Lindork’s Lists #254 – Lunar New Year festivals, Black History Month kick-off, NEW Columbia Sportswear Store & MORE!
Newsletter for January 29-February 4, 2025
Note: this is the public version of my weekly email newsletter that gets sent to subscriber inboxes first each Wednesday. If you’re looking at this public version, there’s a chance you miss out on events earlier in the week! Get the full newsletter first by becoming a free subscriber.
Happy Lunar New Year!
It’s the Year of the Snake 🐍 (my year!) The wood snake characteristics are said to include transformation, reflection, mysteriousness, intelligence, balance, and ambition. 💚 I hope that is meaningful and inspiring to you for this coming year.
Things to Do This Week
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Togather Chinatown Arts Festival (9540 102 Ave.)
The second annual Togather Chinatown Arts Festival returns Saturday and Sunday Feb. 1 & 2 at the Edmonton Chinatown Multicultural Centre (9540 102 Ave.) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. There’s a big artist market, Chinatown food court, live music, dancing, cultural workshops and more. FREE to attend.
RSVP for FREE Eating Edmonton Chinatown film screenings and filmmaker panel presented by FascinAsian Film Festival – Edmonton at Togather on Sunday, Feb. 2! The inaugural film festival runs May 9-11.
Pop by the Chinatown Chow Down table at Togather Chinatown to see me and volunteers, pick up a Chinatown Chow Down Challenge culinary passport and learn more about how to dine your way through the neighbourhood, support local restaurants and win prizes for it!
I’m also doing a GIVEAWAY in partnership with Togather Chinatown Arts Festival. Enter on Instagram to win one of two prizes!
Experience Lunarlicious by AsiaFest (South Common 2027 98 St.)
There’s a lively indoor Lunar New Year festival Lunarlicious by Asiafest taking place at South Edmonton Common from Jan. 31-Feb. 2, featuring 70+ vendors, live performances, photo op spots, lots of food options and more! FREE to attend!
Here’s a few more ways you can celebrate Lunar New Year in Edmonton
The Lunar Night Market Series at LAST Modern Events in downtown Edmonton kicks off this Friday Jan. 31, then subsequent Friday nights Feb. 7 and Feb. 14 from 6-11 p.m. $2 admission (proceeds to Chinatown initiatives).
Kingsway and the Chinese Graduates Association of Alberta’s Lunar New Year Festival is on Saturday, Feb. 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. FREE to attend.
Celebrate winter in Edmonton at Flying Canoe Volant!
Flying Canoe Volant, Edmonton’s annual winter festival celebrating French-Canadian, First Nation and Métis heritage, runs Jan. 29 – Feb. 1 at La Cite Francophone, Mill Creek Ravine, and Ecole Rutherford School. The festival features illuminated trails, ice sculptures, relay races and snow slides, visual projections, live music and more! FREE to attend.
Mark Black History Month in and around Edmonton
Get tickets to 5 Artists 1 Love: Soul in the City on Saturday, Feb. 1 at the Winspear Centre. “Soul In The City” is a love letter to Edmonton, with a story that shares the many influences and mosaic of cultures, rooted and grounded in the rich history of the African diaspora, that have shaped the city.
Attend the Black History Month Opening Ceremony presented by the City of Edmonton and the National Black Coalition of Canada – Edmonton on Monday, Feb. 3 from 1-3 p.m. at the Citadel Theatre.
See the City of Edmonton’s full listing of Black History Month events
The Big-B Black History Month: Proclamation Festival put on by Black Impact Alliance Foundation of Beaumont is Saturday, Feb. 1 from 12-6 p.m. at the Beaumont Community Centre (5204 50 Ave.) It will feature live music, dance performances, art exhibits, food vendors and more! FREE to attend but you can pre-register.
Get tickets to Feed the Soul YEG’s Callaloo + Chow: Trini-Chinese Culinary Pop-up Opening Reception on Feb. 19 (and experience the culinary pop-up Feb 19-23). I’m also doing a food + Black artists tour with Feed the Soul founder Rochelle Ignacio on Feb. 22.
