Located in Downtown Athabasca, inside a converted retail store, Johnny’s Eatery serves modern takes on classic casual dining in a modern and open setting!
Johnny’s menu delights and satisfies, from burgers to steak to bacon and eggs! Try the amazing carrot cake for dessert. Vegan dining options are available as well!
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available Tuesday to Saturday and on Saturdays and Sundays, they serve the best brunch in Athabasca, until 3 pm.
“Each one of our dishes is handcrafted and made to order fresh just for you.”
They have a private meeting/dining room that seats approximately 30 people. Contact them for details on booking and large parties.
Photo courtesy of Johnny’s Eatery
Special Holiday Menus
Johnny’s offers special fine dining menus on selected holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Thanksgiving. Please check their Facebook page for details on holiday menus.
Make it a Date Night
Johnny’s partners with the Heartwood Folk Club to offer 10% off to ticket holders on show night. Show your server your Heartwood Ticket, and they will apply the discount. It makes for a great “dinner and a show” date night!
If you are looking for a fun day trip from Edmonton, Fort McMurray, Athabasca or one of the area’s Summer Villages or campgrounds, take a Thursday off, jump in the car and visit the Village of Boyle!
Boyle is 1 hour 45 minutes north of Edmonton, 2 hours 45 minutes south of Fort McMurray and 40 minutes southeast of Athabasca! The village once was the site of a large lumber mill but now serves as a hub for the local agricultural community and the Summer Villages of Mewatha Beach, Bondis, and Long Lake. It’s also an important commuter stop between Edmonton and Fort McMurray on Hwy 63!
Why visit Boyle on Thursdays? Because that’s the day of the Boyle Farmers’ Market! You Can grab a bite, take a stroll through town on the walking trail, splash at the water park, stock up on goodies at the Farmers’ Market then grab an iced coffee at the Co-op gas bar on your way back home!
Grab a Bite
Save your appetite for a meal at one of Boyle’s dining experiences!
If you are into some amazing pizza, Boyle Pizza House serves up delicious pizza favourites, Italian-style subs and more. They have some tables outside so you can dine and take in the sunshine.
Other food choices in Boyle include Boyle Truck Stop for authentic diner food and the Keep Café, a food truck that serves up burgers and poutine! There’s also the Boyle Burger Bar for drive-in burgers and The Pepper Tree Café serves fresh and tasty Chinese food.
Boyle Historical Walking Trail
Burn off some of your delicious lunch with a walk on the Boyle Historical Walking Trail.
The Boyle Historical walking trail starts at the Boyle campground and circles back through town. Follow the directional signs along the path.
Boyle Splash Park
If you are with the kids, Boyle has a great combined splash and skateboard park to check out. The facilities include washrooms and picnic tables.
The Boyle Farmers’ Market
The Boyle Farmers’ Market is a staple of the Boyle community during the summer months! The vendors offer up artisan crafts, home-baked goods, preserves, hand-made jewellery and fresh produce from the local Hudderite colony! One of the newest vendors is a snow cone vendor that makes delicious cold treats with Italian soda flavours!
The Market recently changed their hours from 3 pm – 6 pm to better serve the community. You can find it in Downtown Boyle at the Community Centre.
While you’re Downtown, be sure to check out the shops and boutiques on Main Street!
Get Fueled Up
You’ll need some fuel for the ride home, coffee for you and gas for your vehicle! Make a stop at the North Corridor Co-op Gas Bar.
The Gas bar now has an iced coffee machine. You can make your custom iced coffee and grab some snacks too.
The gas bar has brand-new pumps with 24/7 self-service.
We hope you have a great time exploring Boyle on Thursdays or any day! If you have any questions about Boyle amenities please contact athabascaregiontourism@gmail.com!
Show us your fun day trip to Boyle by sharing your photos on social media with the hashtag #VisitTheAthabascaRegion or #LiveLifeOutside
The Athabasca Region is lucky to have 2 fantastic Farmers’ Markets during the summer and for one, the winter as well! They are the Athabasca Farmers’ Market and the Boyle Farmers’ Market. Both are essential parts of their respective communities! Providing opportunities for Athabasca Region vendors to sell to the public and improving the local economy.
