What’s Up This Weekend?

March 24 to 26

Opens March 23; Sacred Defenders of the Universe at TELUS Spark Science Centre, a vibrant floor-to-ceiling journey inside a graphic novel that follows four Indigenous superheroes as they seek to bring back the balance of earth between humility and respect for the land, and the excessive destruction of human ego. Learn more at sparkscience.ca.

March 23 to 24; Opera Le Désert Mauve, a new experimental opera by composer Symon Henry based on the novel Le Désert mauve by Nicole Brossard and presented at cSPACE King Edward. Learn more at showpass.com.

March 24; Blue Storm: The Rise and Fall of Jason Kenney, Professors Duane Bratt and Richard Sutherland host a lively panel discussion examining the 2019 provincial election, Jason Kenney precipitous rise to power, the first years of the UCP in government, and what they mean for the party – and the province – today at the Central Library. Learn more at eventbrite.ca.

March 24, 10am to 2pm, Cinnaholic Grand Opening, Cinnaholic is opening a new store at South Trail Crossing. They are celebrating this sweet event by serving delicious cinnamon rolls for just $2 from 10am 2pm on March 24. Plus, enjoy live music and a chance to win free rolls for a year.

March 24 to 25; The Calgary Philharmonic Presents: Brahms: A German Requiem, unlike most Requiems, Johannes Brahms wrote his for the living, rather than the dead. The result is more hopeful and uplifting than dark and dire, and a perfect way to celebrate Spring. Music Director Rune Bergmann leads this powerful work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, featuring rising stars soprano Meigui Zhang and baritone Peter Barrett. Learn more at calgaryphil.com.

March 24 to 25, 7:30pm, ADFA Calgary Region One Act Play Festival, the Pumphouse Theatre and Alberta Drama Festival Association have returned for the 38th Annual Calgary Region One-Act Play Festival. They are thrilled to be presenting eight one-act plays from a diverse array of local artists. From drama to comedy, new work to classics, the One Act Play Festival offers something for everyone. Learn more at pumphousetheatre.ca.

March 25, 7pm to 9:30pm; Calgary Unplugged, Open Street Events and the City of Calgary are taking part in Earth Hour on Earth Day at the Central Library. This involves shutting off decorative lighting to numerous city buildings for an hour, and a completely unplugged festival at the dark library, so bring your own flashlights! Families can learn all about renewable energy and take part in different activities. Learn more at calgarylibrary.ca.

March 25; Local Goods Curated Community Market and Rack Sale Curated Consignment Market, Local Goods supports all aspects of Calgary’s Community while creating an exciting shopping experience, including live local performers, market giveaways and delicious food and drink from Joyful Java Café at The Village: Brentwood’s Lifestyle Centre.

March 25 to 26, 11am to 6pm; Calgary Ramadan & Eid Bazaar, come to New Horizon Mall and explore various vendors, get your hands on prizes, enjoy kids entertainment, face painting and more.

March 25 to 26; The Kitty Cabaret, this engaging cabaret of stories is co-hosted and emceed by Jen Bain and her puppet Louis the Cat – it’s a purrfectly delightful afternoon full of stories, puppets, masks, and music at Evan Hazell Theatre. Learn more at ymcacalgary.org.

March 25 to 26; 2023 Canadian 3D Indoor Archery Championship, this event is one of two national 3D archery events at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex. It is a three-day event where archers will shoot two courses of 27 targets and one course of 26 targets with a grand prix style eliminator to determine the medalists. This event brings 3D targets indoors with the use of varying distances (up to 50 yards) and foliage to add complexity to the courses. Learn more at 3dchampionships.ca.

March 26; Bach open mic — Red Cross fundraiser, in celebration of one of music history’s greatest birthdays — Johann Sebastian Bach — the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Calgary Centre is excited to host a Bach open-mic fundraiser with proceeds going to the Canadian Red Cross at St. Barnabas Anglican Church.

March 26; The Barn Artisan Market – March Market, visit the Shawnessy Barn for the monthly curated market, featuring two floors of local vendors. The market will have unique, hand-crafted, handmade items from artisans, crafters, creators, bakers, and even candlestick makers.

March 26; YYC Nature & Education Centre Public Day, there are three programs you can join, so come meet the green animals, happy herbivores, and big friendly giants. Learn more at yycnaturecentre.com.

