If there is one thing that Edmonton is known for besides being a city locked away somewhere in the back of a forgotten freezer, it’s the sheer amount of festivals and events that we have year round (because we’re crazy and like to go outside in -40 for some reason). From summer festivals to winter activities, if you ask anyone except a local, there seems to always be something to do around here. Of course, a certain pandemic put a bit of a hamper on that a few years ago, but since then the community has slowly come back to being what we once considered as “normal”. For all of us with summer toys, that also meant that we could actually use them again instead of just staring at them in the garage (or cursing at them, whatever tickles your fancy).

Shows, meets, track days, they were all slowly coming back just like my memory, but there was still one particular event that hadn’t quite peeked its head out of the water just yet. Cancelled in both 2021 and 2022 (for good reason), the Edmonton Motorcycle Show was slated to be back for a glorious return in 2023…until it got cancelled again (third time’s the charm?). Luckily, motorcycle enthusiasts are a bit more passionate about what they do than most, so a few members from the Edmonton Motorcycle Roadracing Association (EMRA) came together to put together their own event for the community, the YEG Motorcycle Show.

While nowhere near as big as the manufactured backed event that we’ve all been missing, the YEG Motorcycle Show provided a grassroots environment for everyone to enjoy, and it was certainly a refreshing sight to see our two-wheeled companions again. While the lack of manufacture support meant that a lot of the usual offerings weren’t on display, it did at least mean that plenty more of the aftermarket/custom bikes were out in attendance which was quite the treat to the eyes.

I just took some detail photos from the event so there’s no a tone to look at this time around. Thank you to the folks from EMRA for putting together this wonderful event and I hope to see more in the future!

-brandon.