It had been a few years since I came to Festival of the Trees and this year I decided to volunteer…read more It's was an excellent experience. I signed up on their website and I received a letter in the mail with a confirmation of my shifts. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to make my first one as I was sick but they had a phone number and email to let them know if you couldn't make it. The Volunteer area was in the lower level and they provided me with a name tag, light up necklace, and Santa hat (if I wanted it). There was coat racks (if you could find a hanger). In the Volunteer Lounge they provided snacks of sandwiches, oranges, desserts, drinks, and frozen treats. As I walked into the hall, it was great to see all the families. The Gingerbread house displays was near the entrance and had a line up. Another popular attraction was the snow globe that you can go into and take a photo. The trees are in areas in the middle of the hall and beautifully decorated. The coupons for activities are reasonably priced at 50 cents. There's decorate and get a little tree for 8 coupons that was a popular activity. Although I didn't look at all the kids' activities, I noticed there are fewer than the years ago I used to go with my nephew and niece. The Post Office where kids can write letters to Santa is a nice feature. I would like to volunteer here next year as my friend said she had a lot of fun helping the kids. The Sweet Shop where I was had a lot of kitchen items all Christmas themed and lots of sweet treats!. You could buy plates, candy jars, aprons, mugs, tea pots, packets of hot chocolate, apple cider, baked goods, chocolate covered spoons, lollipops, and so much more. The prices include GST and it's a great place to Christmas gift shop. There's a Gift Shop too with Christmas trees, ornaments, and decorations. Lots of fun browsing and shopping! There's a small concession in the corner by the stage as are washrooms. There's entertainment with singing and martial arts, and there are rows of seating too. Will be back next year to volunteer! It's a fun time, and they are organized in coordinating volunteers.

I am all aglow with Christmas spirit after taking in the 2013 festival of tree's this year. I was…read moresuper pleased they eliminated the colorful strobe lights from last year that projected images onto the floor and surrounding area. They were a cute idea but they took away from the color and shine of the tree's themselves. My boyfriend had commented that it looked like there were less tree's this year. While I can't say I agree with him one hundred percent if they did take away some tree's I think they used it to increase seating around the stage. I had no issues finding chairs this year to enjoy the entertainment as opposed to prior years where I was left standing. This was the first year I bought coupons to do an activity and I thought they were extremely reasonable at fifty cents a pop. We bought eight to do the trim the tree activity and that got us a mini tree with some fairly decent quality decorations. They had a mini backpack activity going on as well and I really think stuff like that is a great way to do a fun activity with your kids and have a souvenir left over afterward that they are more likely to hold onto then say a coloring sheet or Popsicle stick figure. As with every year the tree,wreath,and gingerbread house decorators went all out to create festive and stunning pieces and I would love to see the festival in a larger venue to allow more people the opportunity to participate as well as help with some of the foot traffic congestion issues. Despite a tiny hiccup or two however the Festival of Trees is still one of the most magical ways to celebrate the season and give money to the great folks at the University Hospital Foundation.

While driving through Candy Cane Lane is a lot of fun for families with kids and people with…read morereduced mobility alike, it is so much more fun to walk it (assuming decent weather) and going on a car-free night is lovely. The décor has changed a lot since I was young but it always has charm and fun for kids and families alike. Plus it is a nice reason to get out and walk. I don't always make it out but when I do I try to support the Edmonton Food Bank as this is one of their biggest annual fundraisers. There are porta-potties, good photo spots, and even concessions available which is nice. Parking isn't always the easiest to secure but everyone figures out something before heading out to enjoy the street.

I've been going to this beautiful place since 2009 almost every year! :)…read moreIt has a very good energy and filled with Christmas spirit. There is no way you go there and you come back unhappy. Last night we went there and walked for over an hour although it was windy and very cold. If you're planning for walking, a very good outfit for Alberta weather condition is recommended. Parking would be a little tricky since you either have to park south of the area or north and then walk to Candy Cane Lane. Driving would be slow but at least you would be warmer. I personally prefer walking and interacting with people. Also if you have any donations for food bank, there are some places for dropping off your donations. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it. :)

After dinner decided to go for a walk and walk a few blocks to see the neon sign museum. It is 24…read morehours as it is outside on the side of the buildings. As we did come during summer the sun does set later so I do recommend coming later in the night if you can to see the neon science and it's full potential. We did come by around eight or 9 PM so the sun was still out, but the lights were still on so we were able to see them. It is what it is, and was nice to see. Nothing super Duper special, but something nice to see as you're walking around the streets. Also around the corner they have other larger areas of the city and many restaurants to look at as well.