Athabasca Farmers’ Market
The Athabasca Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday in the Summer from 10 am to 2 pm. You can find an amazing selection of vendors set up at the Athabasca Riverfront Park. On an occasional Saturday, you might find them at the Senior Center or another location in Downtown Athabasca, due to another event happening at the Riverfront.
There is a great selection of Make It – Bake It – Grow It items including baked goods, meats, produce (in the summer), and food from around the world! There are also artisan crafts, handmade soaps and personal care items, 3-D printed toys, yard art and more. There are new vendors all the time!
The Athabasca Farmers’ Market is also a mainstay of Athabasca’s big Canada Day celebration! They partner with The Magnificent River Rats Festival and hold their market with the festival.
For most of the summer Markets, Athabasca’s multiple food trucks show up at the Riverfront to offer delicious lunches and snacks!
The Market is located at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex during the winter months on every second Saturday until Christmas. Many of the same vendors come to the Winter markets, except produce vendors. They usually take a break for March and April and start up again on the first Saturday of May.
Here is some history of the Athabasca Farmers’ Market, from founder Yvonne McDermid:
Having moved here from St. Albert – the city known for having Western Canada’s Largest Outdoor Farmers’ Market, I was anxious to plant the seed for a Farmers’ Market here in Athabasca. After the closure of the old Farmers Market location on the corner of 49 St and 49 Ave., I contacted the Manager of the St. Albert Market and asked her how I would go about starting a market here in Athabasca. With the government documents in hand I approached the President of the Chamber of Commerce – who I believe was Trevor Martin at the time, to sponsor the first, Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market in Athabasca. In approx 2005 or 06 the market saw its beginning in the lower level of the Community Hall . When the community hall was scheduled for demolition the Market moved to the basement in the Legion. The chamber of Commerce decided it was no longer financially sustainable and withdrew its support – so with no revenue, no vision, and no direction, it suffered a slow death, finally closing its doors in about 2009.
In the fall of 2011, myself and 4 other like-minded individuals, who wanted to see the resurrection of an Athabasca Farmers’ Market, formed our own Not-for-Profit Society for the sole purpose of sponsoring this market. This not-for-profit society was originally called North Country Community Council With a generous donation from an anonymous gentleman in our community, we were able to get the Market off the ground in Nov of 2011. Two years later, with grants from both the Town and County, and a name change to Athabasca Market Association, we were on our feet and on the road to success. Athabasca has such a beautiful river setting so moving the market outdoors in the summer was always my dream and it was finally realized in the summer of 2012. I remember that year struggling to get 7 or 8 vendors out – now we fill that space with 30-40 tents every Sat. May – Sept with vendors coming from as far away as Ft.McMurray, & Edmonton.
Many people are not aware of the differences that exist in Farmers’ Markets – If you have an “Alberta Approved Farmers’ Market”, which we do, you work in conjunction with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development and your local health inspector. All our food vendors are required to complete an On-line Food Safety Course. As an approved market we also encourage and prefer the “Make it, Bake it, Grow it,” vendors and are restricted to allow no more than 20% Multiple Level Sales at our Market.
You’ve probably seen this little farm girl with blue overalls and straw hat on our printed advertisements but weren’t aware of its significance. This Sunnygirl logo is the trademarked logo for Alberta Approved Farmers’ Markets. It helps the consumer identify that the market is approved and they are affiliated with a chain of high quality markets offering Alberta-produced products that consumers can trust. It indicates that we have met the government guidelines to offer you the best market experience possible.
The Boyle Farmers’ Market is held on Thursdays from noon to 3 pm, May to September, at the Boyle Community Centre in Downtown Boyle. Boyle Ag Society is its main sponsor.
At the Boyle market, you’ll find a great assortment of baked goods, home preserves, crochet toys, woodworking and more. They feature fresh seasonal vegetables later in the summer.
