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Lindork’s Lists #68 – BOMYEG Pop-up Market, BiodiverCity Challenge, outdoor concerts, gluten-free eats and more!
Newsletter for June 9 – 15 2021
Please note: Alberta has restrictions in place to address COVID-19. I do encourage you to try and support local businesses during this time, if you’re able, but do so in a safe way. Wear masks, sanitize regularly, avoid crowds, keep at a distance, shop alone, take-out / eat outside, choose digital options if avail and stay home if you are sick.
As well, some deadlines may have passed for time-sensitive food/event recommendations. If you are a newsletter subscriber, you would get first dibs before deadlines pass.
Shop the BOMYEG Pop-up Market at 124 Grand Market
Black-Owned Market Edmonton is teaming up with 124 Grand Market to put on a pop-up market this Thursday, June 10 from 4 to 8 p.m. Stroll down 108 Ave and 124 Street to browse and shop from several Black-owned small businesses in the city.
Dive into some interesting topics at virtual Pecha Kucha Night 36
Ever been to Pecha Kucha Night? Basically, presenters have 20 slides (20 seconds per slide) to tell you about a specific topic. The topics are so wide-ranging and always interesting! Edmonton’s 36th edition of Pecha Kucha takes place Friday, June 11 will be virtual and feature 9 presenters.
Participate in the YEG BiodiverCity Challenge 2021
from June 10-13, take part in Edmonton’s BiodiverCity Challenge! “Nature lovers and enthusiasts, it’s time to go outside and explore our own backyard. Participate in the Edmonton region’s annual biodiversity photo challenge!” The community is invited to join the region’s naturalists, species experts, and environmental groups in documenting as many species as you can! Simply upload your photos of birds, plants, mammals, moss, lichen, mushrooms and insects to iNaturalist or NatureLynx app and your contributions will be used to help understand more about the species that call our region home (plus, you get a nice opportunity to explore outside).
Explore and support local art at the Whyte Ave Art Walk
The annual Whyte Avenue Art Walk returns this year as a two month, every-weekend event inside the former Army & Navy Department Store at 10411 82 Ave. It kicks off June 11 and runs til Aug 1 every Fri, Sat, Sun. You’re invited to browse and support local artists! Tickets are $5 for the day or free entry with food bank donation from 3-4 p.m. Kids 12 and under free.
Get tickets to Together Again Outdoor Concert Series
The team at Trixstar, one of Edmonton’s premier event/concert management companies, has launched the Together Again Outdoor Concert Series—Canada’s first dedicated, physically-distant concert venue. Tickets for all announced shows are on sale June 11 at 10 a.m. Check out the concept and how it works on the Together Again website.
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
Support local restaurants with take-out/pick-up orders! Review current Alberta COVID-19 restrictions here.
Try new gluten-free restaurant Wheet Nothings (5411 51 St., Stony Plain, AB)
There’s a new, gluten-free focused restaurant called Wheet Nothings located inside the Multicultural Heritage Centre in the Town of Stony Plain just west of Edmonton, and it’s where those living with celiac disease can FINALLY get their hands on a gluten-free donair! Among other gluten-free sandwiches, salads, and mains. They have a great patio too.
Eat some modern Vietnamese cuisine at XO Bistro (two locations)
This week I tried some of the ‘modern Vietnamese’ dishes at XO Bistro, which expanded from its downtown location to Windermere / MacTaggart area during the pandemic. Delicious calamari and tamarind pawns were had, plus a lovely ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ lychee drink. Dishes are pricier than what you’d find at your more traditional Vietnamese spots (just in case you were expecting it to be like a typical Vietnamese restaurant), but I love their creativity and modern twists on classic dishes.
Dig into tostadas and enchiladas from Calle Mexico (various locations)
I picked up some Mexican food from Calle Mexico and had just the loveliest little park picnic last week. Their enchiladas and tostadas are most excellent. You also need to order their tres leches cake (cake drenched in three types of milk). Delish!
