What you need for the Sweet Treats & Latte Festival
The first-ever Sweet Treats & Latte Festival starts the February long weekend! This festival gives Edmontonians a new reason to visit Old Strathcona, by warming up their winter days with some hot drinks and tasty treats.
We’re encouraging all OSBA businesses to join us on the hashtag #SweetTreatsYEG, where people will share photos of their favourite treats and hot drinks, and can win gift cards from participating businesses. Check out the sections below for more information about the food festival, download a poster or images for your own social media sharing, contest details, and more.
Festival details
The Sweet Treats & Latte Festival is all about Old Strathcona’s amazing coffee scene, and the delicious goodies that keep everyone coming back – even when it’s -30 outside! Running Saturday, February 13 until Sunday, March 14, Edmontonians can enjoy feature treats and lattes at 13 coffee shops, bakeries and restaurants. Purchases are all around $5 and they come with a limited-edition illustrated coffee sleeve or sticker celebrating winter city coffee breaks, designed by Curio Studio right here in Old Strathcona.
It's our version of a dining week and outdoor festival, with COVID-19 precautions.
We'll be encouraging folks to share their coffee and treats - and Old Strathcona experiences - on the hashtag #SweetTreatsYEG, on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. We hope you'll do the same from your business accounts! (Remember to tag us, @OldStrathcona.) All the festival details, including participating businesses and contests, will be at this page: OldStrathcona.ca/SweetTreats. This is the best link to share with anyone asking about Sweet Treats, or when you're posting about the event or mentioning it in a newsletter to customers.
If you'd like to get involved in the festival with a featured hot drink or menu item, or another promotion, please get in touch with Jeff.
Current participating businesses include:
Flirt Cupcakes ???? Red velvet Oreo cupcake
???? @flirtcupcakes ????10158 82 Avenue
Hexagon Café ☕???? Turtles Turtles Turtles Hot Chocolate
???? @thehexcafe ????10750 82 Avenue
La Bosco ☕ Green tea latte
???? @loboscocafe ????10413 79 Avenue
La Boule ???? Raspberry éclair
???? @laboulebakery ????8020 101 Street
Ohana Donuterie ???? Chocolate strawberry donut
???? @ohanadonuts ????10347 80 Avenue
Overflow Whyte ☕???? The fireball latte
???? @overflow_whyte ????8135 102 Street
Palette Cafe ???? Sweet Treat: Ginger snap cookies (vegan) ☕ Spiced mocha
???? @palettelocal ????10047 80 Avenue
Rooster Cafe ☕ Hibiscus latte, Vanilla matcha latte
???? @rooster_kitchen ????10732 82 Avenue
Under The High Wheel ???? Pecan pie square
???? @underthehighwheel ????8135 102 Street
Whimsical Cake Studio ???? Sea salt caramels
???? @whimsicalcake ????8211 102 Street
Woodrack Café ☕ Lavender latte
???? @thewoodrackcafe ????10335 83 Avenue
Yelod ???? Hot ice cream, flash-steamed into a creamy delicious hot drink
???? @yelod_icecream ????10150A 82 Avenue
Roasti Coffee Co. ☕ Coffee blossom honey latte **opens late February in former David's Tea location**
???? @roasticoffeeco
(Please note, we can add you to our online and social media promotions but not the printed poster.)
Downloads - social media and posters
If you'd like to share #SweetTreatsYEG with your social media audiences, or on your website or newsletter, you can break out your phone on your next coffee break or you can download one of the files below.
Social Media post
Please tag @OldStrathcona or link to OldStrathcona.ca/SweetTreats. For the art, you can also credit Curio Studio ( on Instagram as @WhatIsCurio).
Green background, mother and child, coffee & cupcake
click image to download a social media feed post or click for an Instagram Story post
Red background, couple, coffees & cupcake
click image to download a social media feed post or click for an Instagram Story post
Blue background, dog and owner, coffee & croissant
click image to download a social media feed post or click for an Instagram Story post
Poster
click image to download an image file, or click this link for a PDF version
If you would like a printed poster for your store window or a space open to the public, just ask Jeff for one.
Contests and Giveaways
We have multiple ways to reward Edmontonians who are buying coffees and treats, and extra incentive to come back to Old Strathcona again and again during Sweet Treats.
Best of the Fest - Voting opens February 13 for the Best Latte and Best Sweet Treat. One winner will be chosen from both voting pools, winning a $50 gift card at the businesses that win the votes. This isn't about pitting businesses against each other though, as we're keeping it simple and using the vote to boost promotion.
Weekly Winners – People sharing photos of their treats and drinks with our coffee sleeves and stickers on social media could win a $25 gift card to their favourite shop, we’re choosing one winner each week. This is where we expect to see the most activity on the #SweetTreatsYEG hashtag. Give your business' mentions a like or share!
Art Collectors – There are 3 different illustrations on Sweet Treats coffee sleeves and stickers. If people collect all 3, they can share that photo(s) with us on social media or email and we'll select up to 4 winners of $25 gift cards from participating businesses.
Complete the Map – We're working with PARK on Sweet Treats, the same agency that helped us with the Winter Whyte Art Bombs, and they've created a list of every participating business at the beginning of the festival. If anyone makes the trip to all 13, they could win a $50 gift card, and we'll award up to 2 people for this.
Influencer Giveaways - There's a potential to partner with some Edmonton influencers and food bloggers to give away additional $25 gift cards to the participating businesses. These will most likely be straightforward Instagram contests where followers tag in a friend. This is planned after the first week, to keep up festival energy.
Collaborate - Make your own Sweet Treats
We want as many businesses as possible to get into the fun during Sweet Treats. Along with sharing on social media - #SweetTreatsYEG - we'd love to see businesses create additional promotions and collaborations.
This list could help spark some ideas, but we know many of you will come up with even better ideas! Please share on the hashtag, and make sure Jeff knows what you're offering or promoting, so we can amplify that from OSBA accounts.
- Offer a feature item or product - If you have a hot drink or sweet treat, reach out to Jeff about adding it to our official list
- Even if you don't sell food or beverages, talk to Jeff about other potential promos that could fit the theme of the festival (warmth, treating yourself, grab-and-go, etc.)
- Partner with a Sweet Treats business - Reach out to one of the businesses featured and see if there's a way you can both benefit. This could be something like a discount for customers who shop at both businesses. Get creative!
- Offer a discount to Sweet Treats diners - Let everyone know that if they come in with a Sweet Treats coffee sleeve or sticker they can receive a discount or special promotion. This encourages people to stay in Old Strathcona for more than just a coffee.
- This can extend to visitors checking out Ice on Whyte - which runs Feb 12-28 - and SkirtsAFire - which begins March 4.
- Buy yourself a coffee - Sharing your own coffee or treat with a limited edition coffee sleeve or sticker is a great way to create a quick social media post, remind folks that there's lots going on in Old Strathcona, and give them another reason to stop by or put in an order.
- It's easy to get people talking about their favourite places to grab coffee and treats, or where they head in Old Strathcona for an indulgence or winter warm-up.
If you're sharing on social media, remember to tag @OldStrathcona!
Let’s show everyone how sweet Old Strathcona is!
Follow along on our social for more festival content & announcements.
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