Edmonton Int'l Street Performers Festival
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Factoid
Each July, Sir Winston Churchill Square comes alive with the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival. The Square is home to several of Edmonton’s festivals, and is also where the city hosts free family movie nights every summer. Check out the links below for more information.
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The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2009, and has entertained 4 million visitors in that time. If you’re a street performer or a fan of street performers, coming to Edmonton is a must. The festival attracts artists from across the world. Some of the places they’ve come from: New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan, Thailand, England, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, the USA, Macedonia, and Russia. Even so, 70 percent of the artists come from Canada.
It is a family friendly festival open to everyone. There’s no admission fee - instead, if you enjoy watching a performer, put something in their hat (or just say thank you).
Who’s in the video?
Shelley Switzer is the lady talking about the festival and just happens to be the festival’s artistic director. To see her video about an Edmonton moment she remembers from her childhood, check out “Red Light, Green Light” in the related stories box on the right side of your screen.
If you look closely, you’ll see John Ullyat performing The Human Fountain in the first 3 seconds of the video. To read his story about building the fountain and watch him give a backstage tour of The Citadel Theatre, click on “Johnny Rains” in the related stories box on the right side of your screen.
Where Next?
Edmonton Int'l Street Performers Festival
The Edmonton International Street Performers Festival was co-founded by Sheldon Wilner and Dick Finkel in 1985. They are both lifetime members of the board of directors, and Dick was the producer from 1985 to 1999, when Shelley Switzer took over.
