Cariwest Festival ladies dancing on Jasper Avenue parade

Top Downtown Festivals

From parades to film fests, add these celebrations to your calendar

Winteruption

January
Winteruption YEG is a multi-venue music and arts festival rolls taking place at multiple venues in Downtown Edmonton: The Starlite Room, Temple, Freemasons Hall, Downtown Edmonton Community League, The Cask & Barrel, Rocky Mountain Icehouse and Station on Jasper. In addition to inside events, Winterruption will also feature a number of free outdoor activities in the Downtown core.

Downtown Dining Week

March
Get to know Downtown Edmonton’s dining scene during Downtown Dining Week by enjoying specially priced lunch, brunch and dinner menus at dozens of participating restaurants.

Edmonton Jewish Film Festival

May
Head to Landmark Cinemas in City Centre Mall for Edmonton Jewish Film Festival screenings of new films that celebrate Jewish culture, identity and history.

Edmonton Poetry Festival

Spring
From entertaining spoken word performances to lively slam poetry competitions, to wine and poetry pairings, to heartfelt readings, to informative workshops, there’s plenty to learn and discover at the Edmonton Poetry Festival.

TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival

Last week of June
Hang out and enjoy the sounds of jazz music performed by local and international artists. From formal venue performances to casual outdoor concerts, at TD Edmonton International Jazz Festival there’s a show for every mood and taste.

Animethon

June
If you’re interested in animation, illustration, manga, or Japanese pop-culture, you won’t want to miss Animethon. Dress up in cosplay and browse artists booths, attend panel discussions and shop for collectables. Even if you’re not attending, hang around outside the Edmonton Convention Centre and you’ll get to see all the costumes as they pass by.

Fruit Loop Pride Block Party

June
June is Pride month and to celebrate, Fruit Loop shuts down 103 Street for the ultimate street party. Expect high energy DJs, drag performances, drink specials and a ton of dancing. Make sure to show up in your best glitter.

The Works Art and Design Festival

First week of July
The Works, a free, outdoor festival is a spectacle of visual arts and music. Roam Churchill Square and various places Downtown. Take in art sculptures and installations made by artists from around the world, while enjoying live music throughout the day by performers from all genres. Sip a drink in the beer gardens, browse the vendors in the art market and grab a bite from the food trucks.

Taste of Edmonton

Third week of July
Sample dozens of dishes from Edmonton restaurants at Canada’s largest food festival. There are free concerts daily with big- name headliners, private foodie events and even activities for the kids. Entrance to the Taste of Edmonton is free and tickets for food and drinks range in price.

Cariwest Festival

First week of August
This lively celebration of Caribbean culture kicks off with a colourful parade of Mas Bands along Jasper Avenue. Then Cariwest folks head to Churchill Square for Caribbean street food vendors serving up dishes like jerk chicken and roti, browse the vendors in the art market, get dancing at the main stage, and swig some drinks in the rum garden.

Servus Edmonton Marathon

Second week of August
Every August, Downtown hosts the home stretch of the Servus Edmonton Marathon. No, you don’t have to run the whole marathon distance — but we applaud you if you do — there are half marathon distances, 10K, 5K and events.

Alberta Culture Days

First week of September
Venues across the downtown core – including the Art Gallery of Alberta, Winspear Centre, and Citadel Theatre – host free, all-ages Alberta Culture Days events including tours, performances and workshops, that showcase the work of local artists.

Edmonton International Film Festival

October
Landmark Cinemas in City Centre Mall hosts screenings of new documentary, feature-length, and short films that are getting festival and award-season buzz. If you work Downtown you’ll want to check out Lunchbox Shorts. From Monday to Friday during the festival, you can enjoy an hour of unique short films and lunch is included. You might be watching the next Academy Award-winning animated or live-action short film, as EIFF is an Oscar-qualifying festival.

LitFest

October
Enjoy a series of talks and workshops by some of the top Canadian and International writers of nonfiction literature and poetry. Even if you’re not familiar with the author of the book, LitFest programming delves into interesting themes and topics, and there’s a discussion for everyone to enjoy or take part in.

The Mosquers Film Festival

September
Since 2007, the Mosquers Film Festival has combated misconceptions about Islam and Muslims, demonstrated diversity, and provided a channel for talented individuals to express themselves.

Holiday Light Up

November
Gather ’round a large evergreen tree and Churchill Square and watch as we light up the space for the festive season. Hot refreshments and entertainment is usually programmed.