"Museum" is a bit of a stretch because this isn't a museum in the conventional sense of the word…read more Rather, it's a collection of 20 neon signs hung on the TELUS building. Collectively, they are quite a sight. Apparently, these are authentic signs from old Edmonton businesses that have been cleaned up and reconditioned. It's a nice curiosity to stop by and check out if you are strolling by the Rogers Center.

Festival city. City of Champions. Home of Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers. West edmonton mall (once…read morethe biggest mall in the world). This is what edmonton is known for. But it is also the most northernmost city in all of Canada. Yes you heard me! We are farthest north for a big city. Being this north means us edmontonians enjoy the beautiful sunshine all year long. Even in the dead of winter...the sun is glaring everywhere during the day. The weather varies constantly. Its common to have sun, rain, wind and hail all on the same day. The weather is unpredictable and changes within the hour. But its great bc we always get a ray of sunshine no matter what. Growing up here this city was always great. There was always something to do because of the fabulous west edmonton mall which houses an indoor waterpark, theme park, several golf courses, 2 movie theaters (used to have 3), a rec room complete with a bowling alley, a bourbon street themed bar/nightclub area, a gun shooting gallery, an indoor marine life sanctuary complete with a lifesize pirate ship, a dolphin turned seal habitat, a flamingo area, and possibly 2 stores of every mall franchised store known. There's even a themed hotel. But the novelty wears off when it's here all the time. But there's plenty more offered here. The best part of edmonton is the fantastic green space. The river valley is one of the longest connected trails in Canada. Seriously if you wanted too you could walk from the east end through downtown to the west end in one shot; due to fabulous trail system. Visitors often comment about how many trees there are randomly everywhere. The valley zoo has recently gotten an upgrade housing seals, elephants and tigers. I heard they are now trying to get polar bears with their new exhibit. The fort edmonton park is a nice walk through alberta history showcasing fabulous events year round like the harvest festival or spooktacular. The muttart conservatory is a photographers dream with flowers and plants themed by each continent in the world. The art gallery houses modern art with a delicious restaurant inside. The royal alberta museum is getting a new space in downtown. The telus world of science has fun exhibits every kid would enjoy; bringing the kid out in almost anyone...seriously who doesn't like ice cream made from scratch in a experiment! Theres even now the renowned ice district in downtown with a world class arena, casino and condo/hotel. Home of the edmonton Oilers we are the city of Champions due to our run in the 80's with Wayne Gretzky, Grant Fuhr, Mark Messier, Paul Coffey and Glenn Anderson. And dont insult the oilers: most edmontonians are extremely passionate about our team. To the point where we rioted the streets for several weeks bc we almost made the playoffs in 2006. It was alot of fun! And did I mention...if you like to gamble there are 7 casinos in the edmonton area!!! If you're not lucky in one, just drive to the next!!! Despite all this. The foodie scene is big here. Some of the restaurants are so innovative and creative here. I've had dishes better here than in the food centers of the world like paris or Los angelas or even Las Vegas. Yup. Food is really good here. And hey we got world renowned bakeries like the duchess here. Food is farm to table, locally sourced with the best beef in the world! Uggh. Beef anywhere else in the world is inedible for me. And if you eat our beef. You will understand this. Kobe beef is good too. But honestly if you get a fresh cut from the butcher...the beef here is out of this world! Highly recomended anywhere! If you plan to visit. Make sure you check out the city of edmonton website for festivals. Churchill square, Whyte avenue, hawerlak park, the expo center and alberta avenue hold festivals year round. Honestly if you wanted too, there's probably a festival every weekend of the year. And in the summer it's every day!!! Do check it out.

Seven years of residency at the City of champions is one of the most memorable events in my life. I…read morelove Edmonton, the city in general and its people. I have but fond memories which include: Hanging out at the West Edmonton Mall not really for shopping but playing a pool game or bowling at Red's. Or maybe go clubbing at Rum Jungle. Speaking of clubbing, I remember Whyte Avenue where we used to hop from one bar to another for a night of dancing and drinking. And how can I forget the 5 cents hi balls and shooters during Ladies' Night Out at King's Club? I had to drop off each one of my drunk girlfriends home. Wading at the pool and frolicking by the fountain at city hall and legislative building. Jogging around Millwoods Park and working out at the Millwoods Recreational Center. Attending endless festivals: Heritage Festival at Hawrelak Park, Taste of Edmonton at Churchill Square, Fringe Festival at Stratcona, Caribbean Fest downtown among others. Watching endless Oilers hockey games featuring fellow Edmontonian, Wayne Gretzky. Trying to catch a bus during snowstorms with four layers of clothing and all bundled up but the eyes. I can go on and on...

