Our YEG: Where to be in Edmonton in March

Throughout the year, Edmonton is a city that has a massive amount of events happening and festivals galore.

It’s never hard to find something to do in our great city, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out where exactly you should be spending your precious personal time.

So in an attempt to sift through the water, Global Edmonton is doing the sifting for you and will be offering up a Top 10 list of places to be each month, telling you about festivals to check out and just fun things you can do in the city.

Here’s some of our picks for March, in the order they happen:

The Search for Alberta’s Next Drag Superstar: March 6 & 20
$10-$20 Evolution Wonderlounge, tickets at the door for March dates

While Edmonton may not be a hub for drag shows like Toronto or Montreal, the scene in Alberta is growing. So why not take the opportunity to get out and see what the queens from around the province are up to?

“We’ve already had one of our preliminaries,” said Rob Browatzke, the co-owner of Evolution Wonderlounge. “Our second preliminary is coming up March 6, which narrows it down to semi-finals on March 20 and the finale is April 17,

“It is [an] absolute mind-boggling display of talent,” he said.

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Browatzke said that anyone who has an appreciation for dance and performance will find something to enjoy.

“This is our sixth year doing this now,” he said.

2:04 Southern Alberta drag queen has big talent, big hair and big heart

Macbeth at Concordia University: March 6-8 and 13-15
$15- $20, Al and Trish Huehn Theatre

Support Edmonton’s next generation of theatre and check out the Concordia University’s production of Macbeth. The event runs for two weekends and aims to showcase what goes on at the university’s drama department, but expect to see young actors from all departments showing off their hidden talents.

The Children at The Roxy on Gateway: March 10-22
$18-24, The Roxy on Gateway

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Are you looking to imagine life after an apocalyptic tsunami and nuclear disaster? Maybe not in reality, but the premise of this play certainly is unique. A pair of scientists hole up and try to live a normal life post-disaster. But of course the drama that unfolds doesn’t actually have to do with waves or radiation; it’s all wrapped around a visitor from their past.

Downtown Dining Week: March 11-22
$20 for lunch, $35 or $50 for dinner, Various downtown restaurants

4:14 Downtown Dining Week set to kick off in Edmonton this March

It’s the downtown foodie event that aims to get office dwellers and evening diners alike to get out and sample some of the fine foods in Edmonton’s downtown core. This 12-day festival is great because it has so many options (more than 45 restaurants!) and most eateries that are participating offer a lunch option as well a two-tiered dinner option, meaning its the perfect time to get out for a night on the town or to stop in for a quick lunch.

“For lunch and brunch, it’s $20 for a two-course meal,” said Tracy Hyatt, marketing and communications manager at the Downtown Business Association. “So that’s a pretty good deal.”

This marks the 16th year for the event.

“In the past couple of years, we have had so many restaurants open downtown,” Hyatt said.

“No matter what sort of cuisine you’re looking for, it’s a good introduction to restaurants if you’ve never checked it out — or new restaurants that are downtown.

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St Patrick’s Day Pick: Sherbrooke Liquor Green Beer Tasting: March 12
$20, Sherbrooke Liquor Store

5:00 Experts at Sherbrooke Liquor give insight into Alberta craft beer market

You might not expect Sherbrooke Liquor, a staple in Edmonton’s craft beer and liquor scene, to be hosting an event that encourages food-coloured beer, but this one comes with a twist. The store invites beer lovers to come in and see if they can still guess the type of beer they’re drinking (Stout? Porter? IPA? Saison?) if it’s coloured like a leprechaun. The store also runs a series of other tastings regularly, so check out their website for other options.

DeadbyCon Horror Festival: March 14-15 
$25- $75 Sawridge Inn and Conference Centre Edmonton South

Get your horror on with this indie festival that just launched in the city last year! The locally-produced event is bringing in some classic horror stars and everything bloody to get those who love to be spooked ramped up. While this isn’t something to bring your kids to, if you have any interest in things horror, it’s the place to be.

Alberta Ballet: Peter Pan:  March 27- 29
$47-$151 Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

The Alberta Ballet Company kicks off its 2020 season with a classic most people know through its 1953 Disney adaptation, but the critically-acclaimed ballet version was first launched in 2001 in Washington. It’s been performed all around the world since it was choreographed, but this is the first time for the Alberta company. And yes, there’s a crocodile.

Hometown Hockey Tour: March 28-29
Free, Rogers Place

For anyone and everyone who lives and breathes hockey and the Oilers. The Rogers Hometown Hockey event is travelling around the country (along with Ron MacLean) and will take place at Rogers Place during the last weekend of the month. Expect hockey-themed activities, alumni meet-and-greets and a finale of the Oilers facing off against the Anaheim Ducks on the Sunday. And hey — not to fuel Alberta rivalries — but the event isn’t going to Calgary this year.

Quidditch Canada National Championships: March 28-29
Admission by donation, Foote Field

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Quidditch is a real sport? Yes, believe it, and teams from all across the country who have a love for the game that began in the Harry Potter series will be converging upon Foote Field to face off. Perfect for families, HP fanatics and those wondering what it’s like to ride a broom. There will also be a variety of family-friendly, wizard-themed activities going on throughout the tourney.

Chicago The Musical: March 30 & 31
$51-$166 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

A great opportunity to check out some Broadway-calibre theatre right here in Edmonton, and why not take advantage of a show with the razzle-dazzle of the roaring 20s. The musical is touring so it’s only in the city for two short days.

You can also find more Edmonton events on Global Edmonton’s OurYEG community page.

Suggestions for next month or have something that should have been featured this month? Email allison.bench@globalnews.ca