How to weekend in Whitecourt for easy adventures, cool local finds

Whitecourt weekend getaway itinerary

Ready? Use this easy itinerary to plan your weekend escape to Whitecourt.

Day 1: Friday 

Arrive in Whitecourt! Assuming you're traveling from Edmonton (the closest major city), this will take you about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Where to grab food and drink 

Pop into Tap-Cha Bubble Tea and Cafe and Mary's Kitchen, the town's only dedicated bubble tea shop.

You and your whole crew will love choosing from milk teas, fresh fruit teas, smoothies, special mixes, lemonades or refreshing Filipino desserts like Halo-Halo. 

Co-owner Mary also handmakes steamed buns, dumplings, spring rolls and operates a small Asian grocery inside the cafe. 

Where to stay and play 

Stay at Brooke's Creek Camping & Mini Golf, a local family-owned and operated campground and recreation station in the middle of Whitecourt, with an 18-hole outdoor mini golf course and a 54-site partially serviced, intimate campground.

Settle into your camp site for the evening and be sure to play a round of golf or head to the playground! 

Owner Amanda Pauze tells me she started this business because she loves connecting with people who are looking for adventure, to have a good time and just looking to get away from their daily grind. 

"I get most fired up when I see people enjoying themselves on the property and just having a great time," Pauze says.

Day 2: Saturday morning 

One of my all-time favourite activities to do in small Alberta towns is explore and support local shops and come home with a special piece of clothing, earrings, or other accessories that remind me of my adventure in town.

In Whitecourt, over 96% of businesses are small business owners! That means a lot of unique retail stores, services, and stories to experience. 

You're very likely to run into the store owners (the beauty of small towns) who are all very happy to chat and help you find the perfect keepsake to remember your Whitecourt trip by.

Five cool local places to shop in Whitecourt

Head to downtown Whitecourt, where almost everything is walkable, and check out the local scene.

Beaver Creek General Store 

Celebrating its 30th anniversary this 2025, Beaver Creek General Store is an all-purpose gift, decor, garden store (and more), located in the heart of downtown Whitecourt.

The shop (pictured above) is most famously known for the freshly ground coffee smell when you walk through the door, as well as housemade fudge and bearclaws. Check out the garden centre in the back and head out to the flower-lined front patio to enjoy some scoops of gourmet ice cream.

Just Peachy Arts and Crafts

Owner Sandy (who is a talented clay artist herself!) carries handmade items from more than 90 local vendors. 

From artfully crafted wooden pieces to hand sewn skirts, upcycled kids clothes to 3D-printed goodies, there's something for everyone at Just Peachy, including art classes you might want to line up with your visit! 

"I want to promote the local creative spirit," Sandy tells me. She's doing this by providing a space for creatives-including youth artists-to showcase and sell. 

Lather Lagoon & The Book Nook 

A soap AND book store all in one? You won't find another family-run shop quite like this one anywhere else but in Whitecourt.

Lather Lagoon & The Book Nook is the town's first book store in at least the 16 years since the family moved to town and has already become a destination for book lovers all around the region. Mom Kathie Millett runs the bookshop while daughter Tammy Rivard makes the wonderfully-scented soaps. 

The new store opened March 2025 and is described as earthy meets edgy, handmade meets mind-expanding. 

Whatever Works - Crystals, Crafts, Counselling and more 

Owner Amy Godderis' metaphysical products store is teeming with crystals, incense and a ton of good energy. There's a crystal that speaks to everyone here, including unique shapes, figurines and even crystal crowns. 

White Wall Handmade 

Decalled on their storefront window you'll find White Wall owner Ashley Heinrich's mission: to support movers and shakers, women makers, fair trade and handmade.

The bright and spacious shop specializes in aesthetic gifts, clothing, kids, decor and more. Crocheted duck stuffed animals and whimsical bee hats to trendy kids life jackets and an assortment of western-themed clothing filled the shop during my visit. 

LUNCH: check out Whitecourt's biggest, most unique brewery

You're guaranteed a fun time at family-friendly The Garage Brewhouse and Pub (5015 50 Ave, Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N7), an automotive-themed craft brewery located in a former autobody garage.

At this unique brewery you'll find vintage full-sized cars, hoods, and bumpers hanging all over as decor. In the bathrooms there are toolbox counters and wrench stall hooks. 

Find working streetlights from the 1920s and 1960s, where red means closed, yellow means last call, and green means open. There are vintage license plates, gear chandeliers, and old gas and diesel barrels have been repurposed as kegs for beer on tap. 

Visit Whitecourt this summer

For friendly local finds and easy outdoor adventure in northern Alberta

And don't miss the Excalibur-like wrench in stone piece by the door you can attempt to pull out. Head brewer Matthew Cockle likes to play around with different bittering agents to beer so eventually you'll be able to find some of his experiments at this brewery. 

But to launch this summer, Cockle and his team will start with some well-executed classics before playing around more and seeing what the market (locals) wants.

Saturday afternoon

Spend the rest of the day at what some locals tell me is the best park in Alberta! Whitecourt is home to Festival Park, a free, all-ages gem of the community.

Here you can plan to: 

• Bring a tube to enjoy the Whitecourt River Slides-a lazy river with two man-made creeks and a series of pools and drops
• Play at an impressive splash park with giant water-dumping bucket
• Climb a playground that holds the title of tallest outdoor playground structure in Alberta
• Fish in the pond
• Jump on a giant Jumbo Jumper pillow (it's for all ages!) and more! 

It's quite common to pitch a tent up on the green space at Festival Park to set up for a full day of play and access to the many free amenities found here. Soak up the sun and splash at Whitecourt!

Day 3: Sunday 

Check-out and prepare to depart, but not before a few more Whitecourt experiences. Take your pick from another potentially full day of adventures. 

• Use this trail map app to explore Whitecourt's outdoor spaces! Did you know: Whitecourt has 485 kilometres of trails connecting to rivers and more scenic views.
• Grab some locally baked goods from Violet-Mae's Bakery, or candy for the road from Hadley, Asher and Elliot's Candy Emporium.
• Squeeze in a round of golf at the scenic Whitecourt Golf & Country Club.
• Hike the stunning Hard Luck Canyon, just 20 minutes from town.

There are enough great things to do around Whitecourt, you may decide to prolong your stay (or start planning a return visit).

When you go

Get even more ideas for your Whitecourt adventures from the features on our Whitecourt community page. For more inspiration to plan your trip, check out Whitecourt Tourism.

Getting to Whitecourt is easy on major, well-serviced highways.

Driving times
1.5h from Edmonton, via Hwy AB-16 to AB-43
2h45 from Grande Prairie, via Hwy AB-43E
3h from Peace River, via Hwy AB-43

Whitecourt events feature awesome annual happenings like Party in the Park and Whitecourt Street Fest. To stay up on all Whitecourt's events and the local scene, check out the Town of Whitecourt's events calendar.