Rural Road Trip Feature Parish - St. Mary's, Vegreville

St. Mary’s Anglican Church is located 106 kms east of Edmonton on Hwy 16 in Vegreville. St. Mary’s is a community that is fully devoted to God, through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit; opening our arms to those in search of the truth giving assurance that all are loved. Stop by the church, you’ll find St. Mary’s at 5042 - 48 Avenue, when you arrive in town and take selfie out front before checking out so favourite attractions recommended by local community members. 

The town of Vegreville is known for having the World's Largest Pysanka (Easter Egg). You can find the Pysanka at the Elks Pond on the east side of town. At Elks Pond you will find beautiful, paved walking paths fun, and free! Borrow-A-Bike program to explore the local trails and historic downtown, a playground for the kiddos, and a serviced campground. No stop at the Pysanka Egg would be complete without a visit to the Little Red Ice Cream Wagon where you can get premium hard ice cream, mini doughnuts, sweet and salty Kettle Corn and more. Visit during the week and take in a weekly market in the park hosted by local vendors and entrepreneurs! Vegreville is also home to the Pysanka Festival hosted every year on the first weekend of July. This event which exhibits some of the finest aspects of Ukrainian cultural heritage is an annual attraction for many. 

Vegreville is also home to an Annual Country Fair featuring midway games and rides, mouth-watering food; chuckwagon and chariot races, tractor pulls, bandshell entertainment, markets, parades and much more. The fair is scheduled to take place from August 4 - 8, 2021 and is worth a day trip to take in the festivities. 

Vegreville is a great place to make your home base if you venture out of town. The Wapasu Lake Conservancy Park near Innisfree is a wildlife habitat in and around a lake. Wapasu Lake (Cree for white swan) is a known migratory stop for white swans and countless wildlife species. Akasu (Sickman Hill) is approximately 14 kilometres east of Vegreville and the highest geodetic elevation between Edmonton and Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is a historical site encompassing both Akasu Lake & Akasu Hill. The Hill was a rest stop and gathering place for Indigenous people. Thirty minutes west of Vegreville on Highway 16 in the County of Lamont is the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village, an open-air museum recreating pioneer settlements and guided by costumed, historical interpreters. It gives a glimpse into the lives of Ukrainian Canadian settlers between the years 1899 to 1930. Travel just three kilometres further west and you can visit Elk Island National Park where you will likely see bison, and maybe even some elk, a moose, or white-tailed deer, and mule deer. If you are lucky, you might even spot an elusive Alberta lynx. 

**Please Note: When visiting Vegeville, please adhere to the guidelines mandated in Alberta. Stay 6ft apart. Wear a mask. Stay home if you are sick.