What’s Up This Weekend?

by Stacie Gaetz

February 24 to 27; The Calgary Home + Garden Show at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park will include 550 local vendors and a fresh array of must-see home, garden and design features.

February 26, 6pm; UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. spotlights some of the best choreographers and dancers that Calgary has to offer. The online performance showcases nine African diasporic dance forms, from their origins to the mainstream, through movement, storytelling, and historical contexts.

February 26, 6pm; One of Calgary’s newest arts and culture festivals, Ethnik Festival of Arts & Culture is part of the celebration of Black History (Excellence) Month during the last week of February. Members of the Afro-Canadian and Caribbean communities come together online to celebrate diversity, inclusivity, and to share their vibrant cultural traditions with other communities from across Canada.

February 26; Calgary Roller Skate Pop-Up Roller Rink at the JVC Center. The event includes roller-skating with lights, music, and 15,000 square feet of the beautiful wood floor. Family skate runs from 6 pm to 8:30 pm and costs $8 in advance and $10 at the door for kids and $13 in advance or $15 at the door for adults.

LAST WEEKEND TO CHECK THESE OUT

January 28 to February 27; Northern Reflections, a mash-up of music, art, and technology, is returning to Calgary for its second year, and it’s expanding. Murals and music combine with an augmented reality app to create a one-of-a-kind art experience in Calgary, with a self-guided tour throughout businesses in Inglewood and East Village.

Daily through February 27, 10am to 10pm; Standing just shy of 15 feet tall, The BEACON is a giant pillar of light made from over 60,000 one-litre water totes and a series of interactive choreographed light, sound, and video shows, all imagined, designed, and built by local art collective B!G ART. The BEACON is located adjacent to Enoch Park at 12th Avenue and Macleod Trail SE

February 1 to 28; Calgary Meals on Wheels Presents, YYC Hot Chocolate Fest. Participating cafés, restaurants, and chocolatiers compete for the coveted titles of YYC’s Best Hot Chocolate, Best Spirited Hot Chocolate, and special Cup That Runneth Over Award. Sip a variety of hot cocoas and determine the blend that roasts them all! $1 to $3 from every cup sold supports Calgary Meals on Wheels.

February 4 to 27; Chinook Blast has returned for its second year, celebrating winter in the heart of the city with the best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport, and recreation scene on display. Chinook Blast 2022’s anchoring events include the Block Heater music festival, Glow Festival, an awe-inspiring winter festival with lights and more, and the Ethnik Festival of Arts & Culture, in addition to free public programming at the Chinook Blast Hub, centrally located around Calgary Downtown’s Olympic Plaza.

Every day from February 6 to 27, 2:30 pm – 2:30 pm; Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Presents an Online Four-Part Series: The Bear and the Wild Rose. This series explores themes of Love, Home, Magic, and Resilience. The collaboration between Canadian musician and humanitarian Tom Jackson and the CPO aims to uplift communities everywhere.

February 18 to 27; Sport Calgary’s All Sport One City. Be part of the energy! Locations across Calgary. Sportcalgary.ca/all-sport-one-city

ONGOING

Jubilations Junior presents Motel Transylvania. A production written for kids, and a meal designed with kids in mind! Join us for a fun-filled morning of laughter, music and food! jubilations.ca

Throughout February & March; check website for showtimes; StoryBook Theatre Presents, Disney’s Descendents, The Musical. Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendents: The Musical is a new comedy featuring the beloved characters and hit songs from the films! Don’t delay cuz tickets sell out fast! storybooktheatre.org
Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is a Until March 19, check website for showtimes; Jubilations Dinner Theatre Presents, Shipp’s Creek Dinner Show. Go up Schipp’s Creek without a paddle! Whether you’re a fan of the show or just a fan of music and laughter, it will be a great time! jubilations.ca/calgary-shows

Until March 21, 10:30 to 11am; Penguin Walk at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo. The king penguin colony heads out on the grounds for a daily enrichment walk. This incredible program allows you to get an up-close look at the group of king penguins as they explore, exercise, and waddle their way through the zoo. Subject to weather conditions and animal inclination. calgaryzoo.com/events/penguinwalk

Until May 15; Explore TELUS Spark’s New Exhibition: RESCUE! Most people wonder how they would react in an emergency. Could you rescue a swimmer if you were the first on the scene with your jet ski? Now you can test your rescue instincts in 17 different interactive situations! sparkscience.ca/rescue

Hygge Hut – pronounced “hoo-ga” – is the East Village’s Scandinavian-style space inspired by the Danish idea of Hygge, which means a special kind of well-being – a cozy, easy togetherness. This season, Hygge Hut was reimagined to be bigger, better, and cozier than ever and has a new home in C-Square! There are weekly interactive live ice carving demonstrations, pop-up food trucks, hot chocolate, fireside storytimes, community dog walks, live music, and no shortage of good company! Check out the website for weekly programming and pop-up activities. (You’ll know you’re in the right place when the familiar smell of campfire hits your nose and gives you all the camping and nature feels without having to leave the city.) Hygge Hut is open Fridays, 2 to 6pm, Saturdays, Sundays, and Statutory Holidays Noon to 6pm until March.

Every Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, February 5, 2022 to March 19, 6:15 pm – 10:00 pm. Jubilations Dinner Theatre Presents, Shipp’s Creek Dinner Show. Go up Schipp’s Creek without a paddle! Whether you’re a fan of the show or just a fan of music and laughter, it will be a great time! Check website for showtimes.

Until April 14, Nightrise combines multimedia, storytelling, and nature at the Banff Gondola for a multi-sensory journey like no other. The event will bring light and sound together to share a new and inspiring perspective in the heart of the Rockies. At Sulphur Mountain’s peak, guests can explore the many levels of the summit building and enjoy Rockies-inspired eats and drinks. Outside on the viewing decks, discover wonders that only emerge as the night begins to rise.

You can shop till you drop and go skating all in one visit to the mall, with the addition of new ice rinks at Southcentre in Calgary. Top Deck, a community initiative supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, features two outdoor skating rinks located on the upper level of the parkade at the east end of Southcentre Mall.