from "Discover Sylvan Lake 2003"
A lot of people who head to Sylvan Lake for an outing may think that the beach is the hub of activity, and they'd be right, but there is more to see and do in and around Sylvan Lake than you'd think.
A pleasant ride heading west on Lakeshore Drive will take you past the beach, which is home to the summer sunbathers and beach volleyball games, and at the west end of town you'll find yourself at the Sylvan Lake Marina where you can see Western Canada's only inland lighthouse.
It has not only become one of the most recognized buildings in town, but the gazebo that sits adjacent to it is the meeting spot to catch a cruise of the lake on the local paddle wheeler.
And since you're already driving you can head 4 miles west of town on Highway 11, then 1.5 miles North on Range Road 22 and you've located Sylvan Flower Farm. It's a crafter's delight with a gift shop and over 30 varieties of dried flowers, grains, grasses and pods. It's not only a great shopping trip but also an educational outing on the art of drying flowers.
Sylvan Lake also catches the crafting fever when the Christmas In July Craft Show is held near the end of that month. The show features 60 crafters from Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia. You will find almost anything you can imagine from ceramics, clothing, stained glass, weaving, woodcrafts, pottery, jewelry and more.
However the beach can't help but keep drawing attention and fans of beach volleyball will get their fill July 5th and 6th when Alberta Volleyball hosts the 3rd round of the open event. What started out as a side note to the beach, has become a welcome and well attended event not only for the players but the fans as well, and thanks to the Summer Olympics, the fan base is growing.
The sporting events continue with numerous baseball and slow pitch tournaments at the community centre ball diamonds. It's the perfect spectator sport and the recent addition of a snack bar completes the facility.
And for the party lover and patriot, July 1st brings Canada Day celebrations to Sylvan Lake. The town plays host to a variety of events that you can either watch or participate in and the day is concluded with one of the town's best fireworks displays of the year.
You can finish off each day in Sylvan Lake with a walk along the beach, or through the heart of town on 50th Street, an browse the local shops. Sylvan Lake offers a variety of specialty shops which makes for an entertaining stroll through town. And to end your day with the most beautiful sunset in Central Alberta I'd head to the east end of the lake and take in the time-honoured tradition which features a palette of colours I couldn't begin to describe.