Throughout Edmonton’s history, a partnership with animals was essential to a happy and sustainable life.
Packhorses were vital to Edmonton’s early days by helping to transport people and goods, and by 1905, farm animals were essential to feeding and sustaining entire communities.
This weekend is all about getting up close and personal with many of the animals in Fort Edmonton Park! Visitors can participate in a number of fun, hands-on events that allow them to meet gentle giants like horses and learn the stories about how important they were to growing Edmonton into the city it is today.
1846 Fort
Gentlemen’s Tea: Gateway & Crossroads
Rowand House
1:30 PM – 20 minute program
Since time immemorial, Edmonton has been a crossroads of the west as well a destination. Join the Clerks for a cup of tea and fill them in on the future of the Gateway of the North!
Test Your Bravery: Horse Capture
Cree Encampment
3:30 PM – 20 minute program
Only the most quiet and most careful of kids can help capture a few horses — are you ready and able?
The Combination: Job Action in 1851
Fort Courtyard
11:30 AM – 20 minute program
Paying the Company for horses that are used to do the Company’s business? This shall not stand! Join the workers in defying the Chief Factor and the Company. Demands shall be made. Fists shall be shaken!
1885 Street
Iron Shoes
Sanderson & Looby Blacksmith Shop
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
See our blacksmith at work and hear about how they craft footwear for horses.
Tacking Up
McCauley Livery Stable
2:00 PM – 2 hour program
Come to the Livery Stable and learn about horse tack, including saddles, bridles and all the parts to a horse’s harness. Stick around to see a harnessing demonstration.
1905 Street
Bees-a-Buzz
Henderson Farm House
1:30 PM – 1 hour program
Hear about the first batch of bees Mr. Henderson acquired, and learn about what some of the beekeeping tools are for.
After the Bison
The wagon next to St. Anthony’s Church
11:30 AM – 2 hour program
Hear about the decimation of the great bison herds and how this affected Indigenous peoples in the Prairies.
1920 Street
Gentle Giants
Mellon Barn
1:00 PM – 2 hour program
Get up close with a 1000 kilogram draught horse and brush its coat. You’ll learn about the different breeds of horses at the Park and everything that goes into taking care of them.
Running on Horsepower
Mellon Farm
2:00 PM – 2 hour program
Model Ts might have been roaring around the roads in the 1920s, but most farms still relied on real horse power. Stop and chat about the role horses played in powering equipment on the farm.
Johnny. J. Jones Midway
Under the Big Top
Blue and White Tent
12:30 PM & 3:00 PM – 30 minute program
Step right up and come on in! Don’t miss out on the Midway’s famous variety show – catch it every Saturday and Sunday in the Blue and White Tent!
Guided Tours
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoon at 1:00 PM – 2 hour tour
Start at the Courtyard Flagpole
Accompany our knowledgeable tour guide on a fascinating and informative two-hour walking tour of Fort Edmonton Park as they share stories and tales from Edmonton’s rich past.