, as well, how they develop communities based on their shared experiences. Says one reviewer, the musical is a “…successful recipe for the spectacular song cycle.” [Saturday, Sunday] Calgary’s rising star, Kevin Chen, winner of the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition (2021) and the Concours de Genève (2022), returns to the Winspear stage to play Beethoven’s thrilling and popular Emperor Piano Concerto. There will be a Prelude presentation before the Saturday evening concert, with a talk by musicologist D.T. Baker.Other Events
Don’t miss these!
[Friday, Saturday] Catch the last two days of Edmonton’s International Beerfest. If you’re partial to the frothy beverage, head over to the Convention Centre and sample hundreds of beers from around the world, eight bands, roving entertainment (stilt walkers, magicians, street performers), two stages with live entertainment, BeerSchool and so much more. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] For the creepy-inclined, Fort Edmonton Park are holding their after dark Paranormal Tours over the weekend, when you can explore the park and learn the fundamentals of conducting paranormal investigations using various tools and techniques including Echovox, Spirit Box, Motion Detectors, Recording Devices, Laser Grids and EMF Readers. [Friday, Saturday, Sunday] The Immersive Disney Animation at Edmonton EXPO is in its second week. Experience the best of Disney from its earliest films through to today’s wonderful movies and more. [Saturday] The Edmonton Short Film Festival is holding a Mobile Device Filmmaking Workshop, where you can learn the art of making compelling content with nothing more than your cellphone. [Saturday, Sunday] The Edmonton Stamp Club are holding their Spring National Show, which will be officially opened by Edmonton Mayor, Amarjeet Sohi. The theme this year is “150th Anniversary Of The Universal Postal Union”. Browse the offerings of 15 dealers from across Western Canada, watch presentations, and, if you have a stamp collection of your own, take advantage fo the free stamp appraisals. [Saturday, Sunday] Telus World of Science is holding the opening weekend of their new Dinosaurs—The Exhibition, featuring dinosaurs from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods. This weekend only, you can mingle with real paleontologists.————
Check our event listings for even more to do and see this weekend!