Experience the Indigenous Storytelling Series at Fort Edmonton
The Indigenous Storytelling Series kicks off at Fort Edmonton Park this weekend Saturday, Feb. 1 and runs until March 15. Learn the importance of the relationship between culture, Indigenous storytelling, and oral history. Each session will have curated stories intended for adult audiences. After the storytelling session, visit the Indigenous Peoples Experience.
Check out the NEW Columbia Sportswear Store in West Edmonton Mall Grand Opening on Friday, Jan. 31!
I’ve partnered with Columbia Sportswear to tell you all about their NEW store in West Edmonton Mall!
Here are the details:
Columbia Sportswear is opening at West Edmonton Mall this Friday, January 31!
Enjoy a gift with purchase for the first 100 customers per day THIS WEEKEND only. Plus, shop Winter Sale on select styles and get 10% off when you mention LINDORK10 at checkout. Gift with purchase is valid January 31-February 2. See store for details. While supplies last.
The NEW Columbia Sportswear is located inside West Edmonton Mall (8882 170 St., Upper Level (closest entrance is Entrance 45.
Store Hours: Monday – Saturday 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Save the Date: Sturgeon County Winterfest!
Winterfest returns Saturday, February 22 from 3-8 p.m. at the Sturgeon Agriplex.
Save the date and plan to experience tons of outdoor and indoor fun at the FREE fest!
Winterfest activities include:
Alberta Petting Zoo
Pony rides with Carousel Amusements
Maple syrup sticks with the Canadian Mapleshack*
Horse-drawn wagon rides between the Agriplex to the Cardiff Park Skating Trail from Longriders Sleigh and Wagon Rides
Outdoor Activities with Fearless in the Forest
Step inside the Agriplex for Hot Dogs, Chili, S’mores kits and beverages from Celebrations Flare Catering*
Warm up while decorating cookies from A Worthy Cookie*
Colouring activity for the wee ones indoors
Fire pits for warming and roasting smores
*Food and beverages are free and available while supplies last.
Bundle up and bring your winter spirit to Sturgeon County!
Thanks to Sturgeon County for supporting my small business with this sponsored message.
Here are a few other events you may be interested in this week…
There’s an Intimate Magic Experience with Chris Gowan at The Rec Room happening weekends through February and March (starting Feb. 1).
I wish I could attend this Vietnamese performance! Please go for me. Mile Zero Dance Presents Bleu Neon | Kim-Sanh Châu (Montreal) on Feb 1 & 2.
Register to participate in the Edmonton Polar Plunge supporting Special Olympics Alberta on Sunday, Feb. 2.
Get tickets to The Enchanted Stage, a family-friendly magic, comedy and community show taking place Sunday Feb. 2.
King of Yees, a comedy set in San Francisco’s Chinatown, runs at the Walterdale Theatre from Feb 5-15.
Winter City Weekends (Ice Grooves and Swing & Skate) takes place every weekend til Feb. 28. There are also FREE daily skate rentals City Hall Plaza.
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!
Go for a 10-course meal at Dynasty Century Palace (9700 105 Ave., Pacific Mall0
I had a great dinner at the “Not Your Average Lunar New Year Banquet” over the weekend. The party was held at Dynasty Century Palace and each table shared multiple courses throughout the evening. Everything but the rice I thought was delicious!
Pick up some locally-made Lunar New Year treats (various locations)
Chocorrant Patisserie + Cafe is offering the following Lunar Year New specials: Bolo BBQ pork croissants, mini salted eggyolk croissants, and matcha red bean / honey mandarin cream puffs.
Yelo’d Ice Cream + Bake Shoppe’s Lunar New Year treats include Matcha cookies with Lucky Candy (strawberry) frosting, Yin Yang Lucky Cat Oreo’d Cookies, Strawberry Milktea Dragon Poloborns, Orange Truffles and various Lunar New Year-inspired shortbread cookie flavours.
Check out Fawkes Cafe & Bakery
Alex, my new intern, wants you to check out Fawkes Cafe & Bakery this week!
