The sprawling tents, intoxicating aromas, and vibrant performances that have defined Edmonton’s summers for nearly five decades will soon find a new home. After 47 years of cultural celebration at Hawrelak Park and a recent temporary shift to Borden Park, the Edmonton Heritage Festival is preparing for yet another transition that signals the end of an era.
Festival organizers announced Monday that the 2025 edition will remain at Borden Park for one final year before seeking a permanent location elsewhere in the city. This decision comes amid ongoing renovations at the festival’s traditional home, Hawrelak Park, which remains closed until spring 2026 for a comprehensive $120-million rehabilitation project.
“We’re navigating a period of significant change,” explains Jim Gibbon, Executive Director of the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association. “While Borden Park has been a gracious temporary host, we recognize the limitations of the space and are actively exploring options that will allow our festival to not just continue but thrive for generations to come.”
The reality facing organizers is stark: the festival has simply outgrown its temporary quarters. After welcoming over 360,000 visitors to this year’s celebration at Borden Park—a remarkable achievement considering the space constraints—it’s become evident that a more expansive venue is necessary to accommodate the festival’s growing popularity and cultural significance.
What began in 1976 as a modest showcase of Edmonton’s diverse communities has evolved into one of North America’s largest celebrations of multiculturalism. The festival now features more than 70 cultural pavilions representing over 100 countries and cultures, a testament to Edmonton’s rich tapestry of heritage and the festival’s vital role in fostering cross-cultural understanding.
The transition hasn’t been without challenges. When the festival relocated to Borden Park in 2023 due to the Hawrelak Park renovations, organizers were forced to reconfigure the entire event, reducing the number of pavilions and reimagining the festival’s layout. Despite these constraints, attendance has remained robust, a clear indication of the festival’s importance to the city’s cultural identity.
As we’ve explored at CO24 Culture, heritage celebrations like this one serve as crucial touchpoints for communities to maintain connections to their roots while sharing their traditions with the broader public. They represent far more than entertainment—they’re living museums of cultural knowledge, culinary tradition, and artistic expression.
The question now facing organizers is not merely logistical but existential: what does the Edmonton Heritage Festival want to become in its next chapter? A return to the renovated Hawrelak Park in 2026 remains a possibility, but the festival’s leadership has indicated they’re exploring all options, including potential new venues that might better serve the event’s evolving needs.
This period of transition reflects a broader phenomenon we’ve examined in our CO24 Trends coverage—the way long-standing cultural institutions must continually reinvent themselves to remain relevant while honoring their founding principles. For the Heritage Festival, this means balancing growth with accessibility, tradition with innovation.
“We’re committed to finding a solution that honors the festival’s legacy while positioning it for a sustainable future,” Gibbon notes. “Whatever location we ultimately select, our mission remains unchanged: to celebrate and share the incredible cultural diversity that makes Edmonton special.”
For longtime attendees, next year’s festival at Borden Park will represent more than just another cultural celebration—it will be a farewell to a chapter in the event’s storied history. The sights, sounds, and flavors that have defined summers at this location will soon become memories as the festival prepares to write its next chapter.
As we’ve often discussed in our CO24 Opinions section, sometimes the most powerful cultural moments occur during periods of transition. As the Edmonton Heritage Festival prepares for its next evolution, it offers us all an opportunity to reflect on how traditions persist not through rigid adherence to the past but through thoughtful adaptation to the present.
The 2025 Edmonton Heritage Festival will run from August 2-4 at Borden Park. Where it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain—Edmonton’s commitment to cultural celebration will continue, wherever it calls home.
