Folk Fest tonight, cool morning — bring layers to Gallagher Park

Morning's sitting at 10°C, so you'll want a layer if you're heading out early—it's one of those late-summer days that feels like it's already thinking about fall. UV's running at 5, which means the sun's got teeth if you're out all afternoon. You're looking at daylight until 9:21 PM tonight, so there's real evening left in the day.

Nothing major tying up the commute this morning, so you should be sorted getting across town the usual way.

Few things worth knowing as you move through the day: the city's tightened up e-scooter rules in Mill Woods with a geofencing pilot, so if you're riding in the area, know where you can park and go. On the heavier side, Edmonton hit 770 overdose deaths last year—the worst on record—so if you or someone you know is struggling, that's worth remembering there's help out there. The Royal Alberta Museum also handed back over 17,000 artifacts to Fort McKay First Nation this week after decades in storage, which is a real move toward making things right.

If you're thinking lunch or dinner, there's some solid new energy on Whyte—Greg Sweeney's HOM Street Food took over the kitchen at Bibo's, and if you want something different, Bazaar's bringing Ukrainian street food to Station Park over in Old Strathcona. It's worth the trip if that's calling you. And if you haven't been to Coliseum Steak & Pizza in Parkdale yet, they just hit 50 years—that's worth celebrating.

Here's the real thing tonight though: Folk Fest kicks off at Gallagher Park at 6:30 PM. Bring a blanket, grab someone, and catch live music outside. The weather's cool but clear, and you've got hours of daylight to play with. This is the kind of evening that reminds you why people actually choose to live here—it's free, it's local, and it's exactly what a Thursday night should be.

Stay warm out there. See you around.