central ab 101 - Seasonal weather and activities

WHAT TO PACK

You guests will thank you when you provide them with some guidelines and recommendations on what they should pack for your big weekend. You can send it out in an email or update the information to your wedding website for quick and easy access. For a Central Alberta wedding, guests should bring a light jacket or parka depending on the time of year! If they’re visiting the area and are going to be doing a lot of touring around, it would be good to recommend some sturdy walking shoes, a backpack and a water bottle. These will come in handy no matter what you’re doing, especially that water bottle for higher altitudes! If you’re having a summer wedding, a light sweater will ensure that guests are comfortable when the temperature drops at night, which is extremely common in this area. A simple rule of thumb is to think about what you would bring on a trip to the area, and that’s what you should suggest to your guests!

ACTIVITIES

As mentioned earlier, Central Alberta borders on both the Calgary and Edmonton regions. For a day activity, guests can enjoy adventuring through some of these midwestern cities and getting the lay of the land. If they love western culture, steer them in the direction of Calgary, a city that is lovingly known as “Cowtown” and home of the Calgary Stampede. If small towns are more their speed, get them to adventure around Sundre, Olds, Didsbury or Ponoka. Central Alberta houses a number of interesting “ghost towns” that might be worth visiting for the guests who crave a day of history and sightseeing. Rowley is one of Alberta’s most popular ghost towns with actual buildings still intact - the town currently has a population of nine people, and their saloon hosts a pizza night on the last Saturday of the month to raise funds for the town. Visiting here feels like you’ve just been transported back to the 1950s. You can also stop by Sylvan Lake for a beach day in the summertime - if you do, it’s imperative to get there early!

To live out that true Central Alberta experience, guests can stop at The Donut Mill located in Red Deer, Alberta. This restaurant and bakery is a well-known rest stop between Calgary and Edmonton where people pick up glazed donuts or a cup of Joe. While they may not have a Michelin star-level menu, it’s a sight to see and quintessentially Albertan! Another interesting sight to see is the Starlite Diner Car in Bowden, a throwback eatery that is made to look like a retro railcar. If you’re looking for some more locales to complete the food tour, look no further than Markerville Creamery, Olds College Brewery, Cilantro and Chive, Edgar Farms, Red Boar Smokery and Big Bend Market.