I headed over to KDays on Sunday to explore more of Edmonton. KDays was the last item I had left to complete on my Edmonton sightseeing list. While I have been living in Edmonton for five months, I first visited it to cover the Alberta United Conservative Party leadership race’s debate in 2022. Many Calgarians love to mock Edmonton, but I believe KDays could make them reconsider their opinion. READ MORE: BRADLEY: Five reasons why Edmonton doesn't suckHere are ten reasons why Calgarians should come to Edmonton for KDays..#10 — The Canadian Armed Forces display The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) sets up an area at KDays for people to check out some of the technology it uses. I was able to check out a tank soldiers drive with. What made this experience more special was I was allowed to climb on top of the tank and sit in the driver’s seat, feeling like I was a CAF soldier. Another device I was able to see was an artillery launcher. I learned from a CAF officer showing off the artillery launcher that it has plenty of recoil and releases this powerful smoke when it fires a rocket..#9 — Regular lemonade from Lemonade Edmonton’s weather was balmy on Sunday, but I was able to quench my thirst with a regular lemonade from Lemonade. The lemons used for this lemonade were sour, but it made it flavourful. The water balanced out the sourness and refreshed me. However, I tasted a lack of sugar in it, which would have made it better. I give it a 7.5/10..#8 — Crazy Mouse Coaster I decided to ride the Crazy Mouse Coaster, as it looked like fun. The Crazy Mouse Coaster started off by heading up an incline. It proceeded to make some sharp turns once at the top before sending me down a hill, filling me with glee. Once I was down the hill, I had fun as the cart spun around on the lower turns. Most importantly, I felt nostalgic, reflecting on the times I went to Canada’s Wonderland when I was younger. .#7 — Over/under I won a round of over/under that I played at one of the stalls at KDays. Over/under is a game where people bet money on whether or not balls they throw at a spinning wheel will be over or under seven. People who guess right will see the money they put down double. I put down $10 on over seven for a round I played. The balls landed on three and five, totalling eight and making me $20 richer. .#6 — Giant Wheel I decided to spend the money I won playing over/under on some ride tickets, and the first ride I headed on was the Giant Wheel. Riding the Giant Wheel was a pleasant experience, as I enjoyed it carrying me up to one of the highest views on the grounds. It was more relaxing than other rides, and I appreciated it taking my mind off of all of the chaos going on. While I had a spectacular view of the grounds from the Giant Wheel, I admired the tall skyscrapers in downtown Edmonton off in the distance. I saw the Edmonton EXPO Centre had solar panels on its roof, educating me on its commitment to renewable energy. .#5 — Ultimate pickle poutine at the Poutine King I loved the collection of the flavours in the ultimate pickle poutine from the Poutine King. The poutine part was impressive, as it had tasty French fries, fresh cheese curds, and warm gravy. The sweet and sour pickles in it made it taste unique, and the deep fried pickle in the middle was a nice touch. While I did enjoy eating the ultimate pickle poutine, it would have left me more impressed if it did not have mixed greens in it. I give it an 8.5/10..#4 — The Polar Express The Polar Express is my favourite carnival ride, and I was pleased to see KDays had it. I found a cart by myself and was barred in by a ride attendant before the Polar Express began to make its way around. I held on tight as the cart went up and down the slopes, sending me rocking in my seat. The speed left me exhilarated, as I felt happy travelling at a great velocity. It reminded to cherish happy moments, as life is short. .#3 — Rat Creek Mining Co. at Klondike Park Rat Creek Mining Co. at Klondike Park is a distinct part of KDays, so I knew I had to go to it. People could buy bags of dirt with gems inside them and head over to the water area to pan for them. I poured my dirt out into a tray, shoved it into the water, and shook it around to find the gems. My dirt bag had some quartzs inside them, and it was exciting to retrieve them from the dirt. I marvelled at this large carnelian in my bag, as it had a gorgeous orange colour to it. .#2 — Deep fried Oreo ice cream sandwich at Sugar Pops The deep fried Oreo ice cream sandwich from Sugar Pops was a near perfect dessert for me, scoring a 9.5/10. The deep fried coating was great, allowing my mouth to enjoy the warm, chewy flavour. The coldness of the Oreo ice cream sandwich struck a perfect balance, and the sweetness left me feeling satisfied. What would have given it a perfect score was if it had less powdered sugar. Since I have done some food reviews, maybe I can take over from Western Standard chief food correspondent Josh Andrus as payback for him getting to sample the Calgary Stampede’s new eats in May. READ MORE: ANDRUS: Yahoo — get ready to sample the unique new eats at the Stampede.#1 — Zorbing One item that has been on my bucket list for a while is to go zorbing, and I crossed it off at KDays. Zorbing involves people being placed in giant plastic balls and running around in them on water or land. These zorbs were on water, which made it a tough but fun challenge. I was able to stand up for a few seconds at a time in the zorb before being sent into comical falls, which left me amused. I did succeed at taking some steps forward, and it confirmed to me it is an experience like no other. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said at the Premier’s KDays Pancake Breakfast on Friday this festival is Edmonton’s signature event, and I agree with her. While Calgarians can brag about the Calgary Stampede being better, Edmontonians should be proud of the fun KDays offers. READ MORE: Smith says KDays shows off Edmonton's festival sceneI could see myself going back to it next year. Some other activities I am hoping to try include eating more crazy food, riding Pharaoh's Fury, and watching SuperDogs. If you have any suggestions on activities I should do for my next KDays (or want to insult me for finding it fun), please email me at jbradley@westernstandard.news.
