Annual Events in Calgary
Traversing the broad border between magnificent mountains, golden prairies and rolling foothills of Alberta, Calgary is one of Canada’s most dynamic cultural hubs. The city is a mix of towering skyscrapers, rural outlying communities and sprawling suburban neighbourhoods, while its people are a unique blend of polished corporate types, roguish umpteenth-generation cowboys and diverse close-knit communities of people from every corner of the globe.
It’s no surprise, then, that the events calendar for Calgary reads like the social calendar of many of the largest cities in the world. In celebration of Calgary’s legacy as a ranching community, the city is most well-known for its cowboy-themed events, but that’s just the beginning—world-class music festivals, sporting events and cultural gatherings attract visitors of all kinds.
CELEBRATING CALGARY'S COWBOY HERITAGE
Without a doubt, Calgary’s definitive event is the Calgary Stampede. The event, which takes place each year over 10 days in early July, began in 1886 as an agricultural exhibition and fair and has grown almost exponentially since. These days, it’s a large-scale rodeo, exhibition and festival that regularly draws in over a million visitors. People go to the Stampede for various reasons: the horrifically delicious deep-fried fair food, the nausea-inducing carnival rides, the chance to do a tipsy two-step with a swaggering cowboy in Nashville North, the free rock concerts and the multitude of pancake breakfasts, to name a few. But newcomers and regulars alike should be sure to pay tribute to the Stampede’s agricultural roots by checking out the daily rodeos, chuckwagon races and farm exhibits.
For visitors looking for a less rowdy way to see animals in action, Spruce Meadows—located in the southwestern part of the city—offers several annual equestrian events throughout the summer that are just as exciting as the rodeo but far more civilized. The centre’s largest events are the National in June, the North American in July or the Masters in September.
Or, those that hate crowds but love horses can venture outside of the city to smaller towns like Millarville and Black Diamond, where annual rodeos are plenty of fun but of a smaller nature.
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES
There’s no doubt about it—Calgarians love their sports, and with hockey being the official national sport of Canada, it’s no wonder that Calgary’s NHL hockey team—The Flames—plays to packed crowds in the Saddledome all winter long, and most of spring too if they’re having a winning season. A hockey game in Calgary is a must-see event, if not for the actual game then for the infectious enthusiasm of the jersey-clad fans.
Of course, there’s more than just hockey in Calgary. The aptly named Stampeders don their distinctive red jerseys to play Canadian-style football throughout summer and fall in the Canadian Football League (CFL) at McMahon Stadium. Outdoor football games are a great way to enjoy the summer sun and tickets are usually more reasonably-priced than hockey tickets.
However, if neither of those sounds particularly appealing, visitors can consider taking in a Calgary Vipers baseball game in the summer or a Calgary Roughnecks lacrosse game in the winter. And those feeling bad about their lack of enthusiasm for hockey shouldn’t; until 1995, Lacrosse was actually Canada’s national sport.
CULTURAL EVENTS
Contrary to popular belief, event-goers don’t have to shell out a bundle of money to enjoy an event in Calgary. Case in point—the extremely popular annual Lilac Festival, which is held over a weekend in May each year. The award-winning Lilac Festival is an ethnically-diverse street fair featuring a plethora of performing arts, crafts and food vendors.
Of course, if culture is more the thing, Globalfest is a must-see. Globalfest is known for its dazzling array of fireworks displays from dozens of different countries that happen every night over a week in August. There’s plenty to do during the daylight hours too—each country is represented by a stall that offers food, crafts and clothing that are unique to that culture, and the main stage features performances by dancers and musicians from all walks of life.
In addition, each cultural group in Calgary puts on their own annual festival at some point throughout the year. Big annual events include Afrikadey, Carifest and Expo Latino.
MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVALS
Music is part of the fabric that Calgary is made up of, and surpringly, it’s not all country and western. In fact, Calgary’s best-known and arguable best-loved annual music event is the Calgary Folk Fest, which takes place over four days at the end of every July. Folk Fest draws performers from all genres—from rock-n-roll to rockabilly, pop to reggae, folk to funk and everything in between. It takes place under the towering trees of majestic Prince’s Island Park and while tickets can be pricey, it’s an event not to be missed.
Even outside of the folk festival, when it comes to music, Calgary has something for everyone. There’s the Calgary International Blues Festival in August for jazz and blues lovers, the Kiwanis Music Festival in February and March for classical buffs, and Reggaefest in late August for rastafarians. For Indie music lovers, the annual Sled Island Festival is a collection of dynamic and unique performances from both well- and little-known- artists from around the world in various venues across Calgary.
There are plenty of non-musical performances too—High Performance Rodeo, also known as Calgary’s International Festival of Art, features a mind-boggling array of theatre, dance, comedy and other interdisciplinary performances. Additionally, the Calgary Spoken Word Festival gives voices to thousands of artists, while Wordfest is the place to be for avid readers and writers.
OTHER LARGE ANNUAL EVENTS
Love food? Love trying new things? Such visitors are guaranteed to love the annual Taste of Calgary food festival that happens each summer in August. The festival offers the chance to try small samples of the best dishes from the finest and most culturally-diverse restaurants in Calgary. Or, if drinking is more of interest, the annual Beerfest and Winefest events will be sure to please the palatte.
