Lindork’s Lists #161 – Laser Show, Local Chocolates, Guide To Vietnamese Cuisine In Edmonton And More!
Newsletter for March 29-April 4, 2023
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Things to Do This Week
We’re still in a pandemic! In general, please stay home if sick, mask up, get boosted, etc.
Check out the Taylor Swift Laser Show (TELUS World of Science)
The TELUS World of Science is showing Taylor Swift Laser Shows starting this week. The hour-long show “takes Taylor Swift’s biggest hits and brings them to life in dazzling laser light.” Shows run weekends through May.
Catch Spring on the Square festivities (Sir Winston Churchill Square)
From Noon to 4 p.m. daily this week for Spring Break, the Edmonton Arts Council is hosting Spring on the Square—FREE, family-friendly drop-in activities at Churchill Square with live DJs, giant games and more.
Take in the annual Orchid Fair Show & Sale (Enjoy Centre, St. Albert)
The Orchid Society of Alberta’s Annual Orchid Fair Show & Sale runs March 31-April 2 at the Enjoy Centre. This is the largest event of its kind in western Canada with over 15,000 square feet of displays and sales area plus 15 local and international vendors.
Go on a Paranormal Tour at Fort Edmonton Park
Fort Edmonton Park’s Paranormal Tours wraps up soon (April 12). Get tickets to learn the fundamentals of paranormal investigations and become an expert ghost hunter as you investigate Fort Edmonton Park’s most haunted hotspots and hear their best-kept ghost stories.
Check out the inaugural Ukrainian Film Festival (Metro Cinema)
Get tickets for the inaugural Ukrainian Film Festival in Edmonton (UFFE) running March 31-April 2, featuring a selection of Ukrainian films that have been acclaimed by world critics and have won various international awards.
It’s the final weekend for Pride & Prejudice at the Citadel Theatre
It’s your last chance to catch one of literary history’s most famous couples comes to life in this modern take on Jane Austen’s most famous works: Pride and Prejudice at the Citadel Theatre. Performances wrap up April 1.
Here’s a few more markets taking place this weekend:
Crafters to the Rafters Spring Handmade Market – runs April 1 & 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park Pavilion in Stony Plain. Free to attend.
Curated Collective Local Market – runs March 31 (7-10 p.m.) & April 1 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at Sparrow Lane in Spruce Grove. Free to attend.
Hazeldean Eggcellent Easter Market – runs April 1 from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 9630 66 Ave. Free admission / donations to Food Bank are encouraged. Includes Easter Scavenger Hunt.
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
Grab a coffee and doughnut for PACT Coffee’s anniversary (10370 82 Ave.)
Happy one-year anniversary to PACT Coffee in Old Strathcona! Swing by for a coffee and doughnut to celebrate.
Visit Green Ash Cafe before ownership changes (8903 83 Ave.)
The yellow doors of the Green Ash Cafe are closing on March 31. Swing by the Bonnie Doon cafe for drinks, snacks and lunch before they shutter. The new owners apparently have an exciting project planned for the space.
Eat French Canadian cuisine for Chartier’s anniversary (5012 50 St., Beaumont)
Congratulations to Chartier on their seven-year anniversary! The popular French Canadian restaurant in Beaumont was the most successful restaurant Kickstarter campaign in Canada and the first successful restaurant Kickstarter campaign in Alberta when it first started. To celebrate its seven-year anniversary, Chartier also announced the expansion of its bakery.
Order from The Violet Chocolate Company one last time (online)
After 11 years, The Violet Chocolate Company has announced is closure. The award-winning local chocolatier just released a final Nostalgia collection, along with their Easter chocolate collection, both of which will be their final collections.
Try Hunan Family Cuisine (10558 109 St.)
Thanks to Neal for sharing about Hunan Family Cuisine, a Chinese restaurant with apparently no English on the menu (makes for a fun ordering/dining adventure!) you could try. (They do have an online ordering menu that includes English if you didn’t want to randomly pick lol).
Here’s a few upcoming food events to consider:
The April All Vegan Buffet at Padmandi takes place on April 7. Reservations are recommended (walk-ins are welcome, you may just have to wait for a table).
April marks Filipino Restaurant Month in Canada and there are at least four Filipino restaurants in Edmonton participating like Cebuchon & BBQ!
TNT is celebrating 30 years with 30% off and other deals online + in-store!
And check out Explore Edmonton’s new “Must-Try New Restaurants” list!
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
Gander Disc Golf is an Edmonton-based disc golf shop that started online in 2020 before opening a storefront and warehouse in 2021 thanks to support from the disc golf community (locally and across Canada). Mike recently ordered a few discs from them in preparation for the 2023 season. He got into disc golf last year and really loves it. It’s basically golf but with frisbee/discs. It’s not too intensive a physical activity but definitely gets the body working, is easy and affordable to start trying, gets you outside, and (at least we’ve found for men), is a great way to bond over something that isn’t beers in a pub lol. Perhaps an activity you want to pick up this year!
New on the Blog
There are some excellent options for Vietnamese food in Edmonton, especially recently, with an influx of trendier spots! With so many Vietnamese restaurant options available now, I thought I’d put together a new blog post From the Trendy to the Traditional: Guide to Vietnamese Restaurants in Edmonton including new + trendy, tried, true and traditional, and spots with unique / specialty dishes.
From the Blog Vault
Around this time in March 2020, I put together an interactive “Spin the Wheel of Local” blog post as a way to support local businesses during the early days of the pandemic. Many of the options (and the wheel functionality itself) still works if you want to give it a spin to spontaneously decide what to support this week!
Save $$$ with my Discount Codes
I regularly partner with awesome companies to offer discounts that save you money! The codes vary throughout the year but here’s a few to take advantage of right now…
Get 15% off at Princess & The Pea using code LINDA15!
On first-time orders/email accounts only. Excludes Jellycat and Canada Goose items.Get 20% off regular price items at Bamboo Ballroom using code LINDORK20!
Some News to Know
I’m piloting a new newsletter section sharing a few local / national news you may be interested in each week—from light and heartwarming to hopeful, political & more!
I like this trash art popping up across Canada from Montreal artist Junko.
Anyone got $8 million and want to own two ski resorts in B.C.?
This is a nice story about how Bonnie Doon Shopping Centre is staying alive and fighting a Canada-wide mall slump with some fun and unconventional tenants.
In case you missed it: Su-Ling Goh / Global Edmonton wrapped up Mike and my decade-long infertility journey with this nice story about baby Benjimin’s arrival.
Health care in the province continues to not be okay as Alberta sees the highest number of family medicine spots vacant in a decade.
Popular on my Blog Right Now
Here are the top four most popular posts on my blog this week:
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- Food to Try This Week
- Walls of the Week
- Interesting Thing on the Internet
- Social Media Did You Knows
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