K-Days and Taste of Edmonton both wrap up on Sunday, so the two biggest festivals of the summer are having their last weekend at the same time. Around them: stock cars in Wetaskiwin, a Battle of Alberta basketball game that doubles as free K-Days entry, and Highland games out in Sherwood Park. Eight things worth leaving the house for.
K-Days — Closing Weekend
Festival
Ten days of midway, exhibitions and nightly fireworks wrap up this weekend at the Exhibition Lands, and closing Saturday is the busiest day of the whole run. If you just want the fireworks and drone show, the best free view is from the Borden Park side rather than paying to be inside at 11 p.m. Take the LRT to Stadium or Coliseum — onsite parking backs up badly on the final Saturday.
When: Friday to Sunday, July 24 to 26, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Sunday, July 26 is the final day
Where: Edmonton Expo Centre and Exhibition Lands, 7515 118 Avenue NW
Cost: General admission around $15; ride wristbands extra
Instagram: @kdays
Taste of Edmonton — Final Weekend
Food
Churchill Square's ten-day food festival closes Sunday too. Entry is free and you buy tickets for the food, so you can walk through for a look without committing to anything. Go right at 11 a.m. on the last Sunday: lines are shortest and some vendors discount what's left as the festival winds down. Buy tickets online first to skip the booth queue, and take the LRT — Churchill station is right there.
When: Through Sunday, July 26. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Where: Sir Winston Churchill Square, 10205 102A Avenue NW
Cost: Free entry, pay per item
Instagram: @tasteofedm
NASCAR Canada NAPA 300
Sports
International stock-car racing comes to Edmonton International Raceway in Wetaskiwin, about 45 minutes south, Friday and Saturday nights. The Friday-night program is included with your weekend ticket and far less crowded — a good way for families to test the noise level before Saturday's headline features. Bring ear protection for the kids; it's a short paved oval and the cars are loud up close.
When: Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 (evenings)
Where: Edmonton International Raceway, Wetaskiwin
Cost: Tickets around $60 to $80 for both nights
Edmonton Stingers vs. Calgary Surge
Sports
The Battle of Alberta on the basketball court, and it's the K-Days Showcase game — your Stingers ticket gets you free gate admission into K-Days the same day, so it's really two outings in one on closing Sunday. Do the midway before tip-off. Expect a loud, rivalry crowd.
When: Sunday, July 26, 4 p.m.
Where: Edmonton Expo Centre
Cost: From around $27
Edmonton Riverhawks Baseball
Sports
Summer-college baseball in the river valley at RE/MAX Field, and Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day — a 1:05 p.m. day game with giveaways and a halftime show from record-holding frisbee dog Sailor, the family pick of the weekend. Grass berm seating is the cheapest spot and the best one for kids to roam. Pair it with a river-valley walk.
When: Sunday, July 26, 1:05 p.m. (also Friday and Saturday at 7:05 p.m.)
Where: RE/MAX Field, 10233 96 Avenue NW
Cost: From around $10
Sherwood Park Highland Gathering
Community
Two days of heavy Highland games, dancing, sheep- and duck-herding demos and Highland cows just east of the city in Sherwood Park. The herding demos and the cows are the biggest draws for kids — check the gate schedule and plan around them. Leashed dogs are welcome, and kids 12 and under get in free.
When: Saturday, July 25 and Sunday, July 26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Broadmoor Lake Park, 20 Festival Way, Sherwood Park
Cost: Free for kids 12 and under; adult tickets online
Old Strathcona Farmers' Market
Free
The city's best-known market runs Saturday morning off Whyte Avenue. There's free customer parking in the lot across Gateway Boulevard during market hours that most people miss while circling Whyte for nothing. Get there before 10 a.m. for the best produce, and it's indoors so it runs rain or shine.
When: Saturday, July 25, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 10310 83 Avenue NW
Cost: Free entry
Instagram: @strathconamarket
City Market Downtown
Free
An open-air street market of 35-plus vendors down 104 Street, and it's dog-friendly. It's a few blocks west of Taste of Edmonton at Churchill Square, so the two pair naturally into one downtown Saturday. Combine it with a walk down 104 Street and the food halls nearby.
When: Saturday, July 25, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 104 Street NW, between Jasper Avenue and 102 Avenue
Cost: Free entry
Editor's Pick
The K-Days finale. The midway and the food festivals have run all week, but closing Saturday — the fireworks and drone show over the Exhibition Lands at 11 p.m. — only happens once, it is the biggest night of the run, and you can watch the whole sky show for free from the Borden Park side.
Know an event we missed? Tag us @culturealberta or email hello@culturealberta.com.
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