Of course, let’s not forget about the little ones – while most of the festivals already listed are family-friendly and appropriate for kids of all ages, there’s one festival that entirely dedicated to children—the Calgary International Children’s Festival, which happens in late May each year—and brings together performers and activities that the kids are sure to love.
It’s no surprise, then, that the events calendar for Calgary reads like the social calendar of many of the largest cities in the world. In celebration of Calgary’s legacy as a ranching community, the city is most well-known for its cowboy-themed events, but that’s just the beginning—world-class music festivals, sporting events and cultural gatherings attract visitors of all kinds.
CELEBRATING CALGARY'S COWBOY HERITAGE
Without a doubt, Calgary’s definitive event is the Calgary Stampede. The event, which takes place each year over 10 days in early July, began in 1886 as an agricultural exhibition and fair and has grown almost exponentially since. These days, it’s a large-scale rodeo, exhibition and festival that regularly draws in over a million visitors. People go to the Stampede for various reasons: the horrifically delicious deep-fried fair food, the nausea-inducing carnival rides, the chance to do a tipsy two-step with a swaggering cowboy in Nashville North, the free rock concerts and the multitude of pancake breakfasts, to name a few. But newcomers and regulars alike should be sure to pay tribute to the Stampede’s agricultural roots by checking out the daily rodeos, chuckwagon races and farm exhibits.
For visitors looking for a less rowdy way to see animals in action, Spruce Meadows—located in the southwestern part of the city—offers several annual equestrian events throughout the summer that are just as exciting as the rodeo but far more civilized. The centre’s largest events are the National in June, the North American in July or the Masters in September.
Or, those that hate crowds but love horses can venture outside of the city to smaller towns like Millarville and Black Diamond, where annual rodeos are plenty of fun but of a smaller nature.
HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES
There’s no doubt about it—Calgarians love their sports, and with hockey being the official national sport of Canada, it’s no wonder that Calgary’s NHL hockey team—The Flames—plays to packed crowds in the Saddledome all winter long, and most of spring too if they’re having a winning season. A hockey game in Calgary is a must-see event, if not for the actual game then for the infectious enthusiasm of the jersey-clad fans.
Of course, there’s more than just hockey in Calgary. The aptly named Stampeders don their distinctive red jerseys to play Canadian-style football throughout summer and fall in the Canadian Football League (CFL) at McMahon Stadium. Outdoor football games are a great way to enjoy the summer sun and tickets are usually more reasonably-priced than hockey tickets.
However, if neither of those sounds particularly appealing, visitors can consider taking in a Calgary Vipers baseball game in the summer or a Calgary Roughnecks lacrosse game in the winter. And those feeling bad about their lack of enthusiasm for hockey shouldn’t; until 1995, Lacrosse was actually Canada’s national sport.
CULTURAL EVENTS
Contrary to popular belief, event-goers don’t have to shell out a bundle of money to enjoy an event in Calgary. Case in point—the extremely popular annual Lilac Festival, which is held over a weekend in May each year. The award-winning Lilac Festival is an ethnically-diverse street fair featuring a plethora of performing arts, crafts and food vendors.
Of course, if culture is more the thing, Globalfest is a must-see. Globalfest is known for its dazzling array of fireworks displays from dozens of different countries that happen every night over a week in August. There’s plenty to do during the daylight hours too—each country is represented by a stall that offers food, crafts and clothing that are unique to that culture, and the main stage features performances by dancers and musicians from all walks of life.
In addition, each cultural group in Calgary puts on their own annual festival at some point throughout the year. Big annual events include Afrikadey, Carifest and Expo Latino.
MUSIC & PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVALS
Music is part of the fabric that Calgary is made up of, and surpringly, it’s not all country and western. In fact, Calgary’s best-known and arguable best-loved annual music event is the Calgary Folk Fest, which takes place over four days at the end of every July. Folk Fest draws performers from all genres—from rock-n-roll to rockabilly, pop to reggae, folk to funk and everything in between. It takes place under the towering trees of majestic Prince’s Island Park and while tickets can be pricey, it’s an event not to be missed.
Even outside of the folk festival, when it comes to music, Calgary has something for everyone. There’s the Calgary International Blues Festival in August for jazz and blues lovers, the Kiwanis Music Festival in February and March for classical buffs, and Reggaefest in late August for rastafarians. For Indie music lovers, the annual Sled Island Festival is a collection of dynamic and unique performances from both well- and little-known- artists from around the world in various venues across Calgary.
There are plenty of non-musical performances too—High Performance Rodeo, also known as Calgary’s International Festival of Art, features a mind-boggling array of theatre, dance, comedy and other interdisciplinary performances. Additionally, the Calgary Spoken Word Festival gives voices to thousands of artists, while Wordfest is the place to be for avid readers and writers.
OTHER LARGE ANNUAL EVENTS
Love food? Love trying new things? Such visitors are guaranteed to love the annual Taste of Calgary food festival that happens each summer in August. The festival offers the chance to try small samples of the best dishes from the finest and most culturally-diverse restaurants in Calgary. Or, if drinking is more of interest, the annual Beerfest and Winefest events will be sure to please the palatte.
Of course, let’s not forget about the little ones – while most of the festivals already listed are family-friendly and appropriate for kids of all ages, there’s one festival that entirely dedicated to children—the Calgary International Children’s Festival, which happens in late May each year—and brings together performers and activities that the kids are sure to love.
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