Activities . Family Fun . What's Up in Calgary?

What’s Up This Week?

On February 13, 2024 by Calgary's Child

February 16 to 18

February 15 to 17, Block Heater. Watch your worries melt away this winter with the Calgary Folk Music Festival’s Block Heater, the perfect cozy weekend to get your musical engines revving and is family-friendly musical escape you’ve been waiting for. Plug in and recharge with 12 events (including nine all-ages show) across several venues. Learn more at calgaryfolkfest.com.

February 15 to 17; FIS Freeski Halfpipe Snow Rodeo World Cup. The Snow Rodeo FIS Freeski Halfpipe World Cup returns to WinSport’s Olympic Park. Calgary welcomes hundreds of the world’s top athletes for this family-friendly event. Watch some of the best freestyle skiers hit the hill and compete in the stunt ditch. Learn more at chinookblast.ca.

February 15 to 18; World Speed Skating Championships. The World Speed Skating Championships are coming back to Calgary for the first time in 25 years at the Olympic Oval. See the world’s fastest skaters on the ‘fastest ice in the world’. Learn more at speedskating.ca.

Until February 16; Artists Pavilion at Central Library. Take in some arts and culture during your lunch break on Thursdays and Fridays. The Artists Pavilion at the Central Library hosts pop-up performances by local artists, presented by Four Winds YYC and 10 at 10 Music and Culture, as well as mini jams curated by One Big Jam, all in celebration of the Lunar New Year, Indigenous culture, and Black History Month. Learn more at chinookblast.ca.

February 16; Frosty February Family Day Weekend Party Capitol Hill. Are you around on the upcoming Family Day weekend? Kick it off at Capitol Hill Community Association with canteen snacks and refreshments, fun music, and an all-ages magic show. Learn more at capitolhill.getcommunal.com.

February 16 to 19; The Wildlife Festival. Meet a sloth, wrangle a wallaby, and pose with a porcupine! All this and more as the Wildlife Festival returns on Family Day weekend with a not-to-be-missed event at The Nutrien Western Event Centre. Learn more at wildlifefestival.ca.

Until February 17; Pumphouse Theatre Presents: The Peacock Season. Having made the mistake of marrying for love, Clarke and Cora Mariner are reminded upon renewed acquaintance with their former sweethearts, of all the riches their foolishness has denied them, and the simultaneous thought occurs to them that perhaps it’s not too late to try again. But, as divorce is unthinkable in their circle, murder appears to be the only answer, whereupon they try to do away with each other; their diabolical plans goes awry to the extent of nine unintended victims. Learn more at pumphousetheatre.ca.

Until February 17; Lippan Art Show. Join Y Not Today for an exciting showcase of Lippan art. Immerse yourself in the mesmerizing world of this traditional art form from Gujarat, India. Explore the intricate and geometric patterns created using white clay and mirror work. Let your creativity flow as you learn about the history and techniques behind this unique art style. Learn more at ynottoday.ca.

February 17, 9:30 am to 1pm; Girls Rock Try Curling. Calling all girls from ages nine to 16 years! The Curling Canada’s Women in Curling Leadership Circle invites you to try curling for free at Calgary Curling Club. Learn more at curlingcanada.sidelinelearning.com.

February 17, 9:30am to 4pm; Family FISHtival at Bow Habitat Station. Dive into the depths of Alberta’s icy waters and experience the wonder of fish, with fishy insights, prizes, family-friendly games, and the Trout Without Doubt theatrical performances that will have you flappin’ your fins. Mark your calendars for a day of fun and exploration at Bow Habitat Station with unique and unforgettable experiences. Learn more at bowhabitat.alberta.ca.

February 17, 10am to 2pm; Dalhousie Winter Carnival. Experience the magic of Dalhousie’s Winter Carnival — a festive extravaganza filled with carnival games, hands-on crafts, magic performances, gliding on the ice, and indulging in delicious snacks. Tickets for carnival games and magic shows. Learn more at dalhousiecalgary.ca.

