Edmonton Family Vacations

In Edmonton, people regularly party in the streets.

The provincial capital of Alberta, known as “Canada’s Festival City,” hosts more than 30 extravaganzas throughout the year.

Among the many events that appeal to families are the International Children’s Festival in June; a Street Performers’ Festival in July; a Caribbean Arts Festival in August; and Sonic Boom, Edmonton’s rock festival, held in September in Northlands Park (take the teens!).

The festivals, however, are added bonuses to an already lively city. Edmonton has a trendy historic area, Old Strathcona, blooming with shops and cafes; a striking new building for its arts museum, the Royal Alberta Museum; and one of the world’s biggest shopping malls, the West Edmonton Mall, home to an indoor amusement park, water park and hockey rink, plus 800 shops.

In addition, the former fur-trading post on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River is, like Calgary, a gateway to the Canadian Rockies. From Edmonton, spectacular Jasper National Park is about a three-and-a-half-hour drive.