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It's easy to have a great time in Edmonton without spending a lot of cash. There are many fun, free things to do and places to go, while other attractions or festivals have only a small admission price.
Edmonton's many Festivals have free admission or very low gate prices. For instance, Klondike Days will cause you five bucks worth of damage at the gate, but once you enter you can end up spending a fortune on ride tickets and overpriced food. Here's a tip: eat before you go, or bring your own lunch and snacks. It will save you a bundle in cash and heartburn. The Fringe will set you back about seven dollars per play that you see. However, to simply walk around the area in Old Strathcona is free. The Heritage Festival which celebrates the foods and cultures of the world has free admission but encourages a donation to the Food Bank. You can sample many tastes from different countries and cultures for a small price per item. For cheap movies, Metro Cinema which operates out of the Zeidler Hall in the Citadel, has a low seven dollar annual membership, which includes you first movie for free. The movies include classics, low budgets, and World film. With the one stipulation of controlling yourself from buying anything in the trendy shops and cafés, a walk down Whyte Avenue is a fun and relaxing thing to do especially on a spring or summer evening. Of course, who can resist a latte at one of the coffee shops? In the winter, Candy Cane Lane is a spectacular evening outing. On a mild night, all of those lights and decorations look incredible. And it's free to stroll the neighbourhood, although you are encouraged to bring a Food Bank donation. If you enjoy music and movies but are finding the cost of buying CDs and renting movies to be mounting up on you, consider joining the Edmonton Public Library, which has an extensive audio-visual section including music from a variety of genres and movies that include both recent releases and classics. A library card is only twelve dollars a year to own, which breaks down to one dollar a month for unlimited listening and viewing pleasure. For inexpensive Internet access, Edmonton Community Network offers reasonably-priced accounts which include unlimited graphical access. This is a great idea for people who want to learn more about computers, as ECN offers free and low-cost training classes for all user skill levels. Whether you want to cycle, jog or walk, it is always free to use the many well-maintained trails of the River Valley. You can literally get from one end of the city to the other without using any main roads. Some other things to do on a budget include cruising weekend garage sales (the listings are usually in the Edmonton Journal, taking in some community sports events (contact your local community league) or just visiting with family and friends over a barbeque.