February 17, 10am to 4pm; Taylor Markets Food Fest Extravaganza. Come enjoy the Taylor Markets’ International Food Fest at Marda Loop Community Association. There will be free swag bags for the first 200 people, prizes, and vendors selling all kinds of food. Find everything from sweets to meats and drinks to international treats.

February 17, 11am; Cineplex Family Favourites: Nimona. Visit participating Cineplex theatres near you and watch a favorite family film each week for only $2.99. Learn more at cineplex.com.

February 17, 11am to 1pm; Fort Calgary Tours & Fireside Storytelling. Discover the complex and rich histories rooted in the lands at Fort Calgary. You’ll uncover the layered past of the confluence on this indoor tour. Enjoy the beautiful winter weather around a warm fire while Métis artist and storyteller Janis Laboucane tells stories from her culture. Tickets include general museum admission so you can explore the Interpretive Centre at your own pace before or after the tour. This program is presented as part of Fort Calgary’s Chinook Blast 2024. Learn more at fortcalgary.com.

February 17 to 19; Alberta Free Family Fishing Weekend. During Family Fishing Weekends, Albertans and visitors are encouraged to give fishing a try on waterbodies with open fishing seasons without having to purchase a sportfishing licence. Learn more at mywildalberta.ca.

February 17 to 19; Cabin Fever in Airdrie. Embrace the chill on the toboggan hill or face off on the ODR before you sip a cup of sweet cocoa by the bonfire as you beat the end of winter blues at Cabin Fever, Airdrie’s winter festival. Learn more at airdrie.ca.

February 18, 2 to 4pm; Michaels Make Break: Marbled Paint Pour Pots. Make a paint pour pot. Purchase the pot and use our paint for free. Learn more at canada.michaels.com.

February 18, 4 to 7pm; University District Winter Pop Up. Enjoy free outdoor winter fun with an exciting array of entertainment, music and activities for all ages in the University District. Learn more at myuniversitydistrict.ca.

Family Day Events

February 19; Free Admission to Lougheed House. Free admission for families to come explore the house, participate in a drop-in Métis beading workshop, and take part in family-friendly tours all day. Tour will take place every half hour from 12 to 2:30pm. Free hot chocolate stations will be set up for you to make your own chocolatey creation. Learn more at lougheedhouse.com.

February 19; Free Admission to Studio Bell. The National Music Centre invites families to enjoy a day of musical bonding at Studio Bell with free admission. To add a delightful touch to this annual family-friendly event, beloved Alberta songwriters, Mariel Buckley and T. Buckley, are uniting as The Buckleys. Learn more at studiobell.ca.

February 19, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm; Heritage Park Family Day Brunch. Round up the family and make it the best Family Day ever by going back in time for brunch. Fill up your plate from a big buffet with a wide variety of delicious options, including maple, brown-sugar-glazed Gammon ham, Belgian waffles, eggs benedict and more. After you’ve finished your meal, explore Gasoline Alley Museum, and make precious memories with your little ones. Learn more at heritagepark.ca.

February 19, 9 am to 5pm; Family Day at The Military Museums. Hold genuine artifacts from history, join a gallery tour, play military board games, watch a black powder demonstration, learn about your family military history, and get to “Ask a Conservator” from the U of C on preserving family heirlooms. There will also be kids’ crafts and a scavenger hunt. Learn more at showpass.com.

February 19, 11am to 1pm; Airdrie Family Day Skate. Make your Family Day fun and funky at Plainsmen Arena in Airdrie. Join for a Funky Family Day Skate, full of retro-rink vibes with laser lights, haze, and music on ice. Learn more at airdrie.ca.

February 19, 11am to 2pm; Frost Fest at Edgemont Park. Enjoy winter activities and games, grab a warm drink, and spend time with the family and beloved neighbors at Edgemont Park. Have fun with ice skating, snow games, ice bocce, hot chocolate and more. Learn more at edgemont.ab.ca.

February 19, 11am to 2pm; Tuscany Family Day Winter Party. This Family Day Winter Party at Tuscany Residents Association will include food trucks, outdoor games, music, skating and more. Learn more at tuscany-connect.com.

