Free This Week
From exhibitions to live music to family outings, there’s plenty