Do you gnome what time it is? Time to celebrate the Gnome Whom Did It Festival at Alberta Avenue Community League!

On July 30, community members and gnome enthusiasts are invited to check out the free festival that will run from noon until 6 pm. 

The festival features a Clue-inspired mystery, where kids and families will work together with the Edmonton Police Services (EPS) to solve a crime committed by one of the lawn gnomes in the league’s community garden. 

All ages are welcome to attend, but organizers ask that caregivers chaperone kids. 

Monster Pro Wrestlers, a DJ, a juggler, and a face painter will be at the event. There will also be a farmers market featuring small businesses and local vendors, and a concession inside the league.

“The proceeds from the concession, the table rentals, and donations will be going back to the Alberta Ave Community League,” says Michael Janics, festival organizer. 

The goal of the event is not only to raise funds for the league’s summer and winter programming, but also to build community relationships with EPS. 

“Our police officers said that they would like to be more involved with their community and are looking for any means to make it happen, so this is why this event came up,” says Janics. “[The event] is also geared towards helping kids get a future interest in law enforcement…. Kind of like an educational career building event that’s going to be super fun.” 

Janics came up for the festival idea through talking to his friend and her brother, who had noticed defaced lawn gnomes in the community. His friend noted that this was something the cops could get involved in, sparking the idea for the festival. 

“I ran with the idea as far and as fast and as much as I could,” says Janics with a laugh. 

Janics hopes to make the festival an annual event for the league. In the future, he hopes to get Emergency Medical Services and Edmonton Fire Rescue Services involved on a rotating basis. 

If you have any lawn gnomes gathering dust in the back of your garage or basement, drop them off at the league before the event. Janics is still looking for more lawn gnomes to decorate the community garden, and he’s still short of his 200-lawn-gnome goal. 

Drop off lawn gnomes at the league, or contact Janics by phone (587-921-9165) or email (tribaldarksky@gmail.com) for more information.