The Edmonton Heritage Festival has escaped relatively unscathed from what’s been an otherwise soggy summer in Alberta’s capital.
Organizers announced Monday night an estimate of 360,000 people who are believed to have attended this year’s event, numbers they credit in part to Mother Nature’s mercy over the past three days.
“Three days of amazing weather has resulted in a banner year for the Edmonton Heritage Festival,” organizers said in a news release.
The estimated number is up from the estimated 345,000 people who attended last year, though it was still well short of the record-breaking crowds who showed up to take in the festival’s 2017 edition of the festival (an estimated 480,000 people).
“People always ask what’s new at the festival, but often what brings people back is what’s the same: world-class food, great culture and awesome people,” said Jim Gibbon, executive director of the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association.
The festival has long been held at Hawrelak Park but sometime after 2021, the green space will undergo an extensive overhaul, so the event can’t take place there.
On Monday, Gibbon said organizers are continuing to explore options for where to move the festival when the time comes.
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The Edmonton Heritage Festival aims to promote “public awareness and understanding of cultural diversity.”
Dozens of cultural groups set up booths, kitchens and stages each year to give Edmontonians a glimpse into their various cultures.