February 19, 12pm to 4pm; Beddington Winter Carnival. Join for a festive winter carnival hosted by your local neighborhood association. Glide into the season with free skate rentals on our enchanting rink, treat yourself to a free hotdog courtesy of the Dogfather, and groove to live music at Beddington Theatre Arts Centre. Learn more at beddingtoncommunity.ca.

February 19, 12 to 5pm; Family Day at Calgary Public Library. Join Calgary Public Library for a heartwarming day of family fun. Capture the moment with free family portraits, bring your favorite stuffies for storytime and get creative with family-friendly crafts and activities. Bring your kids, parents, grandparents, siblings, your cousin, or your best friend. Whether they’re the family you’re born with or the family you’ve chosen, everyone is welcome. Learn more at calgarylibrary.ca.

Ongoing

Until February 19; Outdoor Stage at Olympic Plaza. Olympic Plaza and Stephen Avenue will be filled with music, performances, and visual art throughout Chinook Blast. The diverse lineup of talented artists includes an Exposure Photography Festival exhibition; a radically inclusive and fully improvised concert with One Big JAM; a GlobalFest showcase featuring Japanese drumming and a Caribbean steel drum band; itsy bitsy puppet shows; a fiery performance from aGoGo Fire and Flow; a Black History Month reggae celebration and more. Learn more at chinookblast.ca.

Until February 19; Chinook Blast. Experience the magic of Chinook Blast, Calgary’s winter festival celebration. Chinook Blast warms up our city with a celebration of community, culture, and civic pride, where the best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreation will be on display. Learn more at chinookblast.ca.

Until February 19; All Sport One City. Try a new sport for free, in various locations across the city. Learn more at sportcalgary.ca.

Until February 23; Toddler Time at Fort Calgary. It can be tricky to find family friendly things to do during the wintertime — Fort Calgary is hosting Toddler Time. Each Friday this February, join for exciting story times, age-appropriate crafts, coloring and more for youngsters up to age five! Tickets include the event and admission to the Interpretive Centre so you can make the most of your day out. Learn more at fortcalgary.com/events/toddler-time.

Until February 25; Curling On St. Patrick’s Island. Hurry hard to the curling rink on St. Patrick’s Island, East Village’s 31-acre backyard. The pop-up synthetic curling rink is located by Confluence Plaza, near the island washrooms and Calgary Zoo parking lot. This is your chance to make some winter memories that rock. Learn more at chinookblast.ca.

Until February 25; Vertigo Theatre Presents: Heist. A fast-paced, heart-racing play about a diamond heist gone wrong. Can this band of criminals pull off the perfect robbery? Full of diamonds, guns, lasers, betrayal and a cast of characters you’ll be quoting long after you leave the theatre. Learn more at vertigotheatre.com.

Until February 25; Loose Moose Theatre Presents Thumbelina. The Loose Moose Theatre for Kids is a truly magical experience for children four to ten years old, as well as fun and entertaining for parents. Learn more at loosemoose.com.

Until February 28; YYC Hot Chocolate Fest. This sweet festival sees cafes, restaurants, and chocolatiers compete for the coveted titles of YYC’s Best Hot Chocolate, Best Spirited Hot Chocolate, and Cup The Runneth Over Award. Calgarians can sip a variety of hot cocoas and determine the blend that roasts them all. Learn more at yychotchocolate.com.

Until February 29; Black History Month Exhibition at The Military Museums. As part of the observance of Black History Month, The Military Museums will be hosting an exhibition in the Atrium from February 2 to the 29. The exhibition aims to showcase the valuable role and sacrifices made by Black Canadian Soldiers from The First World War to the present day.  Learn more at themilitarymuseums.ca.

Until March; Hygge Hut on River Walk. the East Village is bringing cozy back to East Village Hygge Hut on RiverWalk. The Hygge Hut is a big warm East Village hug in the middle of a long, cold Calgary winter. The contemporary, Scandinavian-style space is inspired by the Danish idea of Hygge, which means a special kind of well-being — it’s a cozy, easy togetherness enhanced by the glow of a firepit, soft lighting, a warm drink and good company. The snuggle vibe, in short. Learn more at evexperience.com.