Split this epic seafood poutine from Chartier (#102 5012 50 St., Beaumont, AB)
My jaw DROPPED when I saw this photo of French-Canadian restaurant Chartier’s new and improved ‘Rosenau Poutine’ – featuring Effing Seafoods Atlantic lobster, PEI mussels, manila clams, Old School Cheesery curds, housemade lobster-bisque and hand cut fries. An epic seafood poutine that you should totally order to share with someone! Or eat it all on your own, I’m not here to judge lol.
Vietnamese pho from my parents restaurant King Noodle House (10615 97 St.)
With restaurant dining rooms reopening as of June 10, I wanted to take a moment to ask you to please consider supporting my parents restaurant King Noodle House Pho Hoang. Like many small business owners, my parents have seen sharp declines in business since the pandemic began (80-90% decrease in revenue depending on the day, seriously). Consider ordering Pho To Go (Vietnamese soup take out!) or if comfortable, as restrictions ease, please consider dining in again to support them.
The building is also listed for sale, if you know anyone who wants to buy a building in Chinatown, but it’ll be a difficult path for them until the place sells.
Thanks also to Nick for sharing his mini review of Chiffonology, which was recommended in last week’s newsletter:
“It is absolutely delicious. We ordered her pandan kaya sandwich and it was so good, strong pandan smell which we love. We ordered her fruit box and a whole cake for Father’s Day. Only thing is her price is on the higher side but if its delicious, I’m okay paying that premium.” – Nick L.
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.
Small Business Spotlight
In this new section of Lindork’s Lists, I shout out to support small businesses that aren’t necessarily food/restaurant or event-based.
In this week’s Small Business Spotlight, I’m shouting out to:
Laser City, which has been closed for most of the pandemic but have been doing two main things to keep lights on staff employed! If you’re not comfortable shooting lasers indoors as we start to reopen, consider these alternatives to support this business:
VR Home Rentals ($99 for a 5 day rental of our VR headset. It comes pre-loaded with a ton of games. Plus, it’s wireless so you can use it anywhere!) or the Codo Club which provides Online Camps and Clubs for kids ages 6 to 12 to participate in from home. Supervised and run by one of our experienced and vetted staff, kids will learn new skills in favourite games (like Minecraft, Among Us and Roblox), interact with other kids from across the country, as well as participate in fun and interesting activities.
Coming Soon: Q&A with Brandy Yanchyk
Every other Sunday, I profile a new “interesting person” in a Q&A series just for paid newsletter subscribers. My next Q&A comes out this Sunday, June 13, 2021, featuring Edmonton-based journalist and documentary filmmaker Brandy Yanchyk.
The Q&A will be released publicly on this blog one month after paid subscribers get it!
Here’s an excerpt from our Q&A:
“I created a travel series called Seeing Canada. It’s airing on Amazon Prime Video around the world and to ninety percent of PBS households in the USA. I loved being the producer, director and host of Seeing Canada because I was able to explore my home country of Canada and go to remote and unique places like Nunavut, Sable Island in Nova Scotia and the Great Bear Rainforest in British Columbia.” – Brandy Yanchyk
To get the full Q&A, plus a Q&A every other Sunday, access to exclusive paid subscriber-only giveaways, and to support the work I do, upgrade!
No pressure of course! These weekly emails for free subscribers (you!) will continue to be sent out.
Exclusive Giveaways Coming Soon!
I’m just confirming the details but I should have a few newsletter subscriber giveaways for you in the coming weeks (before end of June) so newsletter subscribers—do stay tuned for that! If you’re not subscribed yet, you can subscribe for free to get my full Lindork’s Lists in your inbox every Wednesday and qualify for a chance to win newsletter-subscriber-only giveaways!
New on the Blog
This summer I’m inviting you to #ExploreABwithMe!
As we enter our second pandemic summer, with travel restrictions still in place, I know many of you are looking for ideas for things to safely do close to home. Luckily I’ve got lots of ideas for you!!!! And I thought it would be fun to turn the ideas and exploration into something of a travel passport. I want to put my past blog travel guides to good use to help you plan your Alberta Adventure this summer.
And if you share about your adventures on social media (tag me and #ExploreABwithMe), you’ll be entered to win various prizes (a grand prize and smaller participation prizes—prizes to be announced lol).
Subscribe for More!
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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
- Promo Codes / Discounts
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