About
Heart of the City (HOTC) is a music and arts festival, part of the rich cultural climate in Edmonton’s core since 2004. This year's free two-day festival takes place on June 4 and 5 in Little Italy’s Giovanni Caboto Park.
Heart of the City gives emerging musicians and visual artists an opportunity to present their original work to the community. The primary qualification for artists – both visual and musical – to participate in HOTC is their affiliation with one of the nine neighbourhoods that comprise Edmonton’s core. All visual artists and at least 50% of the members of a musical act must live, work, volunteer, or go to school within the designated boundaries (south of Yellowhead Trail, north of North Saskatchewan River, east of 124 Street and west of 75 Street).
As an alcohol-free, family focused festival, HOTC is part of a larger revitalization movement in the McCauley neighbourhood, seeking to highlight the diverse, vibrant culture of the area. With 56 musical
acts, 100 plus volunteers and over 4000 audience members in 2010, the festival is certainly well-received by the community.
The Heart of the City festival's creation in the early aughts was based in the efforts of dedicated volunteers who were part of several downtown coffeehouses at the Bissell Centre. Considering the wealth of talent in the area, these volunteers stepped up to showcase area musicians in an outdoor festival setting. Today HOTC is a well loved and highly anticipated event among the myriad of Edmonton festivals, kickstarting the summer with a local, independent focus that traverses genres from folk and bluegrass traditions though to more urban, modern styles like hip hop, punk rock and world music vibes.
Another huge part of the festival is its focus on the visual arts. HOTC works with social service agencies like E4C Art Start, iHuman and the Nina Haggerty Centre for the Arts to deliver workshops for kids and adults. There is also a vendors marketplace where folks are able to sell their wares, from paintings and sculptures to photographs and zines, showcasing the work of many colourful artists who brighten up
the inner city.
