HISTORY | EDMONTON

Despite its fame for having the World's Largest Mall, Edmonton is also a lively centre of culture, music and sport. What began as Fort Edmonton and ultimately became the capital city of Alberta in 1906, has grown and developed into a thriving metropolis alive with festivals, excellent restaurants and of course a burgeoning swing dance scene.

Culture and Arts

Edmonton was the Cultural Capital in 2007, a name the city has earned through years of festivals, fantastic theatre and first class musical performances. Every summer starting as early as May and ending in September, the city is alive with cultural festivals that include the second largest Fringe festival in the world, only behind Edinburgh, Scotland, as well as the Edmonton Folk Music Festival, the Street Performers Festival and Shakespeare in the Park. Additionally, Edmonton has an excellent and varied theatre scene. From the polished performances at the Citadel Theatre to the inane and genius hilarity of the numerous improv groups including Die-Nasty and Chimprov, Edmontonians have no shortage of theatrical enjoyment.

Edmonton is also home to one of the finest auditoriums in the country. The acoustically perfect Winspear Centre is home to the fantastic Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, lead by Conductor William Eddins, who often plays the piano while conducting the performers simultaneously.

Food

Edmonton has an amazing variety in its local cuisine. Numerous independent restaurants with excellent culinary selection can be found at www.originalfare.com . Edmonton also hosts several excellent Thai (The King and I), Italian (Sorrentino's) and Greek (Yianni's) restaurants.

Links and References

www.edmonton.com
www.festivalcity.ca
www1.travelalberta.com/en-ab/index.cfm?pageid=227&id=320