Until March 3; Blood, Sweat and Tears: Canadian Military Medicine. This exhibit explores Canadian military medicine from the 19th century through to Afghanistan. Learn more at themilitarymuseums.ca.

Until March 3; Exposure Photography Festival. Exposure is an annual festival that celebrates photography, hosting thoughtfully curated exhibitions that showcase internationally renowned practitioners alongside emerging and established talent from Alberta at various Calgary venues. Learn more at exposurephotofestival.com.

Until March 10; Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo – Penguin Walk. Once again this winter, you can see the king penguins outside of their habitat as they take a royal promenade through zoo grounds. The Penguin Walk offers the king penguins an opportunity for wintery enrichment as well as additional daily exercise. Don’t miss out on a waddling good time! Learn more at calgaryzoo.com.

Until March 16; StoryBook Theatre Presents: A Wrinkle in Time. One of literature’s most enduring young heroines, Meg Murry, is back — braces, stubbornness and all. Meg Murry and her little brother, Charles Wallace, have been without their scientist father, Mr. Murry, for five years, ever since he discovered a new planet and used the concept known as a tesseract to travel there. Joined by Meg’s classmate Calvin O’Keefe and guided by the three mysterious astral travellers known as Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the children brave a dangerous journey to a planet that possesses all of the evil in the universe. Learn more at storybooktheatre.org.

Until March 17; Winsport Servus Tube Park. The perfect activity for a day with family and friends. WinSport’s Tube Park is one of the fastest of its kind in Western Canada. Learn more at winsport.ca.

Until March 23; Jubilations Dinner Theatre Presents: The Beach Boys of Summer. Jubilations Dinner Theatre presents The Beach Boys of Summer. Get ready to be transported back to summer with a show that celebrates the iconic Beach Boys and their timeless sound. Learn more at jubilations.ca.

Until March 23; Jubilations Junior Dinner Theatre Presents: Beach Barbie’s Birthday Bash. For Barbie, hosting the best birthday parties has always been a piece of cake, but when the day comes for her sister’s beach birthday party at their favorite spot, she finds out the whole beach has been… sold? How are they going to have a beach birthday party? And what’s going to become of the beach? It’s up to Barbie to ensure everything’s perfect. Learn more at jubilations.ca.

Until March 24; Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo – Safari Sunday Brunch. Join for a unique Calgary brunch experience in the heart of Destination Africa. You can enjoy both gourmet and comfort breakfast foods, including a free-flowing chocolate fountain with fresh fruit, eggs benedict with Canadian bacon, a Belgian waffle bar, cooked to order omelettes, and much more. Learn more at calgaryzoo.com.

Until March 31; Nightrise. At Nightrise, Sulphur Mountain’s summit is transformed after dark through four digital art installations. Vibrant lighting, multimedia effects, video projections, and music bring the mountaintop to life in a new and unexpected way. Learn more at banffjaspercollection.com.

Until March 31; Mirror Mirror by Moment Factory at Chinook Centre. Mirror Mirror seamlessly blends creative expression and interactive innovation to create an ever-evolving playground of immersive art. Spanning nine dynamic art installations, each explores themes sparked by the wonder of the human mind, designed to entertain visitors of all ages. Learn more at momentfactory.com.

Until April 28; Rock the Nation at Studio Bell. A rousing theatrical production celebrating and honoring Canada’s remarkable musical legacy. Experience it all live on stage, and journey through the decades. Learn more at studiobell.ca.

Until May 5; Da Vinci The Exhibition at TELUS Spark. Da Vinci The Exhibition is a hands-on exploration of Leonardo da Vinci’s life, research, and art, developed by Aurea Exhibitions and produced by Imagine Exhibitions, Inc. Guests can go beyond the canvas, exploring over 65 life-size inventions, more than 20 fine art studies, and captivating displays. Learn more at sparkscience.ca.