Lindork’s Lists #144 – Holiday Light Up, Tropical Sweets, Bloom Cookies and more!
Newsletter for November 29-December 6, 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
We’re still in a pandemic! Please mask up, stay home if sick, and get vaccinated/boosted.
Kick off the season at the Holiday Light Up downtown (Rice Howard Way)
The Downtown Holiday Light Up is taking place at Rice Howard Way this Saturday, Dec. 3 from 3-8 p.m. It’s a FREE event featuring art installations, music, a Christmas market, maple taffy, donuts, hot bevvies and more.
Check out these big, local Christmas Markets (various locations)
The Royal Bison Art & Craft Sale returns this weekend Dec. 2-4 at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Centre featuring items from more than 70 local vendors selling everything from prints to ceramics, apparel to toys, woodworking, books and more! $4 admission (kids get in free).
The annual Butterdome Craft Sale also returns this weekend Dec. 1-4 at the University of Alberta’s Butterdome, featuring more than 220 artists, artists, makers and designers from across Canada.
The Edmonton Christmas Market is happening Wednesdays through Sundays from now until Dec. 18 at Fort Edmonton Park. There will be more than 100+ rotating marketing vendors (depending on the week), plus lots of holiday activities, live performances, workshops, food + drink on site!
Explore Old Strathcona and enter their Whyte Wishes contest (various locations)
Old Strathcona’s Whyte Wishes contest is back and from Nov. 25 to Dec. 18, all you have to do is share your #WhyteWishes for a chance to win the gift you want! So go, browse, share, and maybe win a gift! They’re buying one gift a day (max value $100) and you can enter as many times as you like.
Check out the Canadian Premier Giant Soft Bricks Playland (Southgate Centre)
There’s a new attraction at Southgate Centre—a family-friendly, indoor Giant Soft Bricks Playland featuring 15 different play areas. It’s $7 admission per child (with some proceeds supporting Make a Wish Foundation Canada). Children must be 12 and under to play (and you have to wear socks, also bring hand sanitizer lol). This is at the mall from now until mid-February.
Get tickets to Victoria School of Arts’ Legally Blonde Musical (10210 108 Ave.)
Anyone else love Legally Blonde as much as I did? lol Victoria School of Performing Arts is putting on Legally Blonde the Musical from Dec 1-3 p.m. at 7 p.m., based off the wildly popular 2001 movie. Follow Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams!
Attend the Edmonton Comfort Food Cookbook Launch (10139 87 Ave.)
Converse and Cook, an organization that builds community through food, is hosting their Edmonton Comfort Food Cookbook Launch this Sunday, Dec. 4 from 12-3 p.m., the book features more than 50 recipes and stories from community members (including me / my mom’s Vietnamese pork dish!) and there will be food to sample from businesses featured in the cookbook. Free to attend (but RSVP), and you have the option to buy a cookbook there!
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.
Show some love to Bloom Cookie Co. (10350 124 St.)
The very delicious Bloom Cookie Co. were sadly victims of a break-in this week, so it would be a good time to place an order! They specialize in egg, dairy and nut-free, 100% vegan cookies. It’s really good.
Pick up some holiday cookies and cruffins from Brio Bakery (12021 102 Ave.)
I know holiday treats are some of your favourite reasons to love this time of year! Brio Bakery is releasing their holiday cookies and cruffins starting this week, and be sure to find other holiday specials at local bakeries this Dec!
Check out the new Tropical Sweets Cafe (10235 124 St.)
From the fine folks of Smokin’ Barrels Cocina Latina comes the new Tropical Sweets Cafe on 124 Street! This cafe offers sweet and savoury Latin treats and drinks including yuca waffles, Mexican and Urban bites, 3 leches cakes and Mexican brownies, and more. If it’s anything like the flavours of their Barrels Cocina restaurant, it’s going to be good. Can’t wait to try!
Share an Ethiopian platter at Mesob Habesha Fusion (10546 109 St.)
I absolutely loved my experience at Mesob Habesha Fusion Ethiopian restaurant a couple of weeks ago. It’s just a bit north of MacEwan Downtown and the decor is as cute as the food is delicious. Plan to eat with your hands! That’s the way to do it, by taking some injera (sour fermented Ethiopian bread) with your hands and using it to scoop up meats and vegetables.
Share Spanish tapas from Bodega (various locations)
I recently shared the best Spanish tapas in the city at Bodega (124 Street, but they have locations in all parts of the Edmonton area!) as part of some work I did for Explore Edmonton. The braised boar cheeks, grilled artichokes, Spanish meatballs, bacon-wrapped dates and Piri Piri Prawns (or chicken) are always so good. On Thursdays they do $80 for 8 tapas + a bottle of wine too!
Eaten 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.
Small Business Spotlight
Gurmeet is the local artist and owner of Rias Fluid Arts which specializes in personalized resin gifts and homeware. She’ll be at the Edmonton Christmas Market specifically on Dec 14-18 (and you can browse her online shop to find items or order something special!) Her latest items are these beautiful handmade Christmas ornaments using resin and glitter. Check it out!
Got a suggestion for a small business to spotlight? Let me know!
Christmas Giveaways Coming Soon!
My annual “A Very Lindork Christmas” giveaways 🎁 will run on my social media + blog Dec. 5-16, 2022, with separate prizes for newsletter subscribers in the Wednesday, Dec. 7, 14, and 21 email newsletters. I’ll also have an assortment of promo codes for those interested in getting a bit of a discount to support featured businesses!
Encourage a friend or family member to subscribe! If they live, work or play in the Edmonton area—as you know, it’s a pretty handy email to get—and if they subscribe before the Dec. 7, 14, and 21 emails, they’ll be able to enter to win too!
Discount Codes To Take Advantage Of
Get 15% off Value Park at the Edmonton International Park with code LINDORK15. Book by Dec. 31 for travel by March 31, 2022.
Get 20% off regular price items at Bamboo Ballroom with code LINDORK20.
Get up to 90% off your first Fresh Prep order with code INFLINDORK90.
From the Blog Vault
As I’m writing this from Barbados, I figured I’d share some of last year’s Barbados Travel Guides (video blog format) in case you’re planning a trip! I’ll be doing some more Travel Guides (written blog post format) following this year’s trip.
Popular on my Blog Right Now
Here are the top four most popular posts on my blog this week:
- Edmonton Advent Calendars to Gift for the Holidays (Nov 2022)
- Edmonton Food Faves We Crave (2022) (Oct 2022)
- 10 Bites Under $10 in Edmonton’s Chinatown (Nov 2022)
- Travel Guide: 12 Foods to Eat in Maui, Hawaii (May 2019)
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The full Lindork’s Lists includes:
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- Food to Try This Week
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Day 3 contest
Broadway bound