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Posted
Updated:
Wed. Feb. 22, 2023
Whitecourt entertainment scene puts you front and centre
As big ticket concert prices skyrocket and music streaming services are diluted with AI, the experience of real, live cultural events with local artists has never been more appealing.
One of the best ways to find them is to get outside the big box, digital landscape and head to places like Whitecourt, in rural Alberta, just 1.5 hours from Edmonton. With the town's new Canfor Culture and Events Centre, that promise is getting even better.
On a visit here, you’ll find music, theatre and art made simply for the love of creating. It would be easy to pretend this is new, but the reality is Whitecourt has been building up a cultural scene over time. This is just the next logical step in the progression of this growing destination.
HIT PLAY > to preview Whitecourt's up-and-coming entertainment scene
Over the last few years the town has been growing its festival scene, anchored by the popular, annual Party in the Park summer music festival, and Street Fest.
Party in the Park, Whitecourt's annual summer music fest, is a staple in the regional concert calendar.
Now, with the opening of a brand new multi-disciplinary events and cultural space, there will be more year-round arts and culture events to enjoy, at the new Canfor Culture and Events Centre.
“Our theatre productions are smaller and more intimate,” describes Brigette Jobin, board member with the local Pumpjack Players theatre troupe. “And you feel like maybe you're part of the stage because you're closer to the action.”
Immerse in the local creative scene in Whitecourt
She continues, “All our people are local people. And they're the person that you'll meet at the grocery store later or maybe the person that, you know, you work alongside in the oil field."
"It's your everyday joes that aren't doing this for a living, but have an amazing talent and are sharing it out of their own time.”
Whitecourt supports a growing local scene, as well as bringing in bigger names from Alberta and beyond. Here, Corb Lund performs at a Whitecourt show.
That creates a close sense of community among performers of all kinds within the region, she explains.
"It's just a community that continues to grow in all ways; you're almost guaranteed to find some lifelong friends,” she says.
New Canfor Culture and Events Centre creates a home for the arts
The newest addition making waves in town is their new Canfor Culture and Events Centre, which will create a multi-purpose hub for the town’s growing arts community.
Whitecourt’s new Canfor Culture and Events Centre will support a growing regional arts scene.
“It opens the door as to so many different things in our community,” says Neil Shewchuk, CIXM FM radio station manager and volunteer member with the local Whitecourt Performing Arts Society. “Not just entertainment or concert events, but anything you can imagine.”
Jobin brims with excitement as she describes what this new facility will offer, “We're gonna have a home for musicians to be able to showcase themselves better. We're going to have a home for the dance community to showcase their talents.”
The local Pumpjack Players are excited for their new home, says Brigette Jobin, enabling them to produce bigger and better shows.
“We're going to have a home for kids or adults to perform live theatre. We're gonna have a home, you know, for maybe TED talks, whatever the case may be on that spectrum, we're gonna finally have a home for it. And be able to grow that even more with those possibilities.”
All the more reason to make the switch from screen to stage, in a way that is affordable and fulfilling.
Intimate setting, strong local scene
When you go to Whitecourt, you know you are supporting a local homegrown scene, and rubbing shoulders with local talent.
So while the star players might not have Hollywood billing or Netflix features in their portfolio, that is exactly what makes the experience appealing. Perhaps you’ll even meet a star in the rough.
Addy Watson, an up-and-coming country music star from Whitecourt, with Nashville in her sights.
Shewchuk recalls how he sat around the campfire with Addy Watson, an emerging young country musician (featured in the video above) who is making her way into Nashville’s music scene.
It’s that feeling of an intimate connection that makes the Whitecourt scene stand out.
Connect to the arts, in Whitecourt
“You're right up close, and you get to feel that intimacy and the emotion that the artists have that you may not get in a larger facility, in a major centre,” Shewchuk explains.
“Especially if you can get close to the artist, and, you know, you get to see the expression on their face when they're singing songs, and you get to hear a little bit of that story.”
Know before you go
Getting to Whitecourt is roughly a 1.5h-drive northwest of Edmonton, AB.
Whitecourt events
The new Canfore Culture and Events Centre opens this fall, and already has acts including:
Nov 5 April Wine
Nov 6 Crash Test Dummies
Dec 13 Michelle Wright
Jan 23 Chris Funk the Wonderist
Apr 9 Duane Steele
Mar 6 Hyprov
May 15 Lemon Bucket Orkestra
And more, coming now through spring 2027! You can grab your tickets at Whitecourtlive.ca, a new arts and entertainment website showcasing Town events.
More things to do in Whitecourt
The arts scene provides an awesome complement to a well-established outdoor adventure destination.
While you're there for a show, be sure to bring your bike along to check out the local mountain bike park, or make time for a round of mini-golf at Brooke's Creek Campground.
Where to shop & eat
While visiting, you'll also find great local shops and restaurants in Whitecourt's diverse, friendly downtown.
Just like the entertainment scene, the focus is on local Alberta artists and creators, at shops like White Wall, Just Peachy and Beaver Creek General Store. (You'll find some tips to exploring downtown Whitecourt here.)
For a tasty pre-show taco dinner, head to the new Mexican restuarant in town, La Catrina, or for a post-show recap with some local craft beer, check out the Garage Brewhouse.
La Catrina, a new Mexican restaurant in Whitecourt.
Watch for the grand opening of the Canfore Culture and Event Centre, coming soon.
For the latest updates and events in Whitecourt check out WhitecourtLive.ca.