Edson celebrates lively Chamber Summer Festival

(To view this week’s e-Edition please sign-up for a FREE subscription and a link will be sent.) by Deanna Mitchener July 20, 2026 issue: Edson’s Summer Festival returned for three fun‐filled days of rides, store sales, food, and packed streets of...

(To view this week’s e-Edition please sign-up for a FREE subscription and a link will be sent.) by Deanna Mitchener July 20, 2026 issue: Edson’s Summer Festival returned for three fun‐filled days of rides, store sales, food, and packed streets of entertainment. The event ran July 9–11, a weekend many residents had been eagerly awaiting. A big thank you goes to the Edson and District Chamber of Commerce for organizing another strong community celebration.

Main Street and several side streets were buzzing with music, games, food, sidewalk sales and plenty of laughter and excitement. The festival, hosted by the Edson and District Chamber of Commerce, transformed downtown into a lively atmosphere day and night, offering something for all ages. To accommodate the festival, barricades and road closures were put in place early.

During the event, 50 Street between 1 Avenue and 6 Avenue, along with portions of 3 Avenue and 5 Avenue, were closed to vehicle traffic. The highway remained open, but motorists were encouraged to slow down, watch for increased pedestrian activity and use caution when travelling through the area. Extra safety measures were added this year at the traffic lights to help pedestrians cross more safely.

Many local stores set up sidewalk sales, offering great savings and a chance to showcase their products to both residents and travellers passing through town. With the highway running directly through Edson, visitors could easily spot the excitement downtown and often stopped to take in the festivities. While the road closures can be inconvenient for a few days, the festival brings significant benefits to the community.

Thank you to Edson residents and businesses for your patience and support. The Edson Royal Canadian Legion Branch #51 once again hosted its popular Jail and Bail fundraiser. Locals were “arrested,” handcuffed and taken to a mock jail on Main Street, where they stayed until enough donations were raised to cover their bail.

It’s always a fun way to play a prank, get back at a friend and raise money at the same time. The Legion also operated a beer gardens with live entertainment throughout the weekend. The Edson and District Public Library handed out 1,000 books this year.

Trisha Thurner with the library said, “We got this great donation of comic books, so the teens were loving it, and we actually gave out more adult books this year than anything else.” It was a welcome addition to the festival, and you can never go wrong with books. Chamber Manager Kathy Arndt said Team Safety played an important role.

“Team Safety was hired to help with safety, especially at the traffic lights to encourage safe habits by pedestrians. They are also trained in first aid and helped us with garbage disposal. When applying for our permits with the Town of Edson and Alberta Transportation, we want to show that we are rigorously applying any safety guidelines that we can, as this is a top priority.

Ledcor also helps us by closing off parking near the traffic lights with the orange cones. We also asked the Town of Edson to use their digital signs before the traffic lights at both 2nd and 4th Avenues to let motorists know to slow down and watch for pedestrians.” Arndt added her thanks to several supporters.

“Prairie Disposal once again donated the garbage bins for this event. TC Energy donated the cost of the generator that we have to rent for the kids’ rides. Another couple thank yous go out to Sam from the Edson Hotel, who lets First Class Concessions park in his lot behind the hotel every year free of charge.

Trail Tire has been helping us each year to set up our Chamber tent at the event. This year we had 34 prizes donated by Edson businesses for our mini draw, which we are always very appreciative to receive. Fineline Stationery opens their doors for us to store our supplies every year.

“We appreciate the businesses on Main Street for their patience during the Summer Festival. We are very happy to get the Saturday show instead of Wednesday. We will be continuing with Thursday, Friday and Saturday moving forward.

The weather was pretty good this year,” Arndt concluded.