c/edmonton-local

Finally stopped hating the winter farmers market, here's why

I used to skip the downtown winter market every year cause I figured it was just overpriced kale and candles, but last Saturday I went with my sister and watched her drop $60 on frozen perogies from that Ukrainian stall near the back. Then this older guy next to me pointed at the honey vendor and said 'that guy keeps bees three blocks from here, you won't taste fresher' and suddenly I got why people line up in -20 weather for this. Anyone else have a spot downtown they avoided for ages but now hit up every week?

1 comments

tessa394•23d ago

The $40 parking ticket that turned me around on downtown

I used to avoid downtown Edmonton like the plague, figured it was all construction and sketchy parking lots. Last month I had to meet someone at the Mercer Building and ate a $40 ticket from a confusing pay station, which pissed me off enough to actually walk around. Now I've been back three times for lunch, hit up that dumpling place on 104th, and realized the whole area is a lot more walkable than I gave it credit for. Am I the only one who wrote off a neighborhood and then got proven wrong, or is downtown still a mess for anyone else?

1 comments

the_beth•23d ago

Blown transformer near Whyte Ave left me stuck for 3 hours, what do you do in a blackout?

Last Friday around 6pm I was grabbing dinner at a spot on Whyte Ave when the whole block went dark. Transformer blew with a pop so loud I thought a car hit the building. Power came back in 20 minutes but the intersection lights stayed dead. No one knew who to call, cops were busy, and drivers were just ignoring the 4 way stop rules. I ended up standing outside directing traffic like a fool for almost an hour until a city crew showed up. Has anyone else dealt with this chaos? Is there a proper number to report blown transformers in Edmonton or do we just accept the madness?

1 comments

riverhill•24d ago

Tried the Sherwood Park farmers market after years of doubt and now I'm hooked

Honestly I always figured farmers markets were just overpriced produce and knit scarves nobody needs. But a buddy dragged me to the one on Broadmoor Blvd last Saturday and I actually got a full bag of veggies for 22 bucks, way less than Save On. The honey stand guy let me sample three kinds and explained how the clover batch differs from the wildflower one, which I never even thought about. Even the live music was decent, not some sad guy with a broken guitar. I'm planning to go back every week now, anyone else got a favorite stall there I should try first?

c/edmonton-local

Finally stopped hating the winter farmers market, here's why

The $40 parking ticket that turned me around on downtown

Blown transformer near Whyte Ave left me stuck for 3 hours, what do you do in a blackout?

Tried the Sherwood Park farmers market after years of doubt and now I'm hooked

The road near my house in Edmonton finally got repaved after 8 years of potholes

Vent: My garage door spring snapped at 6am on a Tuesday

That time the Jasper Ave roadwork detour cost me 45 minutes

Noticed my elm tree finally bounced back after 3 years of Dutch elm disease treatment

Switched from shoveling my driveway to using a snow blower this winter after 12 years of manual labor

That 'free estimate' from a roofing company cost me $300

Tried making sourdough from that starter I got at the Old Strathcona market and it came out like a hockey puck

Paid $300 for a heated driveway install last winter

Was skeptical about that indoor farmers market at the old armory

That Whole Foods parking lot on Calgary Trail finally broke me

Switched sides on the LRT expansion after talking to my bus driver

Rant: Spent $200 on a winter coat from that fancy outdoor store and it's garbage for actual Edmonton cold

Tried biking the river valley trails after a rain and learned my lesson

The weird 'new building' smell at Southgate Mall is gone

Tried the new LRT line vs driving during rush hour yesterday - not even close

Everybody pothole-fixes wrong in Edmonton winter

Found a trick to clear snow off my driveway without shoveling or salting

I used to think the LRT extension was a huge waste of money until I saw the numbers

Overheard a guy at the Whyte Avenue bus stop say the LRT is faster than driving during rush hour

Rant: My furnace died at 2 AM in minus 30 weather last week

Unpopular opinion: that nice weather last week actually ruined my garden plans