Every fall, the Devonian Botanical Gardens Fruit Growers Group invites gardeners, orchardists, and curious food lovers to the Fruit Festival – a one-of-a-kind chance to taste Edmonton’s hardy fruits before you decide what to plant.
This group is the city’s hub for fruit knowledge: their fall fruit tasting event lets you explore dozens of varieties, and their spring Scionwood Exchange provides the grafting material to grow them yourself.
Together, these events keep Edmonton’s fruit-growing community thriving with the knowledge, cultivars, and connections needed to succeed in Zone 3.
Taste Alberta’s Hardy Fruit Before You Plant
Most garden centres carry a limited, generic selection of fruit trees. Tasting at the Fruit Festival lets you:
- Match cultivars to your palate and backyard microclimate
- Compare dozens of Zone 3 varieties in one place
- Discover fruits better suited for eating fresh, long-term storage, or cider making
This “taste before you plant” approach helps you choose trees you’ll truly enjoy for years to come.
What Fruit Can Be Grown in Alberta’s Zone 3?
Hardy fruit grown in Zone 3 includes apples, pears, plums, sour cherries, raspberries, haskaps, Saskatoons, grapes, and blackcurrants. These cultivars thrive despite late frosts, short seasons, and extreme winter cold – making them perfect for Edmonton and the surrounding prairies.
| Fruit Type | Varieties That Thrive in Zone 3 |
|---|---|
| Apples | Norkent, Parkland, Prairie Sensation, Goodland, Norland, September Ruby, Prairie Magic, Honeycrisp |
| Pears | Krazulya, Ure, Early Gold, Golden Spice, Summercrisp |
| Plums | Brookgold, Pembina, Brookred, Patterson Pride, Lee Red |
| Sour Cherries | Carmine Jewel, Juliet, Romeo, Cupid, Crimson Passion |
| Raspberries | Boyne, Souris, Red Mammoth, Honeyqueen |
| Haskaps (Honeyberry) | Aurora, Borealis, Boreal Beast, Boreal Beauty, Boreal Blizzard, Indigo Gem, Tundra |
| Saskatoons | Thiessen, Martin, Smokey, Northline, Honeywood, JB30, Regent, Parkhill |
| Grapes | Valiant, Beta, King of the North, Bluebell, Minnesota 78, Prairie Star, Sabrevois, Louise Swenson, Swenson White |
| Blackcurrants | Ben Sarek, Titania, Crandall, Black Giant, other hardy Ben series cultivars |
The Fruit Festival is your chance to see and taste these hardy fruits side-by-side – a rare opportunity beyond what most nurseries offer, and a shortcut to choosing varieties that will thrive in your yard.
Plan Your Future Orchard or Backyard Garden
The Fruit Festival is more than a chance to taste what’s growing today – it’s your roadmap for tomorrow’s planting. By sampling hardy Zone 3 fruits now, you’ll know exactly which varieties you want in your yard, and you’ll be ready to follow through at spring’s Fruit Tree and Berry Bush Care workshop and the Scionwood Exchange.
Here’s how these events fit together across the year:
| Season | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Fall | Taste local fruit at the Fruit Festival and choose your favourite varieties |
| Winter | Plan your yard space, rootstocks, and order supplies |
| Spring | Attend the Scionwood Exchange and our Planting & Growing workshop to start your trees right |
| Summer | Care for young plantings and enjoy the first growth of your future orchard |
By tasting in the fall, you avoid guesswork and graft the exact cultivars you loved.
And when your trees begin to bear, you can celebrate the harvest with our annual Apple Cider Celebration — a community event where excess fruit is pressed into fresh cider and shared in the fun before the next Fruit Festival rolls around.
Meet Expert Growers & Community Orchardists
Behind the Fruit Festival is the Devonian Botanical Gardens Fruit Growers Group – a network of local orchardists, horticulturists, and backyard growers. With decades of combined experience in Alberta’s Zone 3, they provide one-on-one advice on:
- Growing hardy fruit successfully
- Selecting rootstocks and cultivars
- Managing pests and winter survival
- Planning small backyard orchards or community plots
Why This Event Matters for Edmonton Gardeners
Planting fruit trees is an investment of time, money, and years of waiting for results.
The Fruit Festival gives you a rare chance to taste the varieties before you commit, learn which trees are proven to thrive in Zone 3, and connect with the community of growers who’ve been doing this successfully for decades. It’s knowledge you can’t buy at a garden centre.
Did you know?
- Over 40 varieties of apples, pears, and plums were showcased in 2024
- Nurseries typically offer only 12–15 fruit varieties, yet dozens can thrive here
- With the right rootstock, Zone 3 survival rates reach up to 95%
This festival is more than a tasting table – it’s a way to save yourself costly mistakes, build a resilient backyard orchard, and ensure your trees give back for generations.
Who Should Attend the Edmonton Fruit Festival?
Whether you’re a first-time fruit grower or an experienced orchardist, the Fruit Festival offers something for you. It’s designed to welcome backyard gardeners, families, and food lovers while also providing practical, technical insights for serious growers.
- Home gardeners and backyard orchard planners
- Anyone preparing to plant fruit trees in 2026
- Orchardists curious about new cultivars
- Families looking for a fun, educational fall outing
- Cider makers, foodies, and permaculture enthusiasts
No matter your level, you’ll leave with more than a full stomach — you’ll have ideas, inspiration, and a clearer plan for your own fruit-growing future.
What You’ll Learn at the Fruit Festival
The Fruit Festival isn’t just a tasting event; it is a hands-on learning opportunity tailored to Edmonton’s climate. You’ll gain practical insight that could save years of trial and error in your own orchard.
- Compare dozens of hardy fruit varieties side-by-side
- Identify cultivars best for fresh eating, storage, juicing, or cooking
- Understand which fruits are most winter-hardy in Zone 3
- Get practical grafting and scionwood planning tips
- Ask growers how they protect trees from pests and cold
Each of these takeaways is designed to give you real confidence in growing fruit locally.
From choosing the right apple for your family’s lunchboxes to selecting the plum that makes the best jam or cider, you’ll walk away knowing what works in your yard and how to care for it.
The Fruit Festival is your shortcut to building a thriving backyard orchard — one that feeds your family, strengthens Edmonton’s food security, and keeps local knowledge alive.