Summer half over...

I sit here in the Bohemia cybercafe Jasper and 110 Street in Edmonton as the Cariwest parade begins to pass eastbound. The music is so loud I can no longer hear CHUM-FM on the earphones so will watch and listen to the parade. Having seen many of the Toronto Caribana parades over the years, nothing compares as it is now the biggest celebration of the kind outside the Caribbean. However, it is nice to have something like it in Edmonton. At the same time, the Edmonton Folk Fest is competing with the rainy weather with stars like Linda Ronstadt, The Neville Brothers, Bruce Cockburn, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, David Gray among others . Tickets are SOLD OUT. A couple of years ago I saw the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and though had noticed their music ("Mr. Bojangles" and many others over the years) didn't consider myself a fan. Well after that late night concert, I was definitely a fan as they've written and/or sung many of the great songs of the past 40 years.

Last weekend was Heritage Festival in Hawrelak Park, where they encourage you to make a donation to the Edmonton Food Bank, transportation is by ETS Park n Ride and a record number of cultures were represented (58 pavilions, 70 cultures) having displays set up in tents to show the cultures, dancers and food. One highlight was the Ken-Jujitsu display of swordsmanship where four-at-a-time swordsman make quick work of ten-foot tall bundles of fresh bamboo which were reduced to several two foot long bundles.

I tried various foods starting with the French pavilion and Crepes Suzette: Crepe with whipped cream & Grand Marnier sauce, Polynesian Big Kahuna Smokie Stick: Sizzling beef smokie with a delicious island blend of pineapple, garlic, & various spices and tropical smoothie but went back for the third or fourth year to the Scandanavian pavilion (including Finland, though not technically a Scandanavian country) and their Finnish rice pudding with raspberry sauce - so good I had two of them plus a Finnish lemon drink called sima. Last snack for the day was Chicken Arepa: Corn flour meal stuffed with chicken, served with guasacaca sauce at the Venezuelan pavilion.

The Ecuador display's music was a disappointment this year with one performer playing various flutes to recorded music. A three man group with two guitars and flutes is much better and thanks to my Palm portable computer I can carry several songs by a group I saw on the streets of Toronto many years ago around with me. The Nicaraugan dancers were a treat with their bright red trimmed white dresses.

While the Capital Ex (ex of Klondike Days theme; didn't go this year) and the Edmonton Grand Prix were on I took advantage of the Taste of Edmonton food festival in Churchill Square and after entrees like Penne and lobster (a disappointment as I could identify few bits of lobster, what was identifiable were small shrimps) and several other entrees, had two servings of fruit martini with a shot of Grande Marnier (a great way to get your Canada Food Guide fruit allowance). A steel band in the Cariwest parade is going by as I write this.

That will pretty well do it for the summer season as, though the Fringe Festival is coming up, I've never gone to it as doesn't appeal to me. New this year is a Latin Festival on the 19-20 so will definitely check that out.