You can find some special markets during the summer! They will be at the Boyle Wildberry Festival, and the Shoreline Shore RV park, plus they have Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas season special markets. You can stock up on all your holiday treats!
Boyle and Athabasca are within day-trip distances from Edmonton, Fort McMurray, St. Albert and other regional locations. Make a day of it by visiting the Farmers’ Market, having some lunch and then finishing off with a hike!
Share photos of your Farmers’ Market finds with the hashtag #VisitTheAthabascaRegion. #LiveLifeOutside
For some, the chilly weather makes them curl up under a blanket and stay cozy until spring. If you’re the opposite, and the brisk air makes you want to get outside and move, then the Athabasca region has some great outdoor walks that can be done in the winter!
If it snows a lot, most of these walks are well-maintained sidewalks, so no trudging. On the nature trails, grab some snowshoes or cross-country skis and move across the land and snow that way.
If you use AllTrails, check out the Athabasca region maps and contribute your own walk/run/ski to add to the route listings. We have added some AllTrail links to the article.
Whatever walk you choose (or walks, because how can you choose just one?), you’ll see how easy it is to enjoy the outdoors and experience an active getaway for the day, weekend or week in the Athabasca Region! #LiveLifeOutside
1. Boyle Historical Walk
On the outskirts of the Village of Boyle, you’ll find the Boyle Historical Walking Trails. The trail system was established by the Boyle Community Betterment Committee to commemorate the centennial of the village.
Starting at the Boyle Campground, follow the trail to the west. You can then turn south and then back down to town.
Boyle is 3 hours from Fort McMurray and 1 hour 40 minutes from Edmonton. If you want to stay overnight, check out the accommodations: Airbnb, and Boyle Hotels.
2. Athabasca Rotary Trail
The Athabasca Rotary Trail is a paved walking trail that takes you from one end of Athabasca right to the Muskeg Creek Trail system. If you started on the east end of Athabasca, you could follow the trail down the hill, under the HWY 55 bridge, west along the riverfront until you get to Hwy 55 again. You could continue to the west and meet up with the Muskeg Trail System.
There are informational signs, telling the story of the Athabasca River and Athabasca Landing. There is a great view of the Old Bridge in the distance.
The Riverfront walk is about 2.5 km long, relatively flat and fully paved. The Riverfront Park has firepits to warm up with, with firewood for sale at the Husky Market across the highway.
The Rotary trail is cleared by the Town after a snowfall.
The Town of Athabasca played an important role in the history of Northern Alberta. Athabasca Landing was a transportation hub connecting Edmonton and northern settlements. The river was the highway the town the gathering area.
Many of the historical buildings and sites remain in the town and the Athabasca Historical Society created a historical walk to tell their stories.
The walk wanders through Downtown Athabasca, down to the Riverfront and back. End your walk with a visit to the extensive collection at the Athabasca Archives.
The sidewalks on this walk are generally cleared after a snowfall.
4. Athabasca Thrift & Finds Crawl
Love thrifting, unique finds and a good walk? Then the Athabasca Thrift and Finds crawl is for you!
This walk visits the excellent thrift stores Athabasca hosts, with high quality and unique second-hand finds. You’ll also visit some unique boutiques that curate eclectic and thoughtful collections.
There are plenty of stops for snacks, meals or coffee, so take your time and refresh yourself during your exciting haul!!!
The sidewalks on this walk are generally cleared after a snowfall.
5. Muskeg Creek Trails
One of the best attractions in the Town of Athabasca is the Muskeg Creek Park trail system! The park is located on the west side of Athabasca, adjacent to the University of Athabasca campus. It is a beautiful slice of the Boreal Forest, within the Town of Athabasca.
There are multiple loops of varying distances and elevations.
“The Muskeg Creek Valley is a steep-sided, heavily wooded ravine located west of the downtown area and adjacent to Athabasca University. Covering an area of 17.5 square kilometres with an elevation change of 50 meters, it is easy to get away from the sights and sounds of the nearby urban area.”
In the winter, the trail system is groomed for in-line and skate cross-country skiing. You can rent snowshoes from the Athabasca Regional Multiplex, as well.
