After a three-year closure for upgrades, Edmonton’s William Hawrelak Park is once again set to host its summer and winter festivals.
The park’s major $134.5-million renewal project resulted in refurbished infrastructure, a new lakefront promenade, a new playground, a modernized pavilion and renovated washrooms.
The Heritage Amphitheatre also received a touch-up with 1,200 brand-new adjustable seats, accessibility aids such as ramps and hearing loops, renovated green rooms and winterized facilities.
Starting Wednesday, visitors will be able to experience some of these renovations as the Freewill Shakespeare Festival returns to the amphitheatre.
“Being away from the park for the last three years has dynamically changed us as a company,” said Shannon Jones, the festival’s managing director.
“It’s been really fun and interesting to see how passionate and engaged all of our staff and crew are in coming back to the park and getting to be here.”
Shannon Jones sits in one of the Heritage Amphitheatre’s new, adjustable seats. The amphitheatre received a touch up during the renovation project with 1,200 brand new adjustable seats, accessibility aids, such as ramps and hearing loops, renovated green rooms, and winterized facilities. (Serra Hamilton/CBC)
During the closure, Freewill used alternative locations, including community hockey rinks and the Louise McKinney Riverfront Park.
Jones described the location changes as a significant financial burden.
“We had a couple moments last year where we were like, ‘We don’t know if we’re going to make it to the park,” she said.
Jones said it was thanks to donations and city funding that Freewill stayed in business.
The Edmonton Heritage Festival is also set to return to Hawrelak beginning Aug. 1. During the park’s closure, the festival was relocated to the Edmonton Exhibition Lands and Borden Park.
“It’s a bit of a homecoming for us,” said Rob Rohatyn, the executive director of the Edmonton Heritage Festival Association.
He said this year’s Heritage Fest will welcome more than 60 pavilions representing over 60 cultures, and is expected to see 300,000 visitors.
“We’re excited to take advantage of everything that came with the rehabilitation,” Rohatyn said.
“The underground infrastructure is a huge benefit to our festival and with the upgrades, it certainly provides a stable source of both electricity and water.”
Meshkin Makari , the City of Edmonton’s supervisor of civic centre programs and events, said the park’s reopening means its festivals are now “back home” after three years of having to “chop, change, tweak [and] adapt.”
“It’s such an amazing amenity and such a huge part of our river valley for residents and visitors to truly experience Edmonton in the most natural way,” said Makari.
The Silver Skate Festival is also set to return to the park in February.
During Hawrelak Park’s closure, the winter event relocated to Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park.
“We’re blessed with Hawrelak having a lot of infrastructure that we can utilize in terms of there’s access to water and there’s access to power that we don’t necessarily get in other parks,” said Erin DiLoreto, Silver Skate’s executive producer.
“I’ve been doing this for over two decades, and I consider Hawrelak Park home,” said DiLoreto.
“So it’s like moving back home and showcasing and celebrating one of the jewels of the river valley.”