Who doesn't know the Great One? Sporting the famous 99 jersey playing hockey with the Edmonton…read moreOilers, he led the team to four Stanley Cup championships. Hall of Fame hockey player and the all-time leading scorer in NHL history. He led his team to become the unbeatable team in the league of hockey during his time. Thus Edmonton was named the City of Champions. Being a former resident of Edmonton myself, I could have never been so proud to be living in the same city as this legendary hockey player. So when my friends took me to Rogers Place at the Ice District, I was very delighted to see his bronze statue by the entrance. It's a given what I did upon seeing his statue. Of course, just like any other of his fans, I snapped several pics with him. It was nice to have a souvenir with the Great One. But why not 5 Stars? It's because the Great One deserves something more grandeur than what it currently is.

"A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going…read moreto be" (The Great One) The Great One played 20 years in the NHL and scored over 2,800 regular season and over 380 post season points. But as a New York Ranger fan, I was blessed to see him end his illustrious career as a Broadway Blueshirt. Between 1996 and 1999, he scored 57 goals and 192 assists as a Ranger, plus his last ten playoff goals and last ten playoff assists. Its wonderful to see this glorious statue and remember that he skated for my favorite team at the end of his career. The Great One, indeed.

This Baseball Bat is a piece of Edmontonia. People seem to really rag on this $80,000 piece of…read morepublic art, which is to commemorate our baseball history. Granted, Edmonton is more of a hockey town - but from the Edmonton Legislatures to the Edmonton Oilers (yes, a baseball club firstly) - it's a piece of our history. Two fun facts about this baseball bat that are often overlooked: 1. It's the worlds largest baseball bat! Surely there is *some* pride in having a giant baseball bat once you know that it's a world-recording holding piece of art. 2. It spins! That's right, grab some friends, head down to the baseball bat and start spinning. You can push it solo, but let me warn you - it gets pretty tough when you're moving around the southern bend. Need a good work out spot? Park near the Alberta Avenue Community League and walk/jog the few blocks to the bat. Once there, spin it! Trust me, it can be quite the upper body work out. As an added bonus, the shocked look of people walking/driving by when they see the bat actually spins is definitely worth it. If my review of this darling piece of Edmontonia hasn't swayed you, at least one thing may make you feel a bit better... It cost way less than the Talus Dome! ($600,000)

Nothing like seeing two Tweekers fight over a shopping cart, and a homeless guy pissing on this…read morebaseball bat. Greatest tourist destination

If you're looking for a great way to stay in shape, rack up your cardio and are not into the…read morerunning thing, then stairs just might be for you! If I'm not mistaken, the Royal Glenora stairs is the 2nd longest staircase in the Edmonton area, boasting an astonishing step count of 202 steps, runner-up to Grandview stairs at 242 steps (according to this article: https://where.ca/alberta/edmonton/sweat-it-out-on-edmonton-stairs/ ) As the location is nestled between the Royal Glenora Club, High Level Bridge and River Valley Road, these stairs are constantly populated with energetic stair-goers and other workout or cardio enthusiasts most of the spring and summer months. Come fall it starts to peter out, and in the winter you only find the really dedicated or the crazy ones hiking these icy-snowy steps. Thankfully these stairs also have a little variety, with the bottom third of steps being wide at a shorter height, making it easier to run up in sets of two. You can catch your breath on the 2 plateaus halfway before finishing what seems like the last half on taller shorter steps - feel the burn here! Honestly, I believe no one actually enjoys stairs, but the potential of developing increased strength and stamina (and buns-of-steel!) is rather appealing and most desirable lol.

As another one of the things to visit in Edmonton, we had to come by and check it out. We saw it as…read morewe were driving to our hotel so we thought it be cool just stop by real quick to take a walk around and ride the elevator. The elevator itself runs first to start in the morning hours during the day and goes up and down only. It is quite slow so be mindful of that. One thing to note is that it is quite hot inside as they only have a slight window that is open for some air to come through, so if you're going during the day and it's high be prepared for that I specially if you are cautiphobic or easily. It had a really cool view of the river and the city from up top, and when you're at the bottom it was really cool to go up without having to walk the many many stairs. Additionally this is free so it's another attraction you can visit if you're just walking around town doing some sightseeing or exercise.

How cool is this?…read more For free, you can travel in a glass funicular (a glass walled elevator that moves on a rail like a train) up and down a very steep hill that separates downtown Edmonton from the North Saskatchewan River Valley. The 48 second ride will take you to a promenade halfway down the hill. There are plenty of seating areas to relax and take in the gorgeous scenery of the river, waterfront, and busy highways and bridges that criss cross your line of sight. If you want, you can even go lower into the River Valley via an elevator. It is a very cool attraction, made even better by its free price tag.