Free This Week
This week brings markets, music and plenty of community. Make your mark at Project Your Voice, shop an array of local markets or send off summer with live music at cSPACE or Riley Park, plus more! Soak up summer with these free Calgary events.
Project Your Voice: Workshop for Youth (14 – 20)
August 21 & 26, 2025, 6 – 7:30pm
Calgary Central Library (800 3 St. SE)
Free to attend
Project Your Voice is a hands-on workshop where participants create DIY light projectors to share their ideas and messages for Calgary’s future. Finished projects will be part of a public projection artwork, turning youth voices into a visible, citywide celebration of creativity and action.
eventbrite.ca
Kensington Night Market
August 21, 2025, 4:30 – 8:30pm
Parking Lot (1209 Kensington Rd. NW)
Free to explore
The Kensington Night Market returns with the opportunity to shop from local vendors while enjoying live music and entertainment. Check it out!
thedowntownmarkets.ca
ArtPark After Hours
August 21, 2025, 6 – 9pm
cSPACE Marda Loop – (1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to attend
Celebrate the final weeks of summer with live music from Memphis and the Grande and a relaxed community BBQ vibe. This family and dog-friendly event features a beer garden, food vendors and festival-style fun. Bring a picnic blanket and enjoy the evening!
cspacemardaloop.com
REVEALED — Opening Reception
August 21, 2025, 5 – 8pm
Christine Klassen Gallery (Suite 200, 321 50 Ave. SE)
Free to attend
From figurative to abstract, ceramics to plein air, this group show is a chance to discover the diverse talents of 16 artists within the 500 Collective. Check out talk-show style interviews with artists, live demonstrations and public participation art activities throughout the evening.
500collective.com
Dreaming Asleep // Dreaming Awake — Opening Reception
August 22, 2025, 7 – 9pm
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. S)
Free to attend
The New Gallery (TNG) presents Dreaming Asleep // Dreaming Awake, a 50th anniversary exhibition featuring Helen Arias, Jordan Baylon and Peter Moller. Through artwork, writing and public events, the exhibition reflects on TNG’s legacy as a space for experimental, artist-run culture in Mohkínsstsis.
thenewgallery.org
YYCFanFair
August 23, 2025, 10am – 4pm
Thorncliffe-Greenview Community Association (5600 Centre St. N)
Free to explore
YYCFanFair is a vibrant celebration of fandom, featuring comics, toys, games, collectibles and more. Explore rare finds and unique creations from local artists in a fun-filled day for pop culture lovers of all kinds.
yycfanfair.com
East Village Pop-Up Market
August 23, 2025, 11am – 4pm
RiverWalk Plaza (just north of 632 Confluence Way SE)
Free to explore
East Village pop-up markets by The Mom Market Calgary are back this summer! Stop by for shopping, delicious eats and the best riverside vibes.
instagram.com
Bloom Send Off Party
August 23, 2025, 2 – 8pm
containR (1020 2 Ave. NW)
Free to explore
Send off the containR space in style for the last Bloom Market this summer. Featuring over 20 vendors ranging from jewelry, art, vintage, baked goods and so much more!
springboardperformance.com
4th Street Night Market
August 23, 2025, 5 – 10pm
Central Memorial Park (1221 2 St. SW)
Free to explore
Back for its fifth summer, you can expect to see vendors selling everything from handmade jewelry and home decor items, to food products at this market that also features live music!
4th-street-night-market.myshopify.com
AWA Early Fall Used Book Sale
August 23, 2025, 10am – 3pm
Alberta Wilderness Association (455 12 St. NW)
Free to explore
Browse a curated selection of used and new books in support of Alberta Wilderness Association conservation work. Enjoy exclusive merch and membership deals, and explore the organization’s historic 1910 Hillhurst Cottage School building. Donations welcome!
albertawilderness.ca
Central Outreach Block Party x Good Neighbour Anniversary
August 23, 2025, 6 – 10pm
Central United Church (131 7 Ave. SW)
Free to attend
Join Good Neighbour for an all-ages Block Party at its Central Outreach Hub, celebrating Good Neighbour’s fourth anniversary and raising funds to support its programs. Enjoy in-house food, a local vendor market, live music, an open mic and more!
