Lindork’s Lists #268 – Cat Fest, Children’s Fest, Smash Burgers & MORE!
Newsletter for May 28-June 3, 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.
Don’t miss the 2025 International Children’s Festival of the Arts May 29-June 1!! 🦋
Get tickets to the annual International Children’s Festival of the Arts returning to the City of St. Albert’s beautiful river valley tomorrow (May 29) until June 1.
There’s magic + fun for the whole family, and no shortage of entertainment with feature performance, free activities and tons of ticketed experiences to choose from including circus arts and break dancing to drumming and printmaking to hula hooping, fairy finding and more.
Don’t miss Toddler Town on the Global Edmonton River Trail, grab a bite from food trucks and the list goes on and on. Plus, entry onto festival site is absolutely free!
Everyone is welcome to drop in, explore the grounds and discover all the wonderful things to do.
#CityofStAlbert_Partner – Thank you to the City of St. Albert for supporting my small business with this sponsored message!
The Edmonton International Cat Festival is this Caturday, May 31!!
Alberta’s biggest and Canada’s longest-running cat festival (that I founded in 2014!)—the annual Edmonton International Cat Festival—returns this Caturday, May 31 to MacEwan Robbins Centre downtown (10910 104 Ave.) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.!
Join thousands of cat lovers in celebrating cats, cat culture and cat people, while raising money for cat rescues. Since 2014, this family-friendly festival has raised $170,000 for local cat rescues. This year’s main donation recipient is Little Cats Lost. I’m grateful to the meowny attendees, partners and people who help make this festival such a success and most importantly, help so many cats and kittens in need. It’s been an incredible privilege to see it grow from our first, small event in 2014 to what it has become today. We’re bringing in celebrity cats, offering cat crafts, LEGO, board games, purr-sentations, art workshops, pawzzles, challenges and other CATivities, plus a Vendor Meowcatplace featuring 50+ cat-themed booths, and MORE!
Edmonton International Cat Festival
Caturday, May 31, 2025
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
MacEwan Robbins Centre (10910 104 Ave).
Tickets: $15 (online, in-advance) $20 (at the door, cash – ATM on site)
Kids 12 and under get in FREE!
100% purr-ceeds donated to cat rescues.
Here are a few more Things to Do This Week!
Nerd Nite #88 is on Thursday, May 29, with nerdy subjects including how your medical data gets accessed, making your own sake and more!
The Chinatown Live Music Series kicks off on Friday, May 30 with headliner Jim Head at the Mah Society (9643 101A Ave.) Each show takes place at a different location in Chinatown and includes an Open Mic opportunity as well.
Western Canada’s largest Ukrainian festival U-Fest runs May 30 & 31 at Borden Park. FREE to attend.
Farmers Days (midway / carnival fun) is on in Stony Plain May 30-June 1.
The Edmonton Drag Festival runs May 30-June 1 at Churchill Square in downtown Edmonton! This is a FREE, family-friendly, with lots of performances! Check other Edmonton Pride events happening throughout June.
Heart of the City Music & Arts Festival takes place at Giovanni Caboto Park on May 31 & June 1. FREE to attend.
Hello Pretty Market runs this weekend May 31 and June 1 at the Enjoy Centre.
Tee Pee Treats Giving Back to the Streets event with free food, drummers, and entertainment is on Saturday, May 31 from 12-6 p.m. at Boyle Street Plaza (9538 103A Ave.) Donations of clothing, shoes, and other items can be dropped off starting at 11 a.m. that day.
Plant trees and shrubs at kihcihkaw aski-Sacred Land site on June 1 with the City of Edmonton! All ages event from 12-4 p.m. and includes bannock, tea, cultural performers and community exhibitors.
Catch $5 Tuesday admission at The Metro Cinema throughout the summer (first one starts Tuesday, June 3!)
Seniors’ Week at the Royal Alberta Museum is June 3-8, where visitors age 65+ get free admission! There’s a kick-off event June 3 as well.
Got an Edmonton area event, virtual event, or something coming up you think my readers would be interested in knowing about? Let me know!
RSVP for a FREE Summer BBQ Party in West Secord on Saturday, June 7!
