What’s Up This Week?

May 26 to 29

May 25, 10am; Mr Rayz Little Kids Concert at cSPACE, join Mr Rayz for a super fun music and movement concert for preschoolers and toddlers. Learn more at eventbrite.com.

May 26 to 27; Bert Church Theatre Presents: Alice in Wonderland, as the curtain rises, Alice slides into view at the end of her long fall down the rabbit hole. It is a more delightful place for the audience than for Alice, who is desperately trying to get back home. She tries to get help from the Mad Hatter, the White Rabbit, and from the very nice Cheshire Cat. Long enough to contain the most delightful incidents, it is short enough to keep audience attention. Learn more at airdrie.ca.

May 26 to 27; Chamber Music at the Bella: Night 1 and 2, Calgary Phil musicians are joined by Mount Royal Conservatory students for two concerts of chamber music at the intimate Bella Concert Hall. Several small ensembles of musicians will perform music showcasing their unique talents. Learn more at calgaryphil.com.

May 26 to 28; Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster, Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get his chance to scare the tuna salad out of an unsuspecting human? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship at Engineered Air Theatre? Learn more at artscommons.ca.

May 26 to 29; Calgary Black Film Festival, the festival is dedicated to giving unique voices in cinema the opportunity to present audiences with new ways of looking at the world. CBFF’s ambition is to encourage the development of the independent film industry and to promote more films on the reality of Black people from around the globe. Learn more at calgaryblackfilm.com.

May 27, 10am to 4pm; Cochrane Pet Expo, with learning opportunities, entertainment, agility shows, a marketplace and food trucks, there’s something for every pet lover in your life at Cochrane & District Agricultural Society Park. Learn more at quirksocial.ca.

May 27; Calgary Reptile Expo, this is your opportunity to find your favorite local reptile and amphibian breeders and enthusiasts under one roof in the new location of The Genesis Center. Learn more at albertareptiles.ca.

May 27, 11am; Cineplex Family Favourites: Katak the Brave Beluga, visit participating Cineplex theatres near you and watch a favorite family film each week for only $2.99. Learn more at cineplex.com.

May 27, 1 to 4pm; Tuxedo Park Community Association Summer Festival, the TPCA Social Committee is planning their second annual Summer Festival. They will be hosting a variety of local vendors including snacks and unique items, a beer garden with Citizen Brewery, activities for kids, live music, draws to enter and Butterfield Acres petting zoo. Learn more at tuxedoparkcommunity.ca.

May 27, 2 to 6pm; MaKami College Spring Cultural Festival, the Spring Cultural Festival is a celebration of the various cultures that make up the fabric of Calgary’s northeast. Hosted by MaKami College and located in the parking lot of Marlborough Mall, this event will feature live music, performances, foods and refreshments, a Kids Zone and exhibition booths featuring local vendors. Learn more at makamicollege.com.

May 27; APEGA Science Olympics, this interactive, interschool, science-packed event offers students in Grades 1 to 12 the opportunity to put creativity and science knowledge to the test by turning everyday objects into engineering marvels and geoscience wonders at the Olympic Oval. Learn more at apega.ca.

May 27, 5pm; Locked Zoo: Secret Safari (Adults only), a two-hour, zoo-wide escape game that challenges you to explore the zoo after hours, solve an elaborate series of puzzles, and learn about wildlife conservation. There’s plenty of animals to see along the way without crowds or kiddos. Learn more at calgaryzoo.com.

May 27, 6pm to 11:30pm; Calgary Roller Skate Pop-Up, Calgarians can join Calgary Roller Skate for a great time roller-skating with lights, music, and 15,000 square feet of wood floor at JVC Center. Learn more at calgaryrollerskate.com.

May 27, 7:30pm; Unforgettable – Celebrating Modern Music’s Greatest Influencers, New West Music & Arts Society presents Unforgettable, a tribute concert celebrating the songs and artists that changed the trajectory of modern music. Concert guests will enjoy unique renditions of music that span a number of genres, performed by Calgary’s own New West Symphony & Chorus and New West Student Ensemble at Jack Singer Concert Hall. Learn more at allevents.in.

