Have you heard the joke about Edmonton's seasons? The one that says that there are two seasons in Edmonton: snow and rain. However, there is a third season that makes the city even more unique: Festival Season!

The Northern Alberta Children's Festival is worth the drive to St. Albert. Especially for kids and kids at heart. performers from around the world come to entertain. There are jugglers, clowns, musicians, magicians at both indoor and outdoor venues.

One of my personal favorite events in the city, hands down, is the Edmonton International Street Performers Festival. The best buskers in the world perform in Winston Churchill square. A lot of people think they perform for free -- wrong. After each performance, the members of the audience are encouraged to give what they felt the show was worth as the performer "passes the hat."

Heritage Days is a three day celebration of cultural diversity that takes place the August long weekend in Hawerlak Park. Pavilions representing over fifty countries and cultures draw huge crowds eager to sample ethnic recipes and view live performances of dance and music.

Capital Ex is a new festival that has replaced Klondike Days. It is Edmonton's summer exhibition with a midway, games, showcases, live music, and much more.

When it is time for Jazz City, all of downtown knows it -- you can hear the music taking place at Winston Churchill Square echoing through the streets. The shows in the Square are free, but there are many top-name acts who come to town to perform at venues around the city.

The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is by far one of the most popular events in the city. Every year in Gallagher Park tens of thousands of folkies come to Canadian and international acts perform on the main stage, and also at workshops held throughout the day.

Another major event is the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, featuring a plethora of independent plays. Most of the performances take place in the Old Strathcona area, which also comes alive with buskers and craft sellers.

A vibrant cultural group has a festival that highlights their importance in the multi-cultural fabric of the city. The Caribbean community presents CariWest, a festival of Caribbean arts. The most popular part of CariWest is the parade through Jasper Avenue -- those colorful costumes are blinding!

Most of these festivals require volunteers to help make them go off smoothly. The websites for the festivals listed above should have information if you are interested in volunteering.