“The vibes here are immaculate. Fawkes Cafe & Bakery has a super cozy, vintage-inspired theme going on with lots of muted colours and brass accents inside. The shelves are filled with leather-bound books, small globes and mini marble statues. It’s a great spot to settle in with a coffee or work on your laptop. With my long coat and newsboy cap, I feel right at home. If you’re into dark academia vibes, you should definitely check this place out,” says Alex! Let us know if you go.
Fawkes Cafe & Bakery is at 10137 104th, open daily 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Grab some Vietnamese at Mai Mai Viet Street Kitchen (14221 23 Ave.)
I sent a friend some delicious Vietnamese cuisine from Mai Mai Viet Street Kitchen this week as a pick-me up for some things going on her life and she especially loved the Green Papaya Salad (Gỏi Đu Đủ)! I also ordered them the Curry Chicken (Cà Ri Gà), Fried Rice Cake with Egg (Bột Chiên Trứng), Beef Stew (Bò Kho) and Grilled Pork and Spring Rolls Vermicelli (Bún Thịt Nướng Chả Giò). Their Rare Beef Salad is also great!
Warm up with pasta from Bianco (10020 101A Ave.)
Diane recommends the pasta from Bianco in downtown Edmonton. She says:
“Excellent pasta for when you want comfort food on cold days. I had the Casarecce Al Ragù Bolognese, Tagliatelle Con Prosciutto Al Limone and Ricotta Parma Fresca. I like the convenience/proximity to the Citadel so it makes a great spot for pre-show meals. It was cold and I was dying for something hearty so my fave was the bolognese. They also apparently do the pasta in the parmesan wheel on Wednesdays. I saw a sign about it (but didn’t personally try it).”
And here are some upcoming food events you may be interested in!
Nomiya is offering Red Envelope surprise specials from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9.
Northern Chicken is coming back for a pop-up event on Jan. 31.
Don’t miss Kind Ice Cream’s “Ice Cream for Breakfast” on Feb. 1.
Brown Sugar Baking School is offering a Layers & Lattes Vintage Cake Workshop on Feb. 1.
A Cappella Catering is offering a Super Bowl Sunday feast (without the fuss!) if you want to place your order ahead of the Feb. 9 game.
Labo Coffee is hosting a Coffee Tasting on Feb. 9.
Meuwly’s has a few events coming up in February including Valentine’s Dinner for Two (Cooking Demo & Tasting) Feb. 9, Charcuterie & Wine Tasting Feb. 13, and Charcuterie & Craft Beer Tasting Feb. 22.
Wyrdstock 2025, where Edmonton craft breweries sell weird concoctions on tap, runs until Feb. 16.
Rosewood Foods’ annual Lunar New Year Dinner is on Feb. 16. Tickets go on sale this weekend (watch their Instagram account!)
Le Petit Chef a 3D immersive dinner theatre with the “world’s smallest chef” is on at the JW Marriott with dates listed until April 2025.
Seven Paintings, an interactive dinner show that combines art + technology (like super elevated Paint Night!) is on at the Renaissance Hotel with dates listed until May 2025.
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.
From the Blog Vault
Popular on my blog the last few weeks is my 2021 post: Food, Games, Greetings and Traditions for Vietnamese Tết (Lunar New Year) – A Celebration Guide if you’re still looking for some inspiration for food + festivities.
Save $$$ with my Discount Codes
I regularly partner with awesome companies to offer discounts that save you money!
Here’s a few promos you may be interested in…
Get 20% off regular priced items at Bamboo Ballroom with my code LINDORK20.
Get 10% off cooking classes at Secret Ingredient YEG with my code LINDORK10.
Get 10% off massage, acupuncture, energetic healing and medical aesthetics services at Park Integrative Health when you mention LINDORK at payment.
See all current discount codes on my blog!
As a TELUS Ambassador, if you sign up for TELUS products or services using my referral link / code, I also get some revenue (unfortunately you don’t get a bonus lol).
Popular on my Blog Right Now
Here are the top four most popular posts on my blog this week:
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