You may recall our annual #31DaysofYEG challenge back in July, designed to showcase our incredible and lively summers in this city. It’s time we make a point of showing off our spectacular winter city as well! So, we have come up with a #28DaysofYEG challenge for the month of February (with a special 29th bonus day for this year, of course).
This challenge is for you to be more active in the winter weather, connect with others through winter festivals or events, and discover all the joy that our winter city has to offer.
The list is designed to be as flexible as you like — you can do one challenge each day of the month, or all challenges in one day; in numerical order or at random. Share your experiences with us and with others on Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #28DaysofYeg, or by posting to our Facebook page (try to reference the number of the challenge you completed) so we can feature you in our weekly Storify updates.
Subscribe to our email list to receive weekly reminders and recaps, only for the month of February. You can also choose to be added to the general email list that provides information about Local Good news, blog updates and events (such as Green Drinks). Of course, you can unsubscribe from either list whenever you like.
Check out the full list below and get ready to take on the challenge to explore our winter city in whatever way works for you!
- Tweet us your favorite thing about living in a winter city — if you need inspiration, check out Winter City YEG or come to our Green Drinks: Winter in YEG event (on Feb. 3).
- Go for a winter bike ride! Biking is still great for transportation and fitness throughout the cold months.
- Tell us how you participated in Winter Walk Day on Feb 3. Where did you wander?
- Edmonton’s “Festival City” reputation rings true all year long. Volunteer at one of the many winter festivals or events happening this month, including Canoe Volant (Flying Canoe Festival), Silverskate, Canadian Birkie or the Hypothermic Half, to name a few! There are plenty to choose from and volunteers are the heart of these events.
- Travel back in time by making your way around on snowshoes, either on your own or as part of a class.
- Tweet a photo of the Ice Castle — a new and exciting feature in Hawrelak Park this winter!
- Dance out those winter blues! Go out to a dance hall or crank up the music at home. If you’re really dedicated, embrace winter at City Hall’s weekly swing & skate! (And “not having skates” won’t work as an excuse — there are skates to rent on Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis.)
- Lunar New Year is Feb. 8 this year! Celebrate the Year of the Monkey at one of the many events around the city.
- Take some time to play in the snow — show us your best snowman or snow angel, have a snowball fight or snap a picture of a YEG snowflake.
- Make Something Edmonton gave out some Project Accelerator micro grants to encourage experiments and risk-taking in a particularly Edmonton way by celebrating winter. Check out one of the projects and share your favourite!
- Don’t wait until summer festivals to watch some great local theatre or music acts. We have many venues around town that are busy all year long, so catch a show and tweet your own 140-character review.
- Talk a walk outside at night and marvel at the way the lights interact with the snow. Our suggestions: the river valley, the Flying Canoe Festival, the Legislature grounds, the Muttart Conservatory or the neon sign museum.
- Forget about the #wintercity stuff for a day and pretend it’s summer! Warm up in an indoor sauna, put on your flip flops and head to a waterpark, or splash around at one of the city’s recreation centres.
- Date local (and if you choose to do this on Valentine’s Day, we’ve got some day-specific suggestions too)! Share a meal with friends or family at a local restaurant or cafe.
- Strap on some skis and have an adventure — there are many options for both downhill and cross-country skiing in the area.
- Check out your Community League’s winter events. Tweet us of a picture of you and a new neighbour you’ve met at a community league event.
- This is a quiet time of year in our local shopping districts. Take a walk around and snap a #shoplocalselfie!
- Fulfill some Canadian stereotypes and make your own cabane à sucre.
- If it’s too cold outside, cozy up with a book (bonus points if it’s by a local author or one of the 40 Below anthologies) or head to the nearest public library, which often hosts free community events.
- Let winter inspire your artistic side, and show us your best snow sculptures or snow carvings!
- Relive your favourite summer days by hanging out on a winter patio.
- Head to an outdoor skating rink or the Edmonton Freezeway and tweet us a picture of your best moves on ice.
- Take some time this month for some winter cleaning and figure out how to reduce waste in a sustainable way. For example, participate in a clothing swap or donate items you no longer need.
- Cozy up with a warm beverage in one of the many local coffee or tea shops around town.
- Get in a winter workout — just pick up a shovel (and while you’re at it, help out a neighbour) turn up some beats and get your groove on!
- Gather your favourite people and host a potluck full of the best winter comfort food!
- Our winter weather sure makes it fun to zoom down hills! With kicksledding, snowtubing, tobogganing or some other method, find a way to slide downhill along the snow.
- With luck and clear skies, this is a good time of year to catch a glimpse of the Northern lights. Use Aurora Watch for updates; as a Dark Sky Preserve, Elk Island National Park is a great place to view the spectacular show. You can also check out the Royal Astronomical Society of Edmonton and the U of A Observatory.
- Bonus day, happy leap year! Take time to do something special for yourself or with someone you love. Tell us what you did with an extra day this month.