Lindork’s Lists #116 – Film Fests, Comedy, Charitable Brews, Fried Chicken and more!
Newsletter for May 11-17, 2022
Note: this is the public version of my weekly email newsletter that gets sent to subscriber inboxes first each Wednesday. Get the full newsletter first by becoming a free subscriber.
Things to Do This Week
If attending events, please check their COVID-19 safety requirements. It’s still a good idea to mask-up even if it’s no longer a provincial requirement. Get vaccinated/boosted. Stay safe!
Laugh at the Bonfire Improv Festival (10330 84 Ave.)
The annual Bonfire Improv Festival runs this weekend at the Backstage Theatre, featuring a number of shows that are bound to make you laugh. Every show at Bonfire is a new idea that they’ve never tried before! “It might work, it might not, but either way, it’ll be a joy to witness.” Tickets are pay what you can from $5-$20.
Check out NorthWest Fest (online and in-person at Metro Cinema 8712 109 St.)
This is the final weekend to catch Western Canada’s premiere non-fiction film, music and arts festival NorthWestFest, which features screenings in-theatre or online. Get tickets to Canada’s longest-running non-fiction film festival!
Attend the free Jewish Film Festival (online and in-person)
This is also the final weekend for the 26th Edmonton Jewish Film Festival, which showcases Jewish-themed films and shorts from Europe, Israel and the US. Complementing the films are Zoom talks with filmmakers. All films will be available online and three will be shown in-person at the Edmonton Public Library downtown. All films and events are FREE and open to one and all!
Experience 5 Artists 1 Love (Winspear Centre, 4 Sir Winston Churchill Sq. )
Get tickets to the debut Winspear performance of 5 Artists 1 Love, a music concert that provides a much needed stage for diverse, talented local singers, musicians, poets, and dancers focused on unique and historical impact that Black arts have had on the world.
Attend Paris Jewellers’ Asian Heritage Month event (16819 111 Ave.)
My friends at Paris Jewellers are hosting an Asian Heritage Month event on Thursday May 12, with 50% of ticket sales being donated to the Canadian Asian Solidarity Fund. Your ticket includes wine, appetizers, sweet treats, a gift bag and a first look at six new pairs of earrings!
Got an Edmonton area event, virtual event, or something coming up you think my readers would be interested in knowing about? Let me know!
Food to Try This Week
Please continue safely supporting local restaurants, in whatever way works for your comfort levels. If not dining in, please do take-out! Mask-up and please stay home if you’re sick.
Sip a ‘First Call’ brew in support of First Responders (various locations)
Campio (in Edmonton) and its sister brewpubs Last Best (Calgary), Banff and Jasper Brewing Co. have released the ‘First Call’ special brew with proceeds supporting First Responders in Alberta. You can find this limited edition brew at the breweries and liquor stores in May.
Grab some pastries from Duchess Bake Shop (10718 124 St.)
After 12 years, Giselle and Jacob, two of the three co-founders of renowned Duchess Bake Shop on 124 Street, are moving on. Jay and Ewa (also seasoned pros in the local food scene) are taking on the reins with original co-founder Garner. So bid Giselle and Jacob goodbye and welcome Jay and Ewa by picking up some pastries at Duchess!
Have sushi and sashimi at Sushi Park in St. Albert (9 St. Anne St.)
I enjoyed my sushi and sashimi at Sushi Park in St. Albert recently! This is a teeny tiny spot (no reservations) that serves up some delicious Japanese cuisine. We had to try the St. Albert Roll (you gotta order the roll of the city the restaurant is in—right?) which was great, and so was the torched salmon Awesome roll. I love me a chirashi raw fish bowl—and my friend liked the Viking roll though I thought it was too deep fried and heavy lol.
Eat fried chicken from Ralph’s Handi Mart (9508 87 St.)
The Travel Alberta video I did with my friend Chad K Productions, showcasing Ralph’s Handi Mart—a surprising hot spot for fried chicken in the Strathearn neighbourhood—is now out! It unfortunately came out after news that Ralph’s and other stores in that strip will be shutting down due to the LRT construction (cries) so get the fried chicken and meet Wally and the Saleh family while you can (uncertain if they’ll open in a different location after this one shuts down).
Try some ‘za for Pizza Week (various locations)
It’s the final weekend of Pizza Week, where various restaurants across the city offer different pizza specials including an Irish Potato Leek Pizza from Duggan’s Boundary or Campio’s OG deep dish Pepperoni.
And if you’re headed to Jasper, Alberta anytime soon—be sure to check out “secret dim sum” at the new-ish bubble tea spot downtown (Wishing Tea, at 621 Patricia St.) Someone told me they showed my video at the shop and got 10% off.
