Your Saturday plans just got better.

Saturdays from June 20 to September 19, 2026, Rice Howard Way is turning up the volume, with live music, patio energy, local businesses, and Entertainment District activity in the heart of downtown Edmonton.

Start here before the show. Drift in after the market. Wander over between festivals. Gather your friends, explore the programming and grab something delicious from a local spot.

Summer Block Parties are the perfect casual hangout. Let Downtown surprise you!

Meet us On the Way.

Sip Happens Here

Summer Block Party takes place in the Rice Howard Way Entertainment District, which means that during permitted event hours, alcoholic beverages purchased from participating licensed businesses can be enjoyed outdoors within the designated district boundary.

The key bit: drinks need to be purchased from participating businesses, enjoyed within the Entertainment District, and kept inside the permitted area. Support local, keep it kind, and stay within the lines.

The Rice Howard Way Entertainment District runs along 101A Avenue between 100 Street and 100A Street, as well as along 101A Street between 102 Avenue and Jasper Avenue.

Getting here is easy. Rice Howard Way is in the heart of downtown Edmonton, close to restaurants, hotels, venues, transit, parking, and major summer events. The closest LRT station is Churchill Station, about a block away.

Participating licensed businesses: Sherlock Holmes Pub, Craft Beer Market, Bianco, Bar Trove, Sorrentino’s Downtown, Rosewood Foods, and OEB.

Coming Up on the Way

Each Summer Block Party brings a new reason to stop, stay, and see what’s happening on Rice Howard Way.

Here’s what’s coming up next. Programming details will be updated as artists, businesses, and special features are confirmed.

  • The marathon has the kilometres. Rice Howard Way has the recovery, refills and soundtrack.

    On Sunday, August 16, the Servus Edmonton Marathon brings runners, walkers, families and cheering sections downtown. Summer Block Party is keeping the finish-line energy moving with four live sets, family programming and a couple of extremely well-timed ways to reset.

    9 AM: Johnny Infamous
    Edmonton’s veteran open-format DJ starts the morning with big-event instincts, crowd-moving selections and considerably more energy than your first coffee.

    11:30 AM: Beppie
    Two-time JUNO-nominated family music packed with imagination, genre-bending fun and enough bounce to give small dancers a second wind.

    1 PM: Johnny Infamous
    Back for round two, because one set was clearly not enough race day.

    3 PM: Jordan Hart
    Warm, expressive vocals and heartfelt songwriting close the afternoon with a soulful landing after a very busy morning.

    Also on Rice Howard Way

    Circa Thermal Studio
    After the finish line, marathon participants can trade race pace for sauna pace through a guided mobile experience combining heat, cold, breath and rest.

    EPCOR’s Glass of the Sask
    Bring a reusable bottle and refill it with fresh Edmonton tap water for free. Several kilometres of forward motion deserve a very local drink at the end.

    Live programming is free to attend.

    Come for the race-day energy. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

  • Rice Howard Way is taking the scenic route through rhythm.

    The afternoon moves from steelpan sparkle and West African performance into R&B, soul, Afro-fusion, reggae, dancehall and a Caribbean closing set determined to keep the block moving.

    1 PM–1:45 PM: Danielle George
    Steelpan with deep Trinidadian roots, bright melodies and enough tropical shimmer to make downtown feel a few degrees warmer.

    2 PM–2:45 PM: Sangea Academy
    Thunderous drums, kinetic dance, poetry and theatre in a West African performance that treats the whole block like part of the stage.

    3 PM–3:30 PM: Riwo, with support from DJ Jeree
    A powerhouse blend of R&B, soul and Afro-fusion that can hold your heart gently, then hand it a very convincing reason to dance.

    3:30 PM–4 PM: Skystar, with support from DJ Jeree
    Kingston-born, JUNO-nominated reggae and dancehall with basslines built to travel and very little interest in standing still.

    4 PM–5 PM: DJ Jeree
    A Trinbagonian-rooted closing set from a dancer, choreographer and expert crowd-reader with more than 25 years of knowing exactly when to turn the energy up.

    Live music runs from 1 PM to 5 PM. Summer Block Party continues until 7 PM.

    Free to attend. Come for the rhythm. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

  • Country Social is taking the genre off-road.

    On Saturday, August 29, Rice Howard Way moves through road-tested harmonies, rising-country firepower, folk-punk grit, untamed prairie songwriting and a cinematic North Americana finish.

    1 PM–2 PM: Dahlia & Alan Duo
    Powerhouse vocals, seasoned guitar work and decades of musical shorthand. A little bit country, a whole lot of rock and roll, and harmonies that have been thoroughly road-tested.

    2:15 PM–2:45 PM: Aveya
    A fast-rising St. Albert country artist with Nashville stage experience, major youth-music honours and a debut single called Put On A Show. She appears fully prepared to honour the title.

    3 PM–4 PM: The Lowly Gents
    Finger-picked guitar, three-part harmonies and the band’s highly specific strain of country-flavoured indie folk punk. Several genres enter. Nobody is asked to leave.

    4:30 PM–5:30 PM: Mallory Chipman
    Acrobatic vocals, fearless storytelling and prairie folk-rock with enough creative weather to rearrange the forecast. Her album Songs to a Wild God reached #1 on CKUA.

