So….I’m not really a morning person; imagine how happy I was to hear that our day was starting at 10am! I had plenty of time to drink coffee and get ready for the day before I met the ladies to continue our adventure. Today we started at The Gibbard Block. I am going to dedicate an entire post to this venue, but if you have not yet seen it, you are truly missing out. It’s unique, quaint, trendy, and innovate all at the same time. After spending time there, we moved on to the Delta by Marriott Edmonton South Hotel and Conference Centre. Did you know this hotel has the biggest ballroom in Edmonton? They also have a magnificent smaller ballroom on the 11th floor that offers a breath-taking view of the city, perfect for weddings, VIP dinners or galas.
Next was one of my favourites, a tour and lunch at Polar Park Brewing. For you history buffs, the owner, Robert Oeming’s dad, was the founder of Alberta Game Farm, which boasted many animals including cheetahs and rhinos in the 80s. You will see homage to this inside the brewery. You also can’t miss the beautiful feature bar that was from a ship and is 164 years old!
After lunch and some sampling of their finest beer, we moved on to Yorath House, Cafe Neo, and Creative Hive. Again, these offsite venues have character, personality and uniqueness for those events that just don’t need a conference space. Our last offsite of the day was a special treat, Hansen Distillery. Here they brew moonshine and have been doing it in their family for four generations! Even the fixtures here were practicing safety protocals.
We finished off today’s tour with a site of DoubleTree by Hilton West Edmonton. A more traditional venue, this boasts a magnificent ballroom, onsite spa and of course, the dinner theatre.
Little did we know that our fabulous hosts from Edmonton Tourism had planned a special dinner for us to finish off these two days. How does an outdoor garden with brooks and florals with charcuterie, wine, and our own personal entertainment sound? Pretty good, right?? University of Alberta’s Devonian Botanic Gardens is an outdoor paradise. If you are able to get tickets for their twilight picnic this summer, I’d highly recommend it! But hurry, as it sounds like most dates are sold out…and understandably so.
Visiting venues in the age of COVID is a surreal experience. We saw first hand what physical distancing means to the events industry. In some ways, it was heartbreaking, and in others, it was inspiring. It again confirms the resiliancy and tenacity of the individuals in this amazing industry, and just what they can do when faced with a challenge.
Thank you again, Barb and Laura! It was a fun-filled tour of your beautiful city!
Events Aligned 