5 things to do in Edmonton this weekend: April 22-24
Sharks and jets, cabins and cottages, and Hollywood with an exclamation mark
Here's your weekend cheat sheet:
Play it cool, boy
What: You'll find references to it everywhere. The Jets. The Sharks. Maria. The ever-present masculine rhythmic snapping of fingers. That's right, West Side Story is coming to town, with shows running for the next month at The Citadel. Tickets start at $30.
When? April 23 to May 22
If you prefer your musicals a little more modern — you can also check out Rent: The Musical at the ATB Arts Barns
Shop local
What: There's quite a few ways you can support your local artist/crafter/builder this weekend:
- Annual Art Sale: featuring paintings, prints, sculptures, fine jewelry, and ceramics at Robertson Wesley United Church
- In St. Albert, the Painters Guild is holding its spring show and sale. Head to St. Albert Place to meet artists, take in some demonstrations and maybe win some free art.
- Nest in the City: More than 50 local vendors will be hocking their handmade wares at The Meadows Community Recreation Centre on Saturday
- Want new stuff without paying for it (or committing a crime)? Head to the Community Clothing Swap at Variant Edmonton on Saturday afternoon.
- The Edmonton Cottage Life + Cabin Show is at the Expo Centre this weekend, with plenty of samples, demonstrations and vendors setting up shop.
Celebrate our planet
What: Celebrate our planet in the heart of downtown (10120 - 104th Street) on Sunday at the Edmonton Earth Day Festival. There, you'll find earth-friendly products for sale, eco displays and family-friendly fun.
When: April 24 from noon to 3 p.m.
Shakespeare in a hurry
What: Are you a fan of the Bard? How about fast-paced comedy? If you answered "yes" to one or both of those questions, have I got an event for you. It's called The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) and, in a nutshell, it's a live performance of three actors, spitting out 37 works in just 90 minutes. Seriously, this sounds amazing.
When: April 20 to 23, with a matinee on Saturday
Listen large or small
What: From the big screen to the small venue, I Want You to Want Me to Lady Sings the Blues:
- Listen to the music of the big screen — Titanic, The Lord of the Rings, Gone with the Wind, Star Wars and Harry Potter — Friday night at the Winspear as the ESO performs Hollywood: The Epics! This is the perfect concert for cinephiles.
- On the smaller scale, the Alberta Baroque Ensemble presents Bach – Handel at Robertson Wesley United Church on Sunday afternoon.
- And now, for something completely different, Cheap Trick is playing the River Cree Resort & Casino on Saturday night
- She's been compared to Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, and now you can see Lizz Wright perform live at Festival Place on Saturday night.
Odds and ends
- If you're free Thursday night and know your Wingardium Leviosa from your Sectumsempra, you should probably head to The Pint downtown for Harry Potter trivia night
- Noodles & doodles culinary Cook-off: Support the arts, community and cooking all at the same time at Mount Royal School on Saturday
- Daffodil Dash: Walk a kilometre or run five for the Canadian Cancer Society on Sunday at Peggy Holmes Park
- FC Edmonton takes on the Ottawa Fury on Sunday
- And a reminder - the Edmonton Poetry Festival is still underway
Know of a weekend event happening in the city? Email me or tweet me @CBC_Caitlin