May 27, 9pm to 12am; Aurora Borealis Space Night, discoveries in physics are occurring at an incredible pace. University of Calgary students will speak on the latest, fastest, smallest and most fascinating new research in physics at the Rothney Astrophysical Observatory. Learn more at science.ucalgary.ca.

May 27 to 28, 10am to 5pm; Granary Road Market Spring Spectacular Festival, don’t miss it as the active learning park and Farmer’s Market spring to life for the 2023 season. Putt into Spring by playing 18 holes of Calgary’s best mini golf, buy an artisan bird house at High Country Mercantile, paint a rock for the Granary Road Rock Garden or a Sunflower pot to take home. Learn more at granaryroad.com.

May 27 to 28, 10am to 4pm; Airdrie Children’s Festival‎, the event will feature a Children’s Village play area, children’s entertainment, and inspiration stations, created to inspire kids in learning activities with the goal of exposing them to future career opportunities at Nose Creek Park. Learn more at airdriechildrensfest.com.

May 27 to 28, 10am to 5pm; Festival of Quilts at Heritage Park, Western Canada’s largest outdoor quilt show is back at Heritage Park. The heart of the festival is the marvelous collection of quilts displayed throughout the park. Aside from the hundreds of quilts on display, the festival features two special lecture workshops, a trunk show and a Merchant’s Mall with several local quilting vendors. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

May 27 to 28 11am and 2pm; Toys R US Craft Time: Little Mermaid Tail Bookmark, assemble your crew of crafty kids: they can create and decorate their very own mermaid-tail bookmark! Sure to make a splash! Learn more at toysrus.ca.

May 28, 10am to 4:30pm; ExplorAsian Cultural Bus Tours, a day-long interactive bus tour for Calgarians to explore, experience and engage with Calgary’s many Asian cultures. The tour is your opportunity to gain a behind-the-scenes look at the rich customs and traditions of diverse Asian communities. Learn more at eventbrite.ca.

May 28, 10am to 4pm; 4th Annual Doodle Dogs Spring Vendor Market, four food vendors, DJ Luna spinning tunes, 10 animal rescues, 30-plus local vendors at Bridgeland Riverside Community Association. Learn more at doodledogsboutique.com.

May 28; The Calgary Marathon, a challenging, competitive and fun event with a race designed for everyone of any level. There is a 50k Ultra, full marathon, half-marathon, 10 km, 5 km family walk or run and kids’ marathon. Learn more at calgarymarathon.com.

Ongoing

Until May 27; Cannonball! A Festival of Youth Theatre, seven youth-produced one-act plays performed over two weeks presented by Calgary Young People’s Theatre. You heard that right – every show is directed, written, designed, stage managed, produced, and performed by youth ages ten to 19. There are also have a handful of special guests, including performances from Improv Intensives and a Staged Reading Series of new works that might see the stage next year. Learn more at cypt.ca.

Until May 27; Cottagers and Indians, in this funny and fierce play, an Indigenous man, Arthur Copper, has taken it upon himself to repopulate the lakes of his home territory with wild rice—known amongst the Anishnawbe as Manoomin. The local non-Indigenous cottagers, Maureen Poole in particular, are NOT impressed. She feels the plant interferes with her favourite lake activities and is an eyesore that brings down the property value. Based on real-life events in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes region, the story infuses contemporary conflicts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous sensibilities with Drew Hayden Taylor’s characteristic warmth and humour at Vertigo Theatre. Learn more at lunchboxtheatre.com.

Until June 3; Wedding Singer: 1999, we’ve all attended a wedding or two. Which is why we could all relate to the classic movie about a 1980’s wedding singer who finally found a love of his own. By the 1990’s, the wedding singer has had lots of practice and is often called on to sing at the biggest weddings of the year. But what happens when he must sing at, what everyone says will surely be, the wedding of the millennium? Oh, and the millennium bride just happens to be his daughter. Learn more at jubilations.ca.

