Edmonton's biggest botanical shopping day is back. Naturecore Expo, the city's plant-lover mega market, returns to the indoor Event Centre at North East River Valley Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Expect more than 80 vendors selling rare greenery, houseplants, handmade jewellery and art — plus flash tattoos and food trucks to keep you fed and inked between purchases.
The event started in 2022, founded by Torrin Hammond and Lauren Ponto as a way for small plant businesses to meet the people who love their work. It has since tripled in size and become a fall fixture on Edmonton's calendar. There's a clear ethos behind it, too: organizers keep the expo focused on local makers, with no AI-generated art and no multi-level marketing sellers allowed on the floor.
Practicalities are straightforward. Admission is $5 at the door — a new charge after four years of free entry, introduced to help the event keep pace with its growth — while kids aged 14 and under get in free. Parking on site is free, and the venue is fully accessible for wheelchairs, walkers and strollers, with staff and security on hand. It's a family-friendly setup, and four-legged family members are welcome in the park itself, just not inside the venue (service animals excepted).
If you want a preview of who'll be selling, the expo's Instagram features vendor spotlights in the run-up to the event. The full address is 903 153rd Ave. NE, in the North East River Valley.
For travellers, this is a good excuse to build an Edmonton weekend around something a bit different from the usual museums-and-mall circuit. Pair the Saturday expo with a walk in the river valley — the park sits right in it, and it's one of the largest urban park systems in North America — and you've got a cheap, low-key autumn day out that's genuinely local. Come with a tote bag; you will leave with plants.
