35 Years of smiles, laughs, memories and fun facts!

The largest and first of its kind in North America, StreetFest is celebrating 35 years of bringing the best of the best street performers to Edmonton!

Did you know…?!

1. StreetFest is the first and largest festival of its kind in North America.
2. Over 35 years, StreetFest has had two Festival Producers: founding producer, Dick Finkel (15 years), and current Producer, Shelley Switzer (20 years).
3. Over the 35 years, the StreetFest Volunteer Family is over 6000 people strong! Many of those volunteers come back year-after-year to volunteer with the Festival. We could not do it with you!
4. Over 35 years there have been approximately 1350 acts (some have joined us a number of times over the years) and with almost 15% of those acts jugglers. That’s a lot of balls.
5. There are 195 countries in the world and these countries have been represented including: Canada, USA, Japan, New Zealand, China, Spain, Portugal, Italy, India, Mexico, Thailand, Philippines, Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Israel, Ireland, Croatia, Samoa, UK, South Korea, France, Ukraine, Australia and Germany, with more to come!
6. Over the 35 years the Board of Directors has consisted of around 200 incredible, devoted individuals. Our hats off to each one of them who have made invaluable contributions to StreetFest’s history and to our future.
7. Do you remember which year Mike Wood had Mayor Stephen Mandel catch a cabbage on his head at the media launch?
8. With the exception of 2018, StreetFest has always been a 10 days festival. That’s 346 days (so far) of the Worlds’ Best Street Performers.
9. The artist who has appeared at the most StreetFest’s is Cindy, one of our amazing Face Painters, who has been part of the cast for 28 years.
10. Our current longest standing volunteer is Elizabeth McEwan. She has been with us for at least 28 years.  There are many others who have multitudes of years and we thank her and all of the volunteers so much.
11. Longest standing vendor is Mike Rogiani and his family and team at the ICE CREAM DEPOT. They have been at every festival.
12. In August of 1984 famous wire walker Philippe Petit walked over Churchill Square – right here in Edmonton. Where you there???
13. Over a typical 10-day festival, a minimum of 3000 individual balloon sculptures are made. Over 35 years, that’s 103,800 number of original, awesome and hand-made balloon sculptures.
14. Over the years proving laughter has the power to heal, StreetFest has proudly made over 225 Comedy Cares visits, in Edmonton, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Red Deer, Okotoks, Banff, Canmore, Strathmore, Sooke and White Rock. Thanks to the artists bringing our special brand of laughter and to the people and businesses that make sure these visits happen.
15. How many StreetFest couples? There is a lot of LOVE at our Festival – some of our many acts are couples; Cirque No Problem, Cassie & Rob, Her Majesty’s Secret Circus, Pandora Pink and Mr. Spin, Street Circus, Yoyo People, John Ullyatt and Annie Dugan and Coupe du Foudre.  Now, here are 2 couples that actually met at StreetFest and are now married Christof!! and Patti Stiles, and Wendy Vousden and Justin Case.
16. StreetFest has used an infinity of hula hoops over 35 years.

Check out StreetFest’s campaigns over the years

Starting with SummerFest in 1981 — how many of these years have YOU been to?