    6 PM–7 PM: The Hearts
    Six musicians closing the block with dreamy North Americana, moody harmonies, earthy grooves and the band’s preferred balance of glitter and grit.

    One afternoon. Five very different answers to the question, “What can country sound like?”

    Free to attend.

    Come for the country. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

  • The first story has arrived.

    Summer Block Party returns on Saturday, September 5, and the first name on the lineup belongs to Ben Sures, an Edmonton singer-songwriter with dazzling acoustic guitar, a dry sense of humour and a talent for finding the larger human story inside life’s smallest details.

    A WCMA Roots Artist of the Year nominee and past winner of the Faith Nolan Prize for Music, Ben has performed across Canada and internationally. His latest album, The Story That Lived Here, spent three weeks at #1 on CKUA.

    More artists, programming and set times are still being tuned.

    For now, consider this your opening chapter.

    Free to attend.

    Come for the stories. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

  • The lineup is still gaining one final passenger, but the scenic route is already looking very good.

    Summer Block Party returns to Rice Howard Way with full-hearted alternative folk, sharp-edged indie rock and one of Edmonton’s most travelled prairie-indie trios.

    11 AM: Opening programming to be announced
    The first hour is still being tuned. Check back for the final addition to the lineup.

    12 PM: Kaeley Jade
    Powerful vocals, vivid storytelling and cinematic alternative folk shaped by sweeping prairie skies. Her latest album, The Great Unknown, moves from gently textured reflection to the electric charge of an approaching storm.

    1:30 PM: King of Foxes
    Dreamy melodies, sharp lyrics and indie-rock hooks with teeth. Led by Edmonton singer-songwriter and guitarist Olivia Street, King of Foxes makes vulnerability sound dangerously hummable.

    3 PM: Scenic Route to Alaska
    The Edmonton trio closes the afternoon with infectious melodies, heartfelt lyrics and more than a decade of finely tuned friendship. Seven albums and millions of streams later, the scenic route still leads home.

    Three confirmed acts. One more on the way. An afternoon with absolutely no interest in taking the shortest musical route.

    Free to attend.

    Come for the music. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

  • Summer Block Party is closing the season in good boots and considerably louder guitars.

    Country Social brings blues-soaked slide guitar, raw folk storytelling, fiddle-driven tradition and full-band country energy to Rice Howard Way for one final afternoon On The Way.

    3 PM: Sean Pinchin
    Soulful roots songwriting and JUNO-nominated slide-guitar talent from a seasoned touring artist who knows the direct route is rarely the most interesting one.

    3:45 PM: Stella Johnson
    Intimate folk songwriting, rock-inspired vocals and an emerging Edmonton voice with no intention of staying politely in the background.

    4:30 PM: Zach Moostoos-Willier
    Neo-traditional country, bluegrass spirit and fiddle-forward storytelling rooted in classic sounds and carried firmly into the present.

    5:30 PM: The Dungarees
    Soaring Telecaster, steel guitar, tight harmonies and modern country intensity from one of Alberta’s most decorated country groups.

    Four artists. One season finale. Several persuasive arguments for wearing the good boots downtown.

    Free to attend.

    Come for the country. Stay for the block. Meet us On The Way.

Summer Block Party will keep moving all summer, with new programming details, business features, artist updates, and event reminders shared on our social media platforms as they are confirmed.

Follow Along for Summer Block Party Updates!

faq

  • Yes. Summer Block Party is free to attend unless otherwise noted. Food, beverages, and purchases from local businesses are at your own cost, so bring your appetite and your tap card.

  • Yes. Summer Block Party is family-friendly, with programming and block activity designed to welcome a range of ages. Some experiences may vary by date, so check the event details before heading down.

  • Summer Block Party takes place on select summer weekends from June 20 to September 19, 2026, with most dates happening on Saturdays. There are also two Sunday dates on August 9 and August 16, and there is no event on Saturday, August 15. Programming details will be updated on this page as they are confirmed.

  • Summer Block Party takes place on Rice Howard Way in downtown Edmonton.

  • During permitted event hours, alcoholic beverages purchased from participating licensed establishments may be enjoyed outdoors within the designated Rice Howard Way Entertainment District boundary. Drinks must stay within the approved area.

  • Only participating licensed businesses are part of the Entertainment District beverage program. Participating business information and updates will be shared on this page and through Foundry Events social media as details are confirmed.

  • Summer Block Party is an outdoor series. Weather-related updates will be shared through Foundry Events social channels where possible.

  • info@foundryevents.ca

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In the spirit of respect, reciprocity and truth, we honour and acknowledge that Foundry operates on the traditional territories of many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries. We are situated on Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis peoples. These treaties include the Blackfoot Confederacy (comprising the Siksika, Piikani, and Kainai Nations), the Tsuut’ina First Nation, the Stoney Nakoda Nations, the Cree, Dene, Saulteaux, Nakota Sioux, as well as the Métis Nation of Alberta, Region III and Otipemisiwak Métis Government. Finally, we acknowledge all Nations – Indigenous and non – who live, work and play on this land, and who honour and celebrate this territory.