Some local festival, fundraiser, and event organizers are tentatively making plans for this summer and fall, while others have decided to cancel this year.

K-Days is one of those events that have been cancelled this year. The Northlands statement says, “Following Premier Kenney’s announcement, we at Northlands took a hard look at whether we could deliver a high-quality event given limited timelines and resources. Following discussions with the City of Edmonton and Explore Edmonton, Northlands has made the difficult decision that K-Days will not take place this summer.” Organizers hope to re-launch K-Days next year.

Fans of Monster Pro Wrestling can look forward to it starting up.

“We have scheduled our first event back for Saturday, Aug. 7, starting at 2 p.m., outdoors, weather permitting,” says Sean Dunster, owner of Monster Pro Wrestling. “We will likely start back on the first Saturday of every month.” They will move indoors in October. Dunster adds, “We just opened up the doors of our gym again. We train people too, and have been since 2002!”

Find information about the gym on facebook.com/MonsterProWrestling. Buy tickets at Alberta Avenue Hall, or through any of the wrestlers.

Together Again Outdoor Concert Series will bring live music to people at the former Northlands Park (the current Edmonton Exhibition Lands). It’s a series of socially distanced outdoor concerts taking place Aug. 6 through Aug. 29. Trixstar, an Edmonton-founded live event company, is launching the outdoor concert series. 

“Music is an important part of bringing people together and connecting is fundamental for our mental health.” says Trixstar’s president Mike Anderson. “We’re making it safer and more intimate while creating more space and keeping the same excitement you’d expect seeing your favorite bands perform live on stage. It’s time to get off our screens and back to experiences.”

Visit togetheragainyeg.ca/ for tickets and concert information. 

Morgan Wolf, a board member of the Muttstock team, says Muttstock is set to be held on Aug. 28 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Elmwood Park Community League (12505 75 St.). “[Organizers] have moved the date ahead as far as they possibly could.”

A bonus of the new location is that there’s only one entrance, and so it will be easier for organizers to control the flow of people if needed. Everything will be held outside, and organizers will spread out things like vendors to ensure nothing is crammed into one area. Plus, the league is right by the Sands Hotel. “We’re partnering with Sands Hotel to take care of parking. It’s about a 600 metre walk to the league.”

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She adds, “If we go two years without a festival, we’ll be forgotten. [Organizers] are really pushing to get on people’s radar.”

Muttstock usually includes activities such as live music and demos. 

Wolf says, “Muttstock is formed of a group of animal rescues. Muttstock is one of the rescue’s biggest fundraisers. We’re just going to try and play this by ear. Let’s move forward until we can’t.”

The Tibetan Bazaar is also on this year from Sept. 18-19 at Alberta Avenue Community Centre. Jeremy Landon, Tibetan Bazaar organizer, says, “We will be hosting online content combined with the traditional in-person programming such as Tibetan cultural food, performances, vendors, teachings, and much more.” He adds, “We are mainly looking at hosting the event inside, but there will be additional plans to adjust if needed depending on external circumstances such as changing health measures.” 

Although the in-person event will be held from Sept. 18-19, the online portion will be available longer, although that is still being planned. “The online content will consist of Dharma teachings, a condensed vendor marketplace through Facebook, and potentially a live stream of the event.”

Edmontonians can look forward to Kaleido this year from Sept. 17-19. The theme will be Dancing in the Streets.

Christy Morin, artistic director, says, “We know that we’re doing Kaleido, we’re just not sure what form it will take (stationary or on tour). We know that there will be events running up to Kaleido.”

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Last year, Kaleido went mobile, touring around the area and stopping for short performances in parks. This year will be similar in bringing the spirit of Kaleido to the people with performances, art installations, and more. Morin explains, “We’re looking at being in the parks for an extended amount of time—an hour to an hour and a half, but we’re not sure at this point. We’re hoping we can be stationary for longer amounts of time. The parties in the street were great last year; such an intimate experience for the performers and the audience.”

Local community leagues will also start offering events and programs. Alberta Avenue Community League intends to have a few campfire pub nights in their garden over the summer and fall. They are also working on a variety of food programs. Visit league websites or follow their Facebook pages.

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COMMUNITY LEAGUES
www.albertaave.org
www.deltoncommunity.com
www.elmwoodparkcommunity.org
www.eastwoodcommunity.org
www.spruceavenuecommunity.com
www.parkdalecromdale.org
www.westwoodcl.ca