Good Morning, Edmonton! ☀️

There is a touch of fall crispness in the air this morning, fitting for the first day of October!

In this edition, CFR week kicks off, news of how Edmonton’s skyline could be forever altered by plans from City Centre’s new owners, movement on an Edmonton-Calgary high speed train, Oktoberfest in the Ice District and so much more!

Finally, it’s opening night for the much-anticipated production of Fun Home from our friends and arts partner, NUOVA Vocal Arts! They’ve given our readers an exclusive $5 per ticket discount with the code RIVERCITY5! Click here to enjoy a night out at the theatre!

Have the most incredible end to your week!

—Eric

Opening Night Is Here!

After weeks of anticipation, NUOVA Vocal Arts opens Fun Home tonight at The Westbury Theatre, kicking off four performances through Sunday.

This is NUOVA’s first-ever fall production, bringing the five-time Tony Award-winning musical to Edmonton with a local cast led by Jaimi Reese, Doug Mertz, and Kim Mattice-Wanat. At just 80 minutes, it’s an intimate night of theatre filled with humour, memorable music, and a deeply personal family story.

Get out to see some of Canada’s top theatrical talent and support this amazing organization!

October 1–4 | The Westbury Theatre
Use code RIVERCITY5 for $5 off your ticket.

🎟️ Get your tickets here!

Edmonton Wins National Award for Wildfire Preparedness 🔥 The City of Edmonton has received a national award from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs for its wildfire prevention strategy, which includes thermal drones, environmental sensors, AI forecasting, vegetation management, prescribed burns, and FireSmart education for higher-risk neighbourhoods.

Edmonton–Calgary High-Speed Rail Moves Forward 🚄 Alberta is preparing to launch a formal process for private-sector proposals for a high-speed rail line linking Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. The proposed service could reach speeds of up to 320 km/h and cut downtown-to-downtown travel between Edmonton and Calgary to about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Construction Begins on New Shared Francophone School 🏫 Construction is underway on a new $91-million Francophone school in Edmonton that will house both public École l’Odyssée and Catholic École l’Envolée. The shared facility will serve 1,260 students in Grades 7–12, with each school keeping its own identity while sharing spaces including a library, gym, and career and technology classrooms.

Massive Data Centre Campus Proposed for Northeast Edmonton 💻 An American investment company is seeking planning changes that could pave the way for a large data centre campus in the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park. The proposal would shift about 250 hectares toward medium industrial use, while the City gathers public feedback and prepares for a broader debate over how large-scale data centres should be regulated in Edmonton.

Major Redevelopment Planned for Edmonton City Centre 🏙️ Westrich Pacific, new owner of City Centre. is considering a major overhaul that could include two 50-storey towers, 1,500 housing units, new retail and food concepts, and redesigned public spaces. The developer takes possession in November and hopes to unveil final plans in December.

🆓 The Carrot Toast & Jam (October 1) 🎶 The Carrot on Alberta Avenue hosts a casual live jam session from 11 AM–1 PM. It’s completely free to listen, with food and drinks available for purchase while you hang out and enjoy the music.

🆓 2026 Thanksgiving Festival (October 3) 🌾 This free multi-ethnic harvest celebration brings together cultural displays, traditional foods, fashion, literature, art, and music from around the world. The all-ages event runs from 1–4 PM.

🆓 Harvest Art + Book Fair (October 3–4) 📚 ArtsHub Ortona fills up with independent artists, writers, zines, bookshops, publishers, and community organizations for one of the weekend’s better free events. There will also be free panels and workshops, with the fair running from 11 AM–4 PM both days.

🆓 The Original Edmonton Witches Market (October 3–4) 🔮 Bellevue Community League hosts a fall market with around 40 vendors spread indoors and outdoors, featuring art, handmade goods, treats, and more. Admission is free.

🆓 Cinch Canadian Country Expo (October 6–7) 🤠 The Edmonton EXPO Centre hosts the free daytime hub of Canadian Finals Rodeo Week, with western vendors, activities, and competitions including barrel racing and team penning. October 7 also features youth rodeo events and Miss Rodeo Canada horsemanship.

🎟️ Fun Home (October 1–4) 🎭 NUOVA Vocal Arts brings the five-time Tony Award-winning musical based on Alison Bechdel’s acclaimed graphic memoir to The Westbury Theatre. The show blends humour, family, identity, and memory across different stages of Alison’s life. Use code RIVERCITY5 for $5 off tickets!

🎟️ Prairie Song Folk Club: Ben Sures + Matt Patershuk (October 1) 🎶 Alberta singer-songwriters Ben Sures and Matt Patershuk headline the Prairie Song Folk Club’s October show at Bison Lodge, with Adrienne Levay opening. The evening starts at 7 PM in one of Edmonton’s more intimate river valley venues. Tickets!

🎟️ Oktoberfest at ICE District (October 2) 🍻 ICE District Fan Park brings the traditional beer-hall atmosphere downtown for a ticketed Oktoberfest celebration starting at 5 PM, with drinks, food, music, and plenty of Bavarian-inspired festival energy. Get tickets here!

🎟️ Edmonton Oilers vs. Seattle Kraken (October 3) 🏒 The Oilers host the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place for a 5 PM NHL preseason matchup, making it one of the biggest sporting events happening in the city this week. We’ve got tickets here!

🎟️ Canadian Finals Rodeo (October 7) 🤠 The Canadian Finals Rodeo returns to Rogers Place, with Canada’s top rodeo athletes competing across eight events. October 7 marks Heritage Night and the opening performance of the 2026 championship, beginning at 6:30 PM. Tickets!

How the Canadian Finals Rodeo Became an Edmonton Tradition 🤠

With CFR Week kicking off, it’s worth looking back at just how deep Edmonton’s rodeo roots run. The city hosted its first major rodeo at the Edmonton Exhibition Grounds in 1951, and the very first Canadian Finals Rodeo followed in 1974 at Edmonton Gardens. It proved so popular that the event soon moved to the larger Northlands Coliseum.

CFR stayed in Edmonton through 2017, becoming one of the city’s signature fall traditions before returning in 2024 for its 50th anniversary at Rogers Place. That comeback drew more than 42,000 fans over four days and once again turned downtown into a Western celebration.

Today, CFR Week stretches well beyond the arena. More than 50 years after the first Finals, the city is still finding new ways to go Western. 🤠

Blackbyrd Myoozik 🎶 10442 82 Ave NW

Blackbyrd Myoozik has been part of Edmonton’s music scene since 1993, when it was founded by Arthur Fafard and musician Mark Davis. Its original location near the south end of the High Level Bridge even had a small stage that hosted artists including Corb Lund, Hayden, and Richard Buckner before the shop moved to Whyte Avenue in 1996.

Today, Blackbyrd is packed with new and used vinyl, CDs, turntables, accessories, and hard-to-find releases across just about every genre. The team can also special-order records, buy quality vintage vinyl, and has built a reputation around staff who actually know and care about music.

Whether you’re hunting for a specific pressing or just want to flip through records for an hour, it’s an Edmonton shop that still feels genuinely connected to the culture it’s built around. 👇

📸 @blackbyrdmyoozik
📍 10442 82 Ave NW
🕒 Check current hours before visiting