{"id":239263,"date":"2026-10-01T11:37:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:37:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.familyfuncanada.com\/edmonton\/?p=239263"},"modified":"2026-10-01T11:37:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T17:37:14","slug":"a-few-hours-well-spent-southwest-edmonton-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.familyfuncanada.com\/edmonton\/a-few-hours-well-spent-southwest-edmonton-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"A Few Hours Well Spent: A Fall Family Adventure in Southwest Edmonton"},"content":{"rendered":"

You don’t need to travel far to find a little adventure, especially when Edmonton is showing off its fall colours! For the latest edition of A Few Hours Well Spent<\/strong><\/em>, we headed out on a fall adventure in Southwest Edmonton, spending just a few hours discovering colourful new murals, fun playgrounds, beautiful river valley views and, of course, something delicious along the way. From public art and outdoor play to a scenic fall walk and a local bakery stop, this easy family outing was a perfect reminder of just how much there is to discover\u00a0close to home.<\/p>\n

This time, we packed five stops into our morning, mixing a few brand-new discoveries with some favourite ways to enjoy fall as a family. There was plenty to keep the whole family interested along the way, while the combination of quick stops and a longer nature walk kept the adventure feeling relaxed and easy to follow.<\/p>\n

\u23f0 A Few Hours at a Glance<\/h3>\n

3.5 HOURS<\/strong> \u00b7 5\u00a0STOPS<\/strong> \u00b7 SOUTHWEST EDMONTON<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfa8 3 colourful murals
\n\ud83d\udedd Playground fun
\n\ud83c\udf42 A scenic fall walk
\n\ud83e\udd50 Something sweet<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udccd Westbrook \u2192 Brookview \u2192 Terwillegar \u2192 Cameron Heights\u2192 Westridge<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Westbrook

Westbrook Playground, Edmonton<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83c\udfa8 Stop 1: Murals & Playground Fun at Westbrook Playground<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udccd11915 40 Ave NW, Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n

We started our morning at Westbrook Playground<\/strong><\/a>, where we had two great reasons to stop! A beautiful new mural by local artist Cecelia Leddy (also known as Teenybotanist<\/a><\/strong>) now brightens the neighbouring Aspen Gardens Community League<\/a><\/strong> building, completed as part of the 2026 Edmonton Mural Festival<\/a><\/strong>, while The Very Hungry Caterpillar<\/em> playground gave us plenty of reasons to stay and play! The whimsical Eric Carle-inspired space is filled with familiar details from the beloved story, along with some epic slides, climbers and sensory features that make it a fun stop for younger families. We spent about 45 minutes admiring the artwork, snapping a few photos and, of course, leaving plenty of time to play before heading to our next mural.<\/p>\n

\"2026

2026 EMF Mural by Cecelia Leddy (Teenybotanist), Aspen Gardens Community League<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83e\udd8b Stop 2: More Mural Art & Playground Fun at Brookview Community League<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udccd280 Bulyea Rd NW, Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our next stop was Brookview Community League<\/strong><\/a>, where another brand-new piece from the 2026<\/strong> Edmonton Mural Festival<\/strong> has transformed the building into a colourful work of art. Created by artist Jessica Semenoff<\/strong><\/a>, the mural wraps around the building with oversized plants, flowers and whimsical wildlife. We loved wandering around to see the different details, including the giant moth, rabbit and other little surprises tucked into the design. This was a quick stop for us, but families can easily stay longer thanks to the large playground right next to the parking lot. It may be an older playground, but there\u2019s still plenty of space to climb, play and burn off some energy before\u00a0the next stop!<\/p>\n

\"2026

2026 EMF Mural by Jessica Semenoff, Brookview Community League<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83c\udf42 Stop 3: A Fall Walk at Terwillegar Park Footbridge<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udccdNorth Saskatchewan River<\/a>, Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n

Next, we slowed things down with a walk to the Terwillegar Park Footbridge<\/strong><\/a>, one of our favourite places to return to every fall. The trail comes alive with a beautiful mix of autumn colours, leading toward the footbridge and gorgeous views over the North Saskatchewan River. We parked along Romaniuk Place NW<\/strong><\/a>, where signage helped point us toward the trail. From there, our walk to the far end of the footbridge and back was a little under 2 km, making it a great way to spend about an hour enjoying the fresh air and fall scenery. There are several ways to access the area, so families can easily adjust their route to make the walk shorter or longer depending on little legs, energy levels and how much time you have.<\/p>\n

\"Terwillegar

Terwillegar Park Footbridge, Edmonton<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83e\udd50 Stop 4: Treat Yourself at Malina Cafe & Bakery<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udccd629 Cameron Heights Dr NW, Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n

After our walk, we had definitely earned a treat! Malina Cafe & Bakery<\/strong><\/a> is one of our favourite bakeries in the Edmonton area, with a delicious mix of sweet and savoury baking, coffee drinks, dine-in meals and freezer favourites like perogies. Our whole family is hooked on the Pampushka Dill & Garlic buns, and we love picking something new from the beautiful selection of cakes and pastries each time we visit. For fall, they\u2019ve made things even sweeter with adorable pumpkin marshmallows available at all three locations to top your favourite seasonal drink. You can also find Malina in Sherwood Park and at their 124 Street cafe and bar, right in the same area we explored during our last A Few Hours Well Spent <\/em>adventure!<\/p>\n

\"Malina

Malina Cafe & Bakery, Edmonton<\/p><\/div>\n

\ud83d\udc3a Stop 5: One Last Mural & Playground at Westridge Park<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udccd505 Wolf Willow Road NW, Edmonton<\/strong><\/p>\n

We squeezed\u00a0one last colourful stop before heading home at Westridge Park<\/strong><\/a>, where a stunning new wolf mural now covers the side of the Westridge Wolf Willow Country Club Community League. Created by Lacey Jane Wilburn and Layla Folkmann of LALA (Lacey And Layla Art<\/a>)<\/strong> for the 2026 Edmonton Mural Festival<\/strong>, the larger-than-life artwork celebrates the beauty of the surrounding landscape with a wolf, wildflowers, fall colours and river valley scenery. Right next door, Westridge Wolf Willow Community Playground<\/strong><\/a> makes it easy to extend your adventure with another round of play. Kids can discover dinosaur bones, a safari truck, toddler and big-kid play structures and more. With picnic tables, plenty of green space and easy access to nearby ravine and river valley trails, you could easily turn this quick final stop into a much longer visit.<\/p>\n

\"2026

2026 EMF Mural by Lacey Jane Wilburn and Layla Folkmann of LALA (Lacey And Layla Art), Westridge Park<\/p><\/div>\n

A Few Hours, Very Well Spent<\/h3>\n

By the time we headed home, we\u2019d discovered three colourful new murals, squeezed in some playground fun, walked through the river valley at its fall best and treated ourselves to a few favourites from one of our go-to local\u00a0bakeries.<\/p>\n

And we\u2019d done it all in just a few hours! We headed out around 10:00 a.m. and were wrapping up our final stop shortly after 1:00 p.m., feeling like we\u2019d packed a whole lot of fall fun into one easy outing.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what A Few Hours Well Spent<\/strong><\/em> is about.<\/p>\n

Family adventures don\u2019t always have to mean elaborate plans, expensive full-day excursions or travelling far from home. This fall adventure in Southwest Edmonton was a great example of how you can pair a few free local finds with outdoor time, a favourite treat and plenty of opportunities to play.<\/p>\n

For this adventure, our itinerary looked\u00a0like this:<\/p>\n