goodneighbourcalgary.com
Whispers of the Black Gods
August 23, 2025, 2pm
Stream online
Free to watch
Whispers of the Black Gods is a multidisciplinary performance blending poetry, film and puppetry to honour the Afro-Cuban spirit. This powerful tribute weaves cultural heritage with contemporary expression, calling audiences to reconnect with their roots and embrace enduring ancestral truths.
eventbrite.com
Young Canadians Summer Workshop
August 23 & 24, 2025, 10am – 3pm
TransAlta Performing Arts Studio (1302 6 St. SE)
Free to explore
Join the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts for its Summer Workshop, where kids will explore dance, voice, crafts, beading, boom whackers and riverside walks. It’s all about playful expression and summer fun!
facebook.com
Pride Pop-Up Market
August 24, 2025, 10am – 5pm
Bridgeland Riverside Community Association (917 Centre Ave. NE)
Free to attend
Celebrate Pride in Calgary with the Alberta 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce! The Pride Pop-Up Market brings together queer-owned and allied businesses, artists and makers for a vibrant day of shopping, entertainment and community connection.
ab-lgbt.com
Flavours & Finds Summer Market
August 24, 2025, 12 – 4pm
cSPACE Marda Loop (1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to attend
Flavours & Finds Summer Market returns to cSPACE with a vibrant day of shopping, snacking and soaking up the sun. Enjoy allergy-friendly eats, handmade goods and local treats — art, jewelry and more!
eventbrite.ca
Music in the Park
August 24, 2025, 2 – 4pm
Riley Park Band Shell (800 12 St. NW)
Free to attend
The Calgary Wind Symphony is pleased to be returning to Riley Park this summer to bring music to the community in one of the city’s favourite outdoor settings. Bring the whole family and enjoy music in the park!
calgarywindsymphony.com
Piano Project YYC @ Heritage Park II
August 24, 2025, 2pm
Engineered Air Bandstand, Heritage Park (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
Free to attend
Join storyteller Samantha Whelan Kotkas, spoken word artist Priscille Bukasa and pianist Chris Andrew for a lively performance of excerpts from Oscar — a jazz-infused musical tale inspired by the life of the legendary Oscar Peterson.
honens.com
Pamela Vickerson — Artist Talk
August 26, 2025, 6 – 8pm
Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre (244034 Horizon View Rd.)
Free to attend
Join Kiyooka Ohe Arts Centre for an artist talk and reception with August Artist-in-Residence Pamela Vickerson. Drawing on her own journey, Pamela shares her evolving practice of “playing through grief” and invites reflection through recent paintings and stories.
instagram.com
TD Pride Block Party
August 26, 2025, 6 – 10pm
containR (1020 2 Ave. NW)
Free to attend
The seventh annual Pride Block Party is a free, all-ages night of music, drag and community celebration. Enjoy live music, DJ sets, drag performances, roaming entertainers, face painting, food trucks and more.
springboardperformance.com
ProArts@Noon: Sheldon Zandboer
August 27, 2025, 12:10 – 1pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1 St. SE)
Free to attend
Sheldon Zandboer, an expert of piano and keyboard, brings a deeply emotional performance that explores the soul of the instrument. Each note reveals the powerful connection between touch, sound and expression. Catch him live!
proartssociety.ca
U/D Night Market
August 27, 2025, 5 – 9pm
Central Commons Park, University District (4410 University Ave. NW)
Free to explore
Join University District on the last Wednesday of the month and enjoy a curated selection of local artisans, live music, entertainment and more! In partnership with Marketspot.
myuniversitydistrict.ca
We Say Gay: Queer Kid Lit and Censorship in the Sunshine State
August 27, 2025, 7pm
Central Library (800 3 St. SE)
Free to attend
The Calgary Institute for the Humanities presents the seventh annual LGBTQ2S+ Lecture, featuring Dr. Kenneth Kidd on the rising censorship of queer literature for youth. Using Florida as a case study, the talk explores how recent U.S. trends are shaping discourse in Canada.
eventbrite.ca
Crescent Heights Night Market
August 27, 2025, 5 – 9pm
16 Ave. & Centre St.
Free to explore
Crescent Heights Night Market is back and brighter than ever. Join in for the first of three market evenings filled with local vendors, delicious eats, live vibes and community fun under the lights.
instagram.com
Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
