6 Off-the-Beaten-Path Things to Do in Edmonton, Alberta

A great place for shopping and strolling is 124 Street, a walkable district just north of Jasper Avenue. There you'll find boutiques, art galleries and indie shops aplenty.

A few places worth a stop include Hideout Distro (12407 108 Ave. N.W.) for well-curated gifts; The Prints and the Paper (10725 124 St.) for posters and Alberta-themed goods; and Bearclaw Gallery (10403 124 St.) for unique art made by Canadian First Nations, Metis and Inuit artists.

If you visit the district on Thursday evenings or Sunday afternoons in summer, you'll be just in time for the 124 Grand Market. It's one of the most popular farmers’ markets in town.

Join throngs of locals exercising, picnicking and plain ol’ relaxing at Constable Ezio Faraone Park. Perched on a steep hillside, the park overlooks the North Saskatchewan River. The high vantage point lets you see the High Level Bridge and the High Level Bridge Streetcar. It’s also an access point for the Royal Glenora Stairs (a total of 202 heart-pumping steps!) and the trails of the Edmonton River Valley and Victoria Park.

Did you know that Edmonton has one of the largest stretches of urban parkland in North America? In fact, the city's total parkland is 22 times the size of New York City’s Central Park.

One of the best places to explore off-the-beaten-path is the Edmonton River Valley. The river valley is made up of numerous parks, trails and greenspaces along the North Saskatchewan River.

Wondering how to access the trails from downtown? Ride the 100 Street Funicular (10065 100 St. N.W.), a glass-walled elevator that connects downtown to the trail system. The free ride takes less than a minute.

Are you ready for a road trip? Pick up your rental car (Hertz has discounts for AAA members) and drive about 35 minutes east to Elk Island National Park. It's the closest national park to Edmonton.

Make your first stop the Visitor Information Centre near the south entrance. There you'll find exhibits that explain the history of the park and the wildlife you’ll likely encounter.

Once inside the park, drive Bison Loop Road to see free-roaming plains bison from the safety of your vehicle. (The bison herd is best spotted around dawn or dusk.) After you’ve snapped some photos, continue north to Astotin Lake, where you can rent canoes, hike on trails or walk on a boardwalk over the lake.

Browse locally made goods and gifts at various farmers’ markets in Edmonton. A popular year-round option is the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market at 83 Avenue and 103 Street N.W. It's held every Saturday and has more than 130 vendors.

The Edmonton Downtown Farmers Market (10305 97 St. N.W.) is open every Saturday, too. For a smaller setup with live music and food trucks, head to the 124 Grand Market. The outdoor market sets up on 124 Street in Edmonton near 102 Avenue on Sundays in the summer and near 108 Avenue on Thursday evenings.

Take a day trip out to the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village. It's just down the road from Elk Island National Park, so we recommend combining a visit to these two Edmonton attractions.

The open-air living history museum has dozens of restored houses, churches, barns and stores that show how Ukrainian immigrants once lived. Costumed interpreters demonstrate daily life from the 1890s through 1930s. They also speak in character to immerse you in the experience.

A concession stand serves authentic Ukrainian foods like homemade borshch (beet soup), holubtsi (cabbage rolls) and pyrohy (pierogies).

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