Bookmark this article for all the fun and interesting Things To Do around Edmonton in September 2023.
Until September 3
The reviews are now in! After 400 years, Shakespeare is still good — who would have thought? But in all seriousness, the players at Freewill Shakespeare Festival bring a modern edge to their new intimate venue, which provides a fresh coat of paint on timeless classics that continue to find relevancy today.
September 1 and 2
The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra will partner with some Broadway-worthy vocalists to fill Churchill Square with the classic music of Disney. Enjoy the city’s most treasured classical musicians in a casual performance that will feature music from movies such as Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Frozen and other Disney favourites.
September 1 to 3
This festival is about two things and two things only — delicious cocktails (and mocktails) from expert mixologists and sweet, savoury Jerk chicken. Actually, the Cocktails & Jerk Festival is about one thing: sharing the history and traditions of the Caribbean and “Jerk Culture” with Edmonton.
September 2
For the last four years, Mural Massive has beautified the communities of Old Strathcona and Downtown, with a multitude of murals being painted over a week. Before they paint the town red (or whatever other colours they want), artists and community members will kick off the week with a party at Grindstone Theatre featuring food, drink, and a performance from Carter and the Capitals.
September 3
Crate diggers: buy, sell or trade records at Bring Out Your Dead! vinyl sale & swap. Hosted by Dead Vinyl Society and Asymmetrical Brewing.
September 8
Five Edmonton musicians will back up Charlene Smith, a.k.a Charlee Queen XO, for a night of improvised genre-bending music as Reclaim Collective at the Yardbird Suite. Smith is a spoken word artist, singer-songwriter and multitalented personality who has been re-educating Western Canada about the Afro-Canadian experience.
September 8 to 10
Edmonton’s river valley is a mecca for mountain bikers, so it makes sense that we would need a festival for all those cyclists. Edmonton’s Mountain Bike Festival takes place at Queen Elizabeth Park and has races, stunt shows, photo contests, live music and, of course, plenty of food and drink.
September 9
Fuel your inner rebel with some beer from Sea Change and some punk music from radical acts like Toronto punk band PUP or genre-bending but equally heavy group, The OBGMs. Get out to Midway Music Hall for a hardcore hang with some solid music.
September 9
The Edmonton Wildlife Festival brings together conservationists and lovers of the land for a festival that features a run, wild animals, and live music. Festival Proceeds go towards helping WILDNorth continue to provide wildlife rescue and rehabilitation in our province. Find it at Queen Mary Park.
September 9
Come out to the Northern Jubilee Auditorium to celebrate Ukrainian art and culture in a night of fantastic dance performances from both Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Edmonton and the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble. In the show, dancers will take audiences on a journey from Kyiv to Canada.
September 9 and 10
Shortly after Edmonton Folk Fest filled Gallagher Park, the Strathearn Art Walk will put up an alley of aesthetics for people to come by, enjoy and collect. Strathearn Park will be filled with booths and kiosks for local artists to sell their wares and for Edmonton’s aesthetes to add to their collections. Expect live music, food and beverage as well.
September 10
From Fort Saskatchewan to Sherwood Park, there is no shortage of fantastic food in Strathcona County, like Pasta Pantry and Sweet Gi’s Bakery. That’s why Gallery@501 puts on Savour Strathcona, which features the best culinarians in the county.
September 15
Sometimes we all feel like a Barbie girl living in a Barbie world, especially after the pink tidal wave that is Great Gerwig’s blockbuster Barbie. So naturally, Midway Music Hall will put on a glamour pink EDM-filled dance party to celebrate all things Barbie at Barbie Rave.
September 15 to 17
If you want your kids to also catch the festival bug, Kaleido Family Arts Festival is a great place to get them hooked. Alberta Avenue will fill up with artists, musicians, dancers, street performers and vendor markets, and it wouldn’t really feel like an Edmonton festival if there weren’t food trucks and snacks for everyone.
September 15 to 17
How many nerds can you cram inside the Edmonton Expo Centre? That’s not a rhetorical question — the Edmonton Fan Expo keeps track of these things, and the number from last year’s pop culture convention was over 40,000. Come out and meet famous creators and actors from your favourite movies, television series, video games and comic books, and get some sweet pop culture merch.
September 16
St. Albert rock collective Sparrow Blue will take its tour close to home with a performance at Starlite Room. The band is all about old-school rock ‘n’ roll with influences from Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is the band’s first Canada-wide tour, so come and wish it a warm welcome back (close to) home.
September 17
Celebrate one of history’s greatest Canadians in a run to support cancer research in this year’s Terry Fox Run at Kinsmen Park.
September 21 to 24
Imagine this: You just moved to Edmonton (Old Strathcona, specifically) this summer and spent the season gleefully hopping from festival to festival. But now it’s autumn — the Fringe is over, the leaves are beginning to change and you figured the season was winding down. Until you step out into your neighbourhood and notice there’s another theatre festival focused entirely on clowns and physical comedy. This is Edmonton, after all — there’s always a festival, and there’s always theatre. Make sure to see Play the Fool Theatre Festival.
September 21 to October 1
Two weeks, over 80 films, tears, laughs and mountains of popcorn. That is what you can expect from the Edmonton International Film Festival, where all the films are brand new and produced within 20 months of the festival, and all will make their Edmonton premieres. With over 30 years of experience, the EIFF has become a sturdy rock for experienced filmmakers and rising talent to get their films out into the world.
September 23 and 24
Five chic and unique homes from Edmonton and the surrounding area will be open to Ballet Edmonton Home Tour ticket holders for a self-paced tour between 11am – 4pm. Let your inner design-voyeur out and view these beautiful private homes in-person (images of these homes are featured in the September/October 2023 issue of Edify). Get your tickets now.
September 23 to October 15
Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, makes its way to the “wilde” West’s MacLab Theatre at The Citadel. The show follows two Victorian men who both take on fake alter-egos with the same name in order to escape their boring social obligations.
September 24th
The top six string sellers in the city (and some from elsewhere) will have their own buy-and-sell show this month at the Italian Cultural Centre. This is the best chance to see Edmonton’s own collection of rare, boutique and vintage guitars, all in the same location. Come check out local luthiers like Labyrinth Guitar Works and pedalboard wizards like Leprechaun FX too.
September 26 to Oct 1
Broadway Across Canada brings the music and story of R&B pioneers, The Temptations, to the Northern Jubilee Auditorium in a musical. Follow the famous band’s trials and tribulations that brought them from the streets of Detroit to the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame.
September 27 to 30
Edmonton’s own Andrew Grose is spearheading the four-night Edmonton Comedy Festival that will bring comedy lovers out to the Spotlight Cabaret, ATB Financial Arts Barns, and Yuk Yuks at Century Casino – just for laughs. Special guests will include Leland Klassen and Lamont Ferguson.
September 30 and October 1
If you’re looking to pick up a new scaly pet, the best time place is at the bi-annual Edmonton Reptile Expo, where some of the most exotic pets in the city are put on display in a buy-and-sell show for reptile fans. Get out to the Edmonton Aviation Museum for a chance to connect with members of the community and learn more about the reptile hobby.