(I can’t guarantee they’ll do that for everyone but doesn’t hurt to ask! lol)
Ate something amazing recently? Want to show some love to a struggling restaurant? Have a take-out suggestion? Let me know to include in this newsletter.
Stay tuned: Sign up to #AdoptAShopAB on Monday, May 16, 2022!
Thanks to everyone who nominated businesses for this year’s #AdoptAShopAB: Foodie Edition powered by ATB Financial! We had 300 nominations, and my friend Carmen (from Calgary) and I have now finalized our list of 50 food/drink-focused businesses in Edmonton and 50 in Calgary, that we’ll be sharing on Monday, May 16—encouraging you to sign-up to “adopt” then shop (spend at least $25 at the business you signed up for) in an effort to collectively support these amazing local businesses!
Stay tuned for the business lists and sign-up sheets to be released May 16 then get ready to Adopt a Shop from May 16-30! Those who sign-up and those who share how they’re supporting businesses as part of the initiative will be entered for a chance to win gift card prizes from ATB—to continue your support of local businesses!
In the last three #AdoptAShopYEGs, hundreds of people signed up to participate and collectively spent more than $50,000 at local businesses (this figure included cash bonuses contributed by ATB) and injected much needed money to local businesses struggling during the pandemic.
We hope to do that again—but this time include Calgary shops as well! Businesses are still struggling and could use our support.
Watch Episode 34 of Lindork Does Life
Episode 34 of my new YouTube video series #LindorkDoesLife is out!
In this episode, I take you on a brunch crawl across Edmonton!
* note the listed playlist view count is wrong—I have more video views than that!! lol
This Sunday: Q&A with Nisha Patel
Every other Sunday, I profile a new “interesting person” in a Q&A series just for paid newsletter subscribers. The next person I’ll be profiling this Sunday, May 15, 2022 is Nisha Patel, an award-winning disabled, queer spoken word author & artist.
Here’s an excerpt from our Q&A:
Nisha: Being a disabled writer who is not at this point formally educated in art has required me to create my own metrics of success. This means working in a body that is differently productive and in flux; my normal is not the same as yours or my partner’s, it all varies by the hour. It also means if you’re disabled that even traditional artistic paths are not always on the table. The reality is that most artists in the world don’t achieve fame but instead work at the community level, so creating art in that settings is what matters. To do that under capitalism means valuing your own work, valuing each other, and ensuring there is sustainable success for you. And if you can’t survive off your art that’s not a requirement. You’re still an artist deserving artist payment. Living the life that keeps you safe and fulfilled is what matters.
If you’d like to become a paid subscriber to this newsletter to receive exclusive Q&As first in your inbox every other Sunday and support the work I do, upgrade below:
New on the Blog
Continuing with Asian Heritage Month content, new on my blog: I share a few tangible actions you can take this May to mark the month—from eating really good Asian food to exploring and appreciating Asian pop culture, and also a few ways to become a better anti-racist ally.
Popular on my Blog Right Now
For the third week in a row…
Here are the top four most popular posts on my blog this week:
Discount Codes You May Want To Use
I regularly partner with amazing businesses to promote their products or services and love to pass on discount codes for my followers. Here’s a few you might want to use this week:
Get 10% off your appointment at Vietnamese family-owned nail salon V5 Nails with code LINDORK10 until end of May 2022. (Use for as many appointments as you want during May)
Get 10% off your booking at Baker Creek Mountain Resort using code LINDORK
Get a free interior fridge cleaning add-on with Lil Sparkle or The Sparkle packages from Miraculous Maids with code LINDORK.
See more discount codes from great local businesses!
Subscribe for More!
Free subscribers to my weekly newsletter Lindork’s Lists receive the full, hyperlocal newsletter first in their inbox every Wednesday—before anyone else! You can also become a paid subscribers to receive access to more musings and stories written by me—or simply subscribe to support my work, especially if you’ve been following me for awhile and are so inclined :)
Learn more about Lindork’s Lists (and become a free or paid subscriber!)
The full Lindork’s Lists includes:
- Things to Do This Week
- Food to Try This Week
- Walls of the Week
- Interesting Thing on the Internet
- Social Media Did You Knows
- Exclusive Promo Codes / Discounts
- Exclusive Newsletter Subscriber-only Giveaways
- Newsletter Subscriber-only Access to Events
Paid subscribers also receive access to musings, stories, an exclusive Q&A every other Sunday, giveaways and more content (forthcoming lol). Becoming a paid subscriber also supports the content I share overall.
(You’ll get the option to subscribe for free or select a paid plan)