November in River City

There's lots to do in Edmonton in November - enjoy!

• There's more than books and computer access at your local Edmonton Public Library! From chocolate making to starting a wine collection to yoga for beginners, check out their extensive list of free programs on their website.
• Besides the various and sundry bull riding, calf wrestling and general cowboy goodness at the Canadian Finals Rodeo, there are concurrent events worth checking out - like the annual chili cookoff, a pancake breakfast, and an opportunity to watch up and coming country singers.
• Besides the more traditional Remembrance Day ceremony at City Hall, you can partake in other events this month to recognize this important day, including hearing a war veteran's experiences, watching a screening of Canadian army newsreels, or attending Kenneth Brown's superb Letters in Wartime.
• Other arts programs in November include Music Wednesdays at Noon at the McDougall United Church, an Arts and Science Symposium courtesy of Edmoton's designation as Canada's Cultural Capital for 2007, and Exposure, Edmonton's Queer Arts and Culture Festival, with a variety of film, art, music, and theatre performances at venues across the city.
• Gearing up for the upcoming Christmas season (or is it upon us already), BrightNights, billed as "Edmonton's Winter Family Festival," kicks off with a teaser display at Churchill Square starting November 17, with the main lights at Hawrelak Park set to start ablaze on November 23, and the Festival of Trees, and all its extravagant decor, starts on November 29.
• Lastly, some off-the-beaten path shopping venues include: Stop and Shop at the TransAlta arts barns, featuring many of the city's best independent fashion exhibitors; Christmas on the Square; a gathering of some of City Market's vendors (in heated tents!) on Churchill Square; and Just Christmas, a Global Fair Trade Market Place held at the Alberta Avenue Community Hall.