Things to Do in Edmonton This Weekend (Aug 14-16) We're back from Summer Break

If we were forward-thinkers, we would be out there shopping for school supplies - but instead, you’ll find us on our next adventure scoping out new playgrounds and exploring day trips from Edmonton on our summer bucket list - because that can wait until the very last minute. How ‘bout you? Shopping early? Last minute finish?

WHAT’S NEW THIS WEEK

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve created a brand new hub: Free Things to Do in Edmonton. It rounds up no-cost family activities across the city, including:

• Beekeeping Pop-up at Bonnie Doon: meet Bonnie Doon Centre’s urban beekeeping program at a pop-up booth beside the food court.

• Drop-in Solar Observing at University of Alberta: free solar telescope viewing at the U of A Observatory, Thursdays from noon to 1pm.

• Alberta Avenue Community Garden Open Garden Night: the community garden opens to the public every Thursday from 6:30-8:30pm until September 10.

• Free Outdoor Movie: Smurfs in Heritage Park: an outdoor movie night in Stony Plain’s Heritage Park, with a Smurfette meet-and-greet and games beforehand.

With a few short weeks left before the kids head back to school, you’ve still got time for summer camps.

There are a handful of spots left for lucky campers for the last week of camp launching next week at Riverwatch Summer Camps! RiverWatch Summer Camps are unforgettable 5-day, Monday to Friday summer day camps where youth float local rivers, explore the outdoors, and experience hands-on environmental science with certified RiverWatch guides.

Try e² Young Engineers LEGO summer camp. No repeated projects. Every morning it’s a fresh motorized LEGO machine to design, build, and make work. It’s real engineering they’ll be bragging about at dinner. Grades 1–9, full or half-day, Crestwood or Terwillegar

Bookmark it for whenever you need a fun outing that won’t cost a thing - this guide is updated daily for you to find the best free fun in Edmonton with your kids.

This is the first of a series of launches that will make it even easier to plan family-fun with your kids in Edmonton - and we’re excited to bring you along for the journey.

Edmonton has a packed weekend ahead, with festivals, free programs, and a few laid-back options for families who just want to slow down.

ON ALL WEEKEND

• Edmonton Fringe Festival KidsFringe brings free shows, crafts, and play to Edmonton Fringe. Kids 12 and under are welcome with a caregiver. Whyte Avenue Northwest.

• Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival The dragon boat event begins Friday, August 14, with a team managers’ meeting, race package pickup, and evening practices. Saturday brings the opening ceremony and races, with finals and awards on Sunday. Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.

• Free Meet the Alpacas at Aurora Alpacas Aurora Alpacas throws open the gate for Alberta Open Farm Days, with a chance to get up close with the fuzziest locals north of the city. 55305 Range Road 255. Find the full guide to Open Farm Days (and what you can do for free - right here)

FRIDAY, AUG 14

• Free Strathma Garden Explorers, 10:30am A free drop-in garden program for kids 4+ and parents at Strathcona Museum and Archives. 913 Ash Street.

• FREE Fired Up Fridays Glow Party, 5pm An 80s-themed glow party in the first turn tent during live racing, sponsored by Taylor Godin. Century Mile Racetrack and Casino, Nisku.

• Catch The Greatest Showman at the drive-in movie. $4 from every ticket is donated to Edmonton Valley Zoo. Have older kids? IT is a classic horror drive in that sounds like the perfect thing to watch early into the morning - from your car. Classic movie experience, if we’re checking things off of our summer bucket list.

SATURDAY, AUG 15

• Little Sprouts Drop-in Nature Program, 10am An outdoor adventure for little ones in Strathcona County, running Tuesday and Saturday mornings. 51418 Range Road 222.

• Youth Day Edmonton, 10am Bouncy castles, a live DJ, and a pile of prizes, all for free. 11520 153 Avenue Northwest.

• Cineplex Family Favourites: A Minecraft Movie, 11am Saturday morning movies for $3.99 continue with A Minecraft Movie. Locations across Edmonton.

• Drop-in Swim with Inflatables at Eastglen Leisure Centre, 1pm Eastglen’s Main Pool adds inflatables to select public swim times. 11410 68 Street Northwest.

• FAVA 2026 Summer BBQ, 2pm An evening of food, music, and community with FAVA and ELFF. Donnan Park.

• Peek in a Pond Family Program at Miquelon Lake, 2pm An interactive program exploring what lies beneath the surface of Grebe Pond.

• Sun Printing at the Park: Cyanotype Workshop, 2:30pm A laid-back, creative afternoon outdoors making prints with natural light. Materials provided. Hawrelak Park.

• Free Apple Workshop: Create Your Own Theme Song, 3pm Kids build a theme song for a favourite show, book, or game using GarageBand on iPad, covering rhythm basics along the way. West Edmonton Mall.

SUNDAY, AUG 16

• Head to a local U Pick farm. We’ve got the full guide of what’s ripe, where it’s ripe and activities on the farm for you in the 2026 U Pick Farm Guide. It’s an interactive guide, and map - so you can find the farm nearest to you, that’s growing what you want to pick. Exactly what you need to know before you go - no surprises when you get there.