I’m partnering with the community of West Secord to host and curate a Backyard BBQ party on Saturday, June 7 from 12-4 p.m. FREE to attend. FREE BBQ food from Bully Food Truck. FREE family-friendly activities including a custom slime station for the kids. Live music PLUS the first 75 people/families to RSVP for FREE can come pick up a FREE BBQ-themed swag bag at the event. * one bag per family
#WestSecord_Partner – Thank you to West Secord for supporting my small business with this sponsored message!
Food to Try This Week!
Attend a Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Dragon Food Tour throughout the summer!
The Chinatown Transformation Collaborative is back with their Dragon Food Tour offerings throughout the summer! Indulge in the Sweet Side of Chinatown, attend the Dragon’s Feast: Savoury Chinatown Food Tour, and Mini Dragon Food Tour: Savoury Meets Sweet. These are super low-cost ($10) and offered every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Aug. 31!
Try the allium-free cooking at Padmanadi Vegan/Vegetarian (various locations)
I was surprised to learn that Padmanadi, arguably Edmonton’s most popular Vegan/Vegetarian eatery, cooks with zero onions, garlics, or any alliums! My friend has a garlic & onion allergy so I immediately let her know, and you may wish to do the same for allium-free folks in your life lol.
Check out Flat Boy Burgers weekly features (9908 78 Ave.)
This week my friend Diane recommends trying Flat Boy Burgers’ “Feature Flatty.” “I had the Mushroom Swiss burger at Flatboy (it was their weekly feature). You get a double patty with one of them Oklahoma style (smashed onions in patty). It was so messy but lots of different textures and just so good!”
Also messy but delicious: Flipside BBQ’s Ube Burger (find them at an event!)
I saw one of my favourite local food trucks Flipside BBQ at the Moss Pitt before the Oilers games this week so had to hit them up for bites. Our go-to is their Flipbelly (pork belly on rice—phenomenal dish!) but we also tried their FLIPSIDE SMASH BURGER with a ground beef (halal) patty smashed flat on a hot surface with cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and pickles served on a filipino sweet bun (UBE or PANDAN) with homemade Flipside sauce. It was really really good (but like the previous burger mention—super messy lol).
I guess this week’s food section is burger themed, because I also wanted to shout-out to Tu Le of Jack’s Burger Shack located in St. Albert and downtown Edmonton, the recent winner of Big Burger Battle! Love the Asian / Vietnamese representation, and the delicious burgers and milkshakes you can get here!
And here are some upcoming food events you may be interested in!
The Grand Night Market at Happy Beer Street runs Fridays through the summer starting May 30, then June 27, July 25, Aug 29, Sept 26.
There is a Chocolate + Beer tasting event at Irrational Brewing on May 30.
Bloom: Haskap Festival is on May 31.
Alchemy Bar invites you to join them for a Sizzlin’ Summer Patio Kick-off on May 31 from 6-11 p.m.
Get Joy of Asia Bon Bon Asian Heritage Month chocolates while supplies last this May.
Kids eat free throughout May for weekday dinner buffets on the Edmonton Queen Riverboat!
Sips & Stuzzichini is an Italian wine dinner on June 1 at Darling.
Wild Rose Co-op is hosting a Wine Club event on June 1.
Spilt Zero Proof Bar’s invites you to explore Street Drinks from Around the World June 10, 24.
Vagabond Summer Bistro pops up Thursdays to Sundays at Under the High Wheel in Old Strathcona starting June 20.
The next Chinatown After Dark events are June 21, July 19, Aug 23.
Grab a spot at a Japanese Tea Ceremony at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden before they sell out, like the May 25 one. The next one is June 29.
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.
Last chance to order from my 2025 Asian Heritage Month Clothing Collection with ZEN LION DESIGN!
This is the final week to order from my Asian Heritage Month Clothing Collection collaboration with Edmonton business Zen Lion Design. There are nine designs to choose from, from more serious, social issues-inspired statements to more light-hearted, fun, culturally celebrating designs (like Soy Into You, Rice is Life, In The Mood for Noods, and more!) This is the fourth year of our annual collaboration!
20% of proceeds from this year’s sales will be donated to FascinAsian Film Festival – Edmonton!
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).
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- Food to Try This Week
- Walls of the Week
- Interesting Thing on the Internet
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