Until June 3; Sleeping Beauty at Stage West Theatre, when Prince Princely shows up, Princess Gillian thinks she has found the love of her life. But, a jealous witch has other plans. When a sleeping spell, meant for the Princess, goes wrong, craziness ensues and no one is safe from catching some extra zzz’s! Based on the classic tale of the same name, this comedic adventure with a modern twist is sure to entertain audiences of all ages. Learn more at stagewestcalgary.com.

Until June 3, Jubilations Junior Presents: Super Duper Mario Musical, who knew that those Mario Bros could sing and dance? Well, they can do that and a whole lot more when they come to life on the Jubilations Junior stage. Can Mario save the kingdom? Or will it be game over for the good guys? With Mario and Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser… the gang’s all here so you should be too. Learn more at jubilations.ca.

Until June 3; Storybook Theatre Presents: Disney’s Newsies The Musical, based on the 1992 motion picture and inspired by a true story, Newsies features a Tony Award-winning score by Alan Menken (Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act) and Jack Feldman and a book by Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots). Featuring the now classic songs Carrying the Banner, Seize the Day, and Santa Fe, Newsies is packed with non-stop thrills and a timeless message, perfect for the whole family and every audience. Learn more at storybooktheatre.org.

Until June 4; Royal Canadian International Circus, the all-new Royal Canadian International Circus 2023 will be touring Canada and the USA for 198 spectacular shows from April to October 2023 and will mesmerize, astound, thrill, and captivate audiences beyond the extraordinary. Use the code CalgarysChild when buying your tickets online for an incredible 2 for 1 deal! Learn more at royalcanadiancircus.ca.

Until June 4; NEVERMORE: The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, Master of the Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, battled addiction, tragedy and poverty, all while creating some of the most influential works in genre fiction. Bizarrely beautiful and whimsically witty, NEVERMORE uses haunting song, poetic storytelling, and surreal imagery to explore the events that shaped Poe’s career and ignited his lifelong battle with “visions dark and sinister” at The Playhouse. Learn more at catalysttheatre.ca.

Until June 11; Workshop Theatre’s Kids Cushion Cabaret: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a young boy decides he needs to find a job to help his poor mother. He meets a few people along the way and finally comes to a rather strange looking castle inhabited by a sorcerer, his mischievous talking cat, and a dove. The sorcerer hires him to clean up the castle… and change the kitty litter. Alex’s dream has always been to become a magician himself, so with the help of his new friends his dreams come true and he helps save the kingdom too. Learn more at workshoptheatre.ca.

Until June 17; FreshFaces | Invitational Group Exhibition, Newzones Gallery announces the third edition of the invitational exhibition, “FreshFaces.” “FreshFaces” is a curated exhibition which brings together select artists from North America for a one-time group showing. Surveying each artist’s practice in depth, “FreshFaces” will analyze the ways in which the artists challenge both the traditional use of materials and formal aesthetics through painting, photography, mixed media and sculpture, resulting in a stimulating and fresh view of “New to Newzones” and “New to Calgary” talent. Learn more at newzones.com.

Until June 25; Stage West Presents: 9 to 5 The Musical, based on the seminal 1980 hit movie, set in the late 70s this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic. Learn more at stagewestcalgary.com.

Until August 27; Prairie Persuasion: Communication and Propaganda in Southern Alberta 1860-1950, visit Gasoline Alley Museum at Heritage Park to learn about the darker side to propaganda, one which was aimed at different groups of people using discrimination and violence. Propaganda changed the shape of society as we know it today. Discover the power of propaganda for yourself, while you can, by visiting this new, temporary exhibit. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

Until September 15; Inglewood Night Market 2023, the Inglewood Night Market is a modern market with locally sourced and handmade vendors selling diverse goods; from handmade crafts to vintage clothing, antiques and collectibles, artisan eats and more. Learn more at inglewoodnightmarket.ca.

Until October; Bow Habitat Kids Can Catch Trout Pond, the Bow Habitat Station’s Kids Can Catch Trout Pond opens in mid-May and is stocked with rainbow trout in the fish hatchery for you to catch and release. Learn more at bowhabitat.alberta.ca.

Until October; 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.

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.