January 1 to 29
Get lost, literally, in the beauty of the Alberta winter. Downtown Edmonton’s first snow maze is right beside Rogers Place in Fan Park until January 29.
Until January 6
Feeling a little blue with the post-holiday hangover? Fear not. If you haven’t had your fill of festive decor, you can still take in the beauty of the holiday’s scenic light displays (more than 2 million lights!) at the Canadian Tire Magic of Lights at the RAD Torque Raceway just south of Edmonton.
January 5 to 6
Sunee Dhaliwal, one of Canada’s fastest rising stand-up stars and a Just for Laughs alum, performs at Yuk Yuk’s.
January 6
Join internationally renowned capricorns (whatever that means?) Josh Travnik and Bella King as they bring “an evening that is equal parts cabaret, birthday party, Ted Talk and stupidity” to the Grindstone Theatre. While we’re not entirely sure what this performance is, we know fun when we see it and we see it at the Grindstone.
January 6 to 7
This year, take in the cultural festivities right here in Edmonton as the Norwood Legion celebrates Orthodox Christmas with a holiday dinner and dance. Tickets are $40 and available by calling the legion at 780-479-4277.
January 9 to 14
Tina Fey doesn’t even go here (as far as we know). But her Broadway adaptation of the Millennial classic, Mean Girls, will be showing at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Composed by Jeff Richmond (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and with lyrics by Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde), this is a performance for those 10 and up. Click here to sign your name in the burn book.
January 13
It’s a duel to the death. OK, maybe not death but certainly until the paint dries as 12 artists go head to head this month at Art Battle Edmonton. Hosted at the Pure Casino Yellowhead, artists will compete over three rounds as art fans vote to determine a winner. The best part? You can purchase the pieces after the battle’s over!
January 13 to 14
We’ve likely all had moments of comedic gold, but the thought of getting up in front of a crowd and performing? Pretty scary. But now you can get some in-person training to help you beat the hecklers to the punchline. Funnyfest’s stand-up comedy workshop comes to town this month and it’s guaranteed to have you in stitches.
January 16 to 27
If the annual Fringe Festival feels a far way off, you can satiate your desire for all things quirky with the Fringe Theatre’s showing of The Spinsters. Set around Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, this performance sheds light (and some well-deserved dimension) onto the lesser-known characters of the classic fairytale.
January 17
It’s not every day you get to drink whiskey guilt free. But you can imbibe for a good cause this new year with the 13th MS Edmonton Whisky Festival. Sample whiskies from across the world at the Delta Edmonton South alongside fellow whiskey aficionados. Supporting MS Canada has never tasted this good!
January 17 to February 4
Take in this Governor General’s Literary Award winning performance at the Shadow Theatre. Drawer Boy is the story of a young actor who joins two small-town farmers to learn about life in rural Canada for a play he is writing, but things change as life begins to imitate art. Starring Reed McColk, Glenn Nelson and Paul-Ford Manguelle.
January 18 to 20
Most art is meant to be preserved, but not the sculptures on display at Chiseled, the Edmonton international ice carving competition. Eight teams will sculpt 15 stunning pieces of art out of nature’s most unforgiving medium — and they have just 34 hours to do it. Head down to the city’s ICE District to vote for your favourite.
January 19
Get competitive as teams of skilled improv actors go head-to-head in Theatresports — a high-energy, fast-paced show full of biting and witty jokes — and plenty of laughs. Held where else but Edmonton’s home of improv, the Rapid Fire Theatre.
January 19
Ten-time Maple Blues Award winner and three-time Juno Award nominee Suzie Vinnick returns to her prairie roots with a performance at St. Basil’s Cultural Centre courtesy of New Moon Folk Club.
January 19
After New Year’s Eve, you might not be in the mood for a black-tie event, but the Edmonton City Club’s Charity Gala 2024 is for such a great cause, it’ll have you donning your Sunday’s finest in no time. Join the club in raising money to support the Stollery Children’s Hospital and enjoy a five-star, three-course meal to boot.
January 20 to 21
If you’re not a cinephile, you might not know the name Ennio Morricone, but you’ve certainly heard his work. From A Fistful of Dollars to Inglorious Basterds, Morricone’s film scores are as iconic as they come and now you can experience them in the acoustic glory of the Winspear Centre as the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs some of Morricone’s most iconic scores.
January 20 to 21
January can be a bit of a bummer after the post-holidays crash, but 2024’s Deep Freeze: A Byzantine Winter Festival is sure to inject a little warmth into your post-holiday winter. This year’s theme is “Under the Toad Stool” and is “a joyous celebration of foraging and a nostalgic return to our Alberta roots.”
January 21
What’s better than a regular poetry slam? A vegan one. Head on down to Edmonton’s chief purveyor of vegan ‘za Die Pie (seriously, even if you’re not vegan, this place is to die for) for an evening of spoken word and literary delight. Starting at 5 p.m., donations go towards FARRM and Edmonton Vegan Activists. *finger snapping*
January 21
Get ready to rumble at The Oil Rumble! Put on by Alberta’s own Love Pro Wrestling and the Edmonton Oil Kings, the January 21 event marks the first independent wrestling event to take place at Rogers Place!
January 24 to 28
Well, folks, the holidays have come and gone and we still have three whole months of winter left! If we’re going to make it to sunnier days, I think we need a… Winterruption! Thankfully that’s exactly what we’ve got as the winter music festival returns with a stacked lineup of artists, musicians, drag performers, wrestling and comedy. You really can’t beat it.
January 26 to 28
Gearheads, motomasters and all manner of off-and-on-road auto enthusiasts will be sure to find fun and community at the Edmonton Motorcycle and Powersport Show which returns to the Edmonton Expo Centre this month.
January 26 to 28
Are you a millennial who’s suddenly found themselves excited to head to Home Depot on a Saturday? Congratulations, you’re officially over the hill. But don’t worry, you can lean into that newly acquired interest and hit up the Edmonton Renovation Show. That’s right, it’s like 100 Home Depots, IKEAs and RONAs all rolled up into one, and it’s at the Edmonton Expo Centre this month.
January 27
You’re probably asking yourself: just what the heck is a birkie? We were, too. Turns out, a Birkebeiner is a traditional, Norwegian cross-country ski race that derives its name from a trip made by Birkebeiner loyalists all the way back in 1206. But enough with the history lessons. You can try out your very own birkie — and do it under the moon, to boot — on Jan. 27 as the Canadian Birkebiener Society hosts an evening cross-country adventure. (UPDATE: This year’s birkie has moved to online online only due to a lack of snow).
January 27
Skiing in the dark not your cup of tea? Well, fear not because the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce is hosting its annual ball at the Edmonton Convention Centre the very same night. So get fancy, raise a pinky and celebrate Edmonton’s unparalleled business community with this night out that you won’t want to miss.
January 31 to February 3
Wrap up January with one of Edmonton’s greatest cultural events, the Flying Canoë Volant, which celebrates French-Canadian, First Nations and Métis culture in Edmonton’s French District in Mill Creek Ravine.
