Despite restrictions lifting, these summer festivals are still deploying COVID-19 safety measures
Two long-standing Edmonton festivals will go ahead this summer as restrictions in the province are set to lift on Canada Day.
Edmonton’s Heritage Festival will welcome back pavilions to Hawrelak Park. It will be a slightly modified event with half entry limitations, and two thirds of the normal pavilions allowed in the space.
Jim Gibbon, the executive director of the Edmonton Heritage Association, told CTV News Edmonton the festival will be much more spread out.
White circles will be painted onto the grass to ensure distance between cohorts. This will allow people to eat and drink safely in their own designated space.
Gibbon said being able to have the event come back this year provides a sense of normalcy.
“There was a lot of disbelief,” he noted.
“People were a little taken aback that we’re coming out of things.”
The Heritage Festival is a collection of Alberta-based cultural groups, that come together to share their history, song and dance, food, and so much more.
“To get a chance to get together, and share this beautiful message of multiculturalism, I think it’s incredibly important,” Gibbon added.
Entry is free, but people will need to get time-entry passes online as only a fixed number of people are allowed into the park per hour.
The festival will run July 31 to Aug. 2, and masks will be required.
TASTE OF EDMONTON
As for Taste of Edmonton, it’s also planning to make its return to an in-person event from July 22 to Aug. 1.
The festival will be returning to Sir Winston Churchill Square now that construction in the area is complete.
But, what’s top of mind for the organizers this year is ensuring health and safety for visitors.
“We’ve spread out our restaurant partners, usually they’re side by side. All the tents this year will have a six-foot gap,” Donovan Vienneau, the general manager of Taste of Edmonton, said.
Vienneau said in a normal year the event usually hosts 75 food and beverage partners, but this year it’s pared down to 53.
While there will be some new changes for the festival, Vienneau told CTV News Edmonton pricing will stay the same as it was in 2019.
“We’ve introduced a third menu item with a max two-ticket value,” he explained. “That way it’s going to give people coming to Taste of Edmonton more options.”
“We’re excited to showcase Edmonton restaurants that need the support.”
Tickets for the event can be purchased ahead of time online.
Both Heritage Festival and Taste of Edmonton will be using tap technology for purchases.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s David Ewasuk
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Five areas Canada's foreign interference commissioner says needs more investigation
Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue released her interim report examining foreign election interference on Friday. Here are five elements of the issue that Hogue says she needs to further probe before she can make conclusions or recommendations.
New weight-loss drug Wegovy not a 'magic bullet,' doctor warns
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
Manitoba man sentenced to house arrest for keeping fishing tournament funds meant for Children's Hospital Foundation
A Manitoba man who pleaded guilty to keeping the funds raised from an ice-fishing fundraiser for the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba has been handed a sentence of 18 months house arrest.