Good Morning, Edmonton! 🌞

Hopefully you’re taking in and loving every minute of these sunny days. It looks like today will be our last one for awhile…☔️

Next week is Canada Day so there is plenty to do and see. If you haven’t been out to any yet, the World Cup games in Ice District/Fan Park have been so fun to take in and enjoy.

Have a wonderful day, and enjoy this week’s River City Lights!

—Eric

A mysterious village. A once-in-a-century love story. One impossible choice.

NUOVA Vocal Arts brings Brigadoon to The Orange Hub Theatre from June 24–28, inviting audiences into a sweeping romantic fantasy set in the misty Scottish Highlands. When two travellers discover a village that appears for just one day every hundred years, love, tradition, and magic collide in a story filled with soaring melodies, timeless emotion, and unforgettable theatrical charm.

Performed by NUOVA’s exceptional musical theatre artists from across Canada, this reimagined production brings fresh energy and heart to a beloved classic.

Brigadoon runs June 24–28 at The Orange Hub Theatre.

🎟️ Get tickets here

Edmonton Could Break a 112-Year Rainfall Record 🌧️ Edmonton is already having its second-wettest June on record, with 203 mm of rain so far compared to a typical 70 mm. With another 30–60 mm possible this weekend, the city could pass the 1914 record of 216.5 mm, while saturated ground raises the risk of flooding, washouts, and infrastructure impacts.

Edmonton Grade 6 Students Raise $10K for Make-A-Wish ✨ Grade 6 students at A. Blair McPherson School raised $10,000 for Make-A-Wish through bake sales, candygrams, bottle drives, freezie sales, and raffles. The total is enough to help grant a wish for a child facing a critical illness. Great job, kids!

Oilers Hire Mike Babcock as Head Coach 🏒 The Edmonton Oilers have hired veteran coach Mike Babcock as their new bench boss, bringing him back to the NHL for the first time since 2019. Babcock said conversations with Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Zach Hyman, and team management made him excited about the opportunity, while also acknowledging that coaching styles need to evolve.

U of A Nursing Students Train With VR 🥽 Nearly 900 University of Alberta nursing students took part in a virtual reality pilot project simulating clinical challenges like overdoses, heart failure, labour, and mpox. The program lets students practise high-pressure decision-making without putting real patients at risk, and it’s expected to expand this fall.

Free Sports Equipment Lockers Pop Up Around Edmonton ⚽ The city has launched free self-serve sports equipment lockers in parks across the city, with basketballs, soccer balls, volleyballs, frisbees, footballs, bocce kits, and fitness packs available through the Equip Sport app. The pilot project is designed to make it easier for Edmontonians to get outside and play, with no credit card or gear bag required!

🆓 The Works Art & Design Festival (Until July 1st) 🎨 Explore free, family-friendly art installations, workshops, performances, artisan markets, and cultural experiences in Churchill Square. It’s an easy downtown stop for anyone looking to take in some creativity over the long weekend.

🆓 Love Out Loud Night Market (June 26th) 🌈 Celebrate Pride Month at the Alberta Aviation Museum with free entry, 85 vendors, artists, food trucks, flash tattoos, henna, and all-ages programming. Lively community atmosphere with plenty to browse, eat, and experience!

🆓 North American Cup Series: Lead & Speed (June 26–28) 🧗 Watch some of North America’s top sport climbers compete outdoors at Louise McKinney Riverfront Park. Attendance is free. It’s a rare chance to see high-level climbing competition right in the heart of Edmonton.

🆓 Free Shuttle to Elk Island + Backstage Bison Tour (June 27) 🦬 Take the free Parkbus shuttle from Edmonton to Elk Island National Park and spend the day hiking, picnicking, paddling, or wildlife watching. On June 27, riders can also join a special Backstage Bison Tour at the Plains Bison Handling Facility. Book your spot!

🆓 Canada Day at the Legislature + Fireworks (July 1) 🇨🇦 Start the day with a free pancake breakfast at the Alberta Legislature from 7–10 AM, followed by entertainment and family activities from noon to 5 PM. Then cap it off with fireworks over the River Valley and North Saskatchewan River at 11 PM.

🎟️ The Magical Music of Harry Potter (June 25–27) 🪄 Hear the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra bring music from all eight Harry Potter films to life at the Winspear Centre. With a live chorus joining the orchestra, it’s a magical night out for fans of the films and the music. Get your tickets.

🎟️ Ellen Froese Album Release Show (June 25) 🎶 Catch Ellen Froese’s Solitary Songs album release show at The Aviary, with special guests Luke Thomson & The Dogs and Aaron Parker. Expect a warm, cheeky night of country-folk from one of Saskatchewan’s standout singer-songwriters. Buy tickets here!

🎟️ Galaxyland After Dark (June 26) 🎡 Galaxyland turns up the energy with neon lights, a live DJ, unlimited rides, photo ops, and a late-night theme-park atmosphere. Tickets are $45 online or $50 at the door. Get tickets!

🎟️ Edmonton Riverhawks Theme Nights (June 27, June 30 + July 1) ⚾ The Riverhawks have a packed week at RE/MAX Field, including Country Night, Girls Who Ball Night / Toonie Tuesday, and Oh Canada on July 1. Baseball, music, dancing, theme-night fun, and a great view of the Canada Day fireworks! Tickets here.

🎟️ Freewill Shakespeare Festival: Something Rotten! (July 1–12) 🎭 The Freewill Shakespeare Festival opens Something Rotten! at Hawrelak Park’s Heritage Amphitheatre on July 1. It’s a great outdoor theatre option if you’re looking for something fun, clever, and festival-friendly. Tickets!

Before Canada Day Had Fireworks, Edmonton Had Tug-of-War 🪢

Back in 1884, one of Edmonton’s early Dominion Day (Dominion Day became Canada Day in 1982) gatherings looked a little different than today’s Canada Day celebrations.

The main event was a men’s tug-of-war between Edmonton and Big Lake, alongside horse races that were hugely popular in the district at the time. It was part civic holiday, part country fair, and part old-school showdown between neighbouring communities.

Edmonton’s exhibition tradition had only started five years earlier, in 1879, with livestock, grain, vegetables, and handiwork on display outside Fort Edmonton. So while you’re making Canada Day plans this week, picture early Edmonton marking the season with horse races, local pride, and a (very literal) pull between town and countryside.

Kadak Cafe 📍 6818 Ellerslie Rd SW

A new south Edmonton stop for chai, coffee, and Indian street eats has landed on Ellerslie Road. ☕

Kadak Cafe is a 100% vegetarian café serving everything from kadak chai and iced chai to chaat, wraps, burgers, pakodas, sandwiches, milkshakes, and late-night snacks.

It’s cozy, casual, and open late, making it a great pick for a coffee run that turns into full-on snacks and eats!

Visit them this week! 👇

📍 6818 Ellerslie Rd SW
📸 @kadakcafe.ca
🔗 kadakcafe.ca