Things to Do in Edmonton This Week: 10 Best things to do August 24-28
Start your week arguing about dystopian novels over a Soylent Green smoothie at a five dollar cooking and book club where you’ll find community - and monday entertainment. Tuesday is the final $5 movie of the summer at Metro, so this is your last cheap seat until next June. Wednesday alone has opera in a botanic garden, a tomato preservation class for anyone drowning in their own harvest, and free comedy at 10 PM. Thursday the Art Gallery of Alberta stops charging admission for three hours - rounding out this week’s guide with mostly free things to do in Edmonton.
Free Rough Cut Comedy Night | Monday
Monday has no business being this good. Downstairs from the Starlite, a rotating lineup of comics, and the room fills because word got out. This is a showcase, not a free-for-all, so you're watching people who can actually do it, some on their way to much bigger stages. Free means free. It also means seating is first come, so get there before 8:30.
Try Soylent Green at this Culinary Book Club| Monday
Book lovers and food lovers alike are invited to a book club that blends the two over a shared theme each month. For August, the theme is dystopian and utopian novels — come ready to talk about a book of your choice on the topic, with suggestions provided for anyone who wants a starting point (all available to borrow from the library). Along with the discussion, the group will whip up a themed treat: Soylent Green smoothies. It's a fun, low-pressure way to swap reading recommendations and connect with fellow book lovers over good conversation and good food.
Catch the LAST $5 Movie Tuesday at Metro Cinema this Summer | Tuesday
It’s back! Metro Cinema is once again offering a new budget-friendly ticket option during June, July, and August: starting on June 2, our Tuesday admission price will be reduced to just $5.
Catch an Opera - Al Fresco| Wednesday
As summer begins to take its final bow, Opera al Fresco returns to the University of Alberta Botanic Garden for an evening that feels as natural as the setting itself. Friends, families, and loved ones are invited to gather among the gardens, spread out, and soak in the season as featured soloists and the Edmonton Opera Chorus perform beloved operatic works under the open sky.
Win a Plant at Plant Bingo | Tuesday
Bingo, but the prizes are plants. Round one sold out, so Breanne is running it back at EVO on a Tuesday night: multiple rounds, multiple chances to walk home with something leafy, music and a room full of people who also have too many pothos. Zero plant knowledge required. Doors 6:30, first call at 7, wrapped by 9.
Learn to Preserve Tomatoes| Wednesday
Operation Fruit Rescue Edmonton is hosting a hands-on tomato preservation workshop on August 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Stanley Library, timed perfectly for gardeners facing an overflowing harvest before the first frost. Led by local urban homesteader Cindy Suelzle, the session covers canning, freezing, dehydrating, and ripening green tomatoes, along with tips for making the most of every last one.
Free Grindstone Open Mic Comedy Night | Wednesday
This show is one of our major FREE providings so make sure to come out on Wednesdays to check out something that costs you nothing! Hosted by Steven Darnell & Brad Semotiuk
Free Admission to Art Gallery of Alberta | Thursday
Art + Drinks + Good Vibes = Happiness! Join the Art Gallery of Alberta for an inspired happy hour featuring great drinks and even better vibes. Whether you're winding down after a busy week or looking for something fun to do over the weekend, this is the perfect way to combine creativity and cocktails.
Catch a Handcrafted Magic Show | Friday
Forty seats, not a bad one in the house. Chris Gowen turns a secret library inside The Rec Room into a Victorian-style parlour for close-up sleight-of-hand — no cups and balls, no rope tricks, just cutting-edge illusion happening inches from your face. Fridays, 7:30–8:45pm, 75 minutes. $42.28, ages 7+ welcome. Rooms this small vanish fast. Book your Friday.