March 26, 2pm to 4pm; Michaels Make Break: Pom-Pom Chick Wreath, Michaels runs Make Break, for kids of all ages to enjoy crafting fun! With some of the crafts, an additional purchase will add fun to it, but all supplies are included for these free crafts. Learn more at canada.michaels.com.

Spring Break Events

March 27 to 31; Cineplex March Break Family Favorites, each weekday during the week of spring break, there will be four March Break Family Favorites showing at participating theatres for just $2.99. Check online or at your local theatre for times. Learn more at cineplex.com.

March 27 to 31, 11am and 2pm; Take a (Spring) Break with Chapters and Indigo Stores, enjoy story time at 11am and play time at 2pm every day during spring break at participating Chapters and Indigo stores. Contact your local store for details.

March 27 to 31; Get Ready to Play! Spring Break Events at Mastermind Toys, free make-and-takes, demos, giveaways and more at participating Mastermind Toys locations. Contact your local store for details.

Ongoing

Until March 25; Alberta Ballet Presents: Giselle, you will be awe-struck by the emotional power and inspiring choreography when you join Giselle, a young peasant girl whose secret relationship unravels the fabric of her idyllic village with a deeper deception at play that drives her to madness. Your journey will continue as trust and betrayal twist the plot in the other-worldly realm of Act 2, when the ethereal Willis seek their revenge. Learn more at albertaballet.com.

Until March 25; Jubilations Theatre Presents: Mama Mio, a singing and dancing sensation with music from ABBA, the most popular band of the disco era! With so many movies and musicals celebrating ABBA’s music, Jubilations is taking all the best of the ABBA music and movies and putting them into one classic Jubilations Dinner Theatre parody romp, Mamma Mio. Learn more at calgary.jubilations.ca.

Until March 25; Jubilations Theatre Presents: Freakish Friday, some people don’t like Mondays… but for this family, Fridays are the days you really gotta be worried about. Mom and daughter just can’t seem to see eye to eye. Why can’t each of them really understand what the other is going through? Well… they may want to be careful what they wish for! Learn more at jubilations.ca.

Until March 26; YYC Food & Drink Experience, ten days of delectable dining! This is Calgary’s premiere culinary festival, celebrating the city’s exciting food and beverage scene, along with the talented chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, and local producers who contribute to the city’s culinary culture at various locations. Learn more at foodanddrinkexp.com/calgary.

Until March 30; CANstruction® Calgary at Southcentre Mall, CANstruction has returned, bringing together teams of engineers, designers, and architects to create extraordinary structures made from canned food items for this year’s theme: Alice in WonderCAN. Using 37,778 cans of food, nine teams will create structures that will be judged and on display at Southcentre Mall until the end of March, after which all of the food used in the designs will go to the Calgary Food Bank. Those coming to view the structures at Southcentre are also invited to bring a donation of non-perishable food items. Learn more at calgaryfoodbank.com.

Until March 31; In Full Bloom: A celebration of artwork by and about women, ATB’s Branch for Arts and Culture (BFAC) is hosting an awe-inspiring exhibit titled “In Full Bloom” curated by Calgary-based multimedia artist, Miriam Fabijan. The art display includes pieces from 14 local female artists with diverse backgrounds and is rooted in celebrating the creative practices of women, with an emphasis on female and nature-inspired imagery and narratives. Learn more at eventbrite.ca.

Until April 1; Follies (Concert Version), with the endless variety of Stephen Sondheim’s score, a loving and brilliant pastiche of show music from the ‘20s, ‘30s, and ‘40s, and the time-travel trickery of James Goldman’s book, Follies is a glamorous and fascinating peek into a bygone era, and a clear-eyed look at the transformation of relationships over time at Beddington Theatre Arts Centre. Learn more at frontrowcentre.ca.

Until April 1; Theatre Calgary Presents: Forgiveness at Max Bell Theatre, Forgiveness is the acclaimed 2018 Canada Reads–winning novel by Mark Sakamoto. It’s a memoir of Sakamoto’s grandparents and their harrowing experiences during the Second World War. Mark’s maternal grandfather was a Canadian soldier who spent years as a prisoner of war in a Japanese camp. His paternal grandmother was one of the thousands of Japanese–Canadians interned by the Canadian government during the war. In the face of tremendous adversity and transgressions, they chose not to live a life of anger but instead to embrace and teach forgiveness. Be prepared to be moved by this Governor General’s Literary Award-winner Hiro Kanagawa’s heartfelt adaptation. Learn more at theatrecalgary.com.

