Things to do in Edmonton this week: September 13–19

This week splits into two weather stories. Sunday through Tuesday will be cool and damp—a stretch of overcast skies, drizzle, and highs near 13–17°C—the kind of early-fall Edmonton weather that pushes you indoors. Then Thursday onwards clears and warms: partly cloudy skies, highs climbing to 20–22°C by the weekend. Plan accordingly, and you'll make the most of both.

Thursday night is the week's heaviest hitter. Foo Fighters, the American rock band out of Washington state with roots in post-grunge and alternative rock, bring the Take Cover Tour to Commonwealth Stadium at 5:30 PM. This is a rare stadium show in the city, the kind of draw that fills an arena and justifies clearing your calendar. The forecast clears just in time—partly cloudy, 10–20°C—so the weather won't fight you.

Wednesday offers a quieter but equally compelling option. Basia Bulat, a Canadian folk singer-songwriter known for performing with an autoharp, plays Festival Place in Sherwood Park at 7:30 PM. A short drive east to the Park gets you an intimate performance in a room built for acoustic work. The forecast is damp that day—light drizzle, cool—which actually suits the mood of folk music played close.

If you want to catch hip-hop on Thursday, Jeru the Damaja takes the Starlite Room at 8:00 PM. Kendrick Jeru Davis's 1993 debut album "The Sun Rises in the East" ranks among hip-hop's 100 greatest, and his single "Come Clean" defined a generation of New York rap. Tickets start at $32. That same evening, if comedy calls, Joey Avery runs a five-performance stand at Rick Bronson's—the Comic Strip through Saturday, so you have options across three nights.

Alberta Ballet stages Giselle at the Jube (Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium) Friday and Saturday—three performances total. Friday night would pair well with a clear evening walk afterward; the weather turns mild.

On the food front, Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen opens Monday, September 14 at River Cree Resort and Casino in Enoch, just outside the city. The opening weekend is fully booked, but reservations are still available for the weeks ahead—a significant new dining draw for the region. If you want to eat closer to home this week, Commodore Restaurant on Jasper Ave is the steady choice for diner comfort on a damp afternoon; JINYA Ramen Bar hits differently on Wednesday or Thursday when you want something warm and filling indoors.

U of A Golden Bears volleyball and football bookend the weekend—the FOG Classic runs Thursday and Friday at Saville Community Sports Centre, and the football team takes on Saskatchewan Friday at 6:30 PM on Foote Field.

If I had one night this week, I'd head to Commonwealth Stadium Thursday for Foo Fighters: a stadium-sized rock show on the one evening the weather actually cooperates, and the kind of concert Edmonton doesn't get every month.