The Athabasca Landing/Trans Canada Trail is a historical travel route that followed the Tawatinaw River Valley from Edmonton in the 1800’s.
The trailhead is situated right in the Town of Athabasca, with easy access from Hwy 55 and plenty of parking. This is an in & out trail that can be followed all the way to the Village of Colinton. You can also park at the trailhead in Colinton. The point-to-point distance is approx 13 km.
This trail is not groomed in the winter. Some sections may become packed, but snowshoes or skis are recommended. Bridge repair is ongoing and may be unpassable.
7. Centennial Park – North Shore of Athabasca River
When you look across the Athabasca River from Riverfront Park, you will see a big welcome sign on the north shore. The sign, and an amazing view of the Town of Athabasca, can be found at Athabasca Centennial Park. The also serves as a starting point for a walk along the river and into the forest.
Walk west of the park along the River Ave trail. You can turn and walk north for about another 1 km. The total distance is about 3 km.
This is an in-and-out trail that is not groomed in the winter.
Bonus Walk!
Would you like to experience the terrain that the triathletes participating in the Kapâwinihk Wilderness Triathlon run/walk? It’s a winding trail through gorgeous Boreal forest that has some great views of the Athabasca River. The trail system is part of the River Meadows RV Park but is open to the public. The owners ask that you call or text 780-689-1565 to let them know you are on the property.
Before you enter the RV park, you will see a parking area across from a construction site. The entrance to the trails is just down from there. If you plan on hiking the whole loop, please be aware that two sections cross water, so use caution.
Food and Accommodations in Athabasca
Athabasca has some fantastic restaurants that will serve up a delicious meal to fuel up your walk or warm you up when you are done. If you want to spend a weekend or more, you could choose from chain hotels, Mom & Pop motels and short-term rentals.
While the days are getting cooler and leaves have changed their colour, not everything in the Athabasca Region is getting ready to tuck in for winter! Our Fall events schedule is heating up and getting ready to rock!
Take a look at some of our feature events coming up in October and November! And be sure to check our Events Calendar to see any updates.
Heartwood Folk Club Fall Series
The Heartwood Folk Club is a staple of Athabasca’s arts & culture scene. They present a seasonal series of amazing musicians from around Alberta, Canada and the world!
Performances happen in the fantastic Nancy Appleby Theatre, an intimate setting with a retro feel and great lighting and sound!
Make it a date-night-getaway and enjoy 10% off your meal at both Johnny’s Eatery or 49th Street Grill. Just show your server your ticket to the show!
Get more details here about the Heartwood Folk Club and their Fall 2023 Concert Series and how to buy tickets.
Tina Hart – September 29
“Spice up your night with the delightful sounds of Tina Hartt singing a coquette-ish mixture of originals, jazz standards and French chansons with a playful retro Parisienne cafe twist. Intimate, rhythmic and fearless – fully expect a toe-tapping soirée along with some downright pleasant surprises!
From Montreal but now living in Calgary. Tina has sung in a gamut of musical ensembles: “Cowtown Opera” (Calgary), Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the 18-piece GTA Swing Band (Toronto), acapella jazz quartet “Tongues ‘n Groove”(Toronto), “Tina Hartt Quintet” (Toronto), and the rock bands “Rebel Hartt’s” and “Papa So Mean” (Montreal).”
“Acclaimed raconteur Ray Bonneville strips his bluesy Americana down to its essentials and steeps it in the humid grooves of the South, creating a compelling poetry of hard living and deep feeling. His ninth release, At King Electric, delivers more than his trademark grit and groove. Songs such as “The Next Card to Fall” and “Codeine” gleam with intimate narratives of characters reaching for hope and wrestling with despair. Rich guitar and harmonica lines resonate over spare but spunky rhythms, while Bonneville’s deep, evocative voice confesses life’s harsh realities.”
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys – November 2
“Jake Vaadeland is a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and songwriter from Saskatchewan, Canada. His traditional sound and unique style could be defined as a blend of Bluegrass and 50’s Rockabilly, with Jake also specializing on guitar and banjo in addition to his impressive vocals.
Jake strives to write and play with a focus on storytelling and messages that he hopes his audience can relate to, all packaged in foot-stomping, high-energy performances with The Sturgeon River Boys.”
“Crystal Plamondon hails from Plamondon, a town in Northern Alberta founded by her Franco-American great-grandfather in 1908. Crystal is a talented bilingual singer/songwriter/performer with a 35-year track record of consistently delivering passionate concerts that cover an emotional range from heart-warming ballads; as she demonstrates in her sixth studio album “TORCH” realizing a dream to sing Jazz classics; to her rockin’ country, cajun, roots style. Crystal never fails to connect with her audience because of her warmth, wit and report! Crystal has toured extensively in live music venues, theatres, and festivals throughout North America and Europe.”
Visit the lovely Village of Boyle the Thursday before Thanksgiving, October 5, from 12 pm to 3 pm, to stock up on treats, veggies and unique handicrafts for your holiday festivities!
If you’re heading from Fort McMurray to Edmonton (or vice versa), leave early so you can visit this great, accredited Farmers’ Market!
You know summer is coming to a close, 🙁 , when the Athabasca Farmers’ Market moves to its indoor venue at the Athabasca Multiplex! But don’t be too sad, because you can still get all the amazing food, treats, crafts and more from the region’s market vendors. Same local products, cozy indoor setting.
Grab a snack and then head over to Muskeg Creek Trails for a gorgeous hike afterwards.
Upcoming dates: October 7 & 21, November 4 & 18, December 2, 9, 16
Are you ready to rumble? Get your pro-wrestling fix at the Monster Pro Wrestling: Rise Up! Saturday, October 14th, 2023 at the Rotary Fieldhouse at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex.
Doors Open: 6:00PM
Show Time: 7:00PM
Tickets:
$25 Each Advanced (Contact any MPW wrestler/staff member or contact mpwrestlingevents@gmail.com)
$30 Each At The Door
One Book, One Community
“One Book, One Community (OBOC) is an event in Athabasca designed to encourage people to all read the same book and then come together to discuss it and participate in a program of related events. One Book, One Community-Athabasca supports reading, celebrates books and writing, promotes Canadian authors, and builds a sense of community through the shared experience of reading. OBOC is run by the One Book, One Community Committee which consists of local book club members, library staff, and members of community betterment groups.”
Join the Athabasca community in learning more about the refugee experience with the immersive events the One Book, One Community program hosts.
Meet Author Winnie Yeung as she chats about the book she co-authored: Homes: A Refugee Story.
Then enjoy a screening of the award-winning film, Peace By Chocolate, the award-winning film about Syrian refugees who build a life in Nova Scotia one delicious piece of chocolate at a time. Based on a true story.
Both events at the Nancy Appleby Theatre. The chat begins at 5:30 pm and the film at 7 pm.
Taste of Athabasca – November 4
Get your tastebuds ready for a tour through Athabasca’s multi-cultured community! Community members will be cooking up traditional and cultural treats to share! Grab some bite-size nibbles from around the world and learn more about what makes Athabasca and the region a truly multicultural community!
By donation at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex from 11 am to 1pm.
Fall Into Place October 21
Rock out at Neighbours Pub with local talent Fall Into Place! These local rockers will be bringing the tunes and Neighbours will be serving up delicious food and beverages! Come out and support local live music!
Wear a costume (celebrate Halloween early!) to win prizes! The band starts at 9 pm. No minors.
‘Tis the Season: Moonlight Madness & Market – November 24 & 25
Kick off the holiday season with the Moonlight Madness Festival and Market! There will be a parade, a market at the Multiplex and more.
Stay tuned for details!
Make it a Getaway!
With so many fun, entertaining and sometimes thought-provoking events coming up in the Athabasca region, why not plan a weekend or long weekend getaway? There are some perfect date nights, so get out of the city with your S.O. or friends and experience the arts & culture scene of the Athabasca Region!
Get information about upcoming events, dining, accommodations and more at visitathabasca.ca!