Until April 2; Spring Rally in the Alley, Spring is in the air and Gasoline Alley Museum is in the mood to celebrate with some fun activities. Swing into spring with a round of mini-golf in the Lower Showroom. Follow the clues to complete the treasure hunt. Relax and do a little fishing in the pond. Make your own tulip bouquet and test your ring-toss skills in the Upper Showroom! Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

Until April 2; Festival of Animated Objects, breathing life into the inanimate and giving expression to the inert, the Festival of Animated Objects brings world-class artists to engage and entertain audiences of all ages through the innovative and sophisticated art of storytelling through mask, puppetry and animated objects at various venues around the city. Learn more at puppetfestival.ca.

Until April 2, 7:30pm; Jupiter Theatre Presents: Frankenstein by Andrew G. Cooper, this theatrical performance from the critically-acclaimed Jupiter Theatre combines elements of movement, puppetry, shadows, masks, and provocative design to bring to life a unique and spectacular production in Calgary. Frankenstein will take you on a haunting and thrilling journey in the West Village Theatre that you won’t soon forget. Learn more at theatrejupiter.com.

Until April 8; Lunchbox Theatre Presents: Countries Shaped Like Stars, a musical love story for adults, teens and precocious children, Gwendolyn Magnificent and Bartholomew Spectacular use a tin-can telephone to share their whimsical story. The performance begins with demanding dragon fruits and ends with heartache whispered into the ears of birds and constellations. With spoons, water glasses, whirly-winds and a mandolin, the performers create the sounds and images of a landscape forever altered by two people coming together and falling apart. A new production of this fun and charming multi-award-winning musical play featuring Calgary artists. Learn more at lunchboxtheatre.com.

Until April 9; Nightrise, this unique winter activity merges multimedia, storytelling and nature for a new and inspiring perspective at Banff Gondola. Learn more at banffjaspercollection.com.

Until April 16; Howie Tsui: Retainers of Anarchy at the Edison, featuring a 25-metre hand-drawn animation strip, this exciting exhibit brings together martial arts characters and techniques with the social and political realities of present-day Hong Kong. Learn more at glenbow.org.

Until April 16; Stage West Dinner Theatre Presents: Elvis Has Left The Building, in this whacky comedy, it’s December 20, 1970, and Elvis Presley has disappeared. No one, not even his wily manager, “The Colonel”, knows of his whereabouts. But the Colonel is all shook up because he has racked up a secret debt – and with the King himself missing, the only way to pay it off is to find an Elvis impersonator within 24 hours. Learn more at stagewestcalgary.com.

Until April 16; Gaslight at Vertigo Theatre, Bella Manningham believes she is living an idyllic married life with her charming husband Jack, but is she? Items begin to disappear, pictures move by themselves, and the gaslight dims without even a touch. Bella worries that her grip on reality is slipping and that she will drive Jack away. Secrets from the past are slowly revealed as Bella searches for answers and realizes that the people she loves are not always as they seem. Learn more at vertigotheatre.com.

Until April 19; Heritage Park Ghost Tours, visit Heritage Park for a guided ghost tour through the darkened streets of the Historical Village. Behind the Park’s old-fashioned charm lie stories of otherworldly encounters, spine-tingling history and some memorable manifestations! Meet up spot is in Town Square, in front of the Gasoline Alley Museum. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

Until April 30; We Were Here: Stories from Early Chinatown, Gasoline Alley Museum welcomes a new exhibit from January 14 to April 30; We Were Here: Stories from Early Chinatown. Bring your family and come learn about Chinese history on the prairies through art and imagination, discover fictional stories written by members of the Chinese community and explore two iterations of Chinatown in Calgary. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

Mobile Adventure Playgrounds. Join The City of Calgary for a self-directed, drop-in program that uses loose parts and natural materials to inspire active and creative outdoor play, and connect people, young and old, to nature. Visit calgary.ca/free for locations and details.

Calgary AfterSchool. Calgary AfterSchool offers free afterschool programs across Calgary. The programs are offered two to three days a week at various recreation facilities, community centres and community-based partner agencies. Visit calgary.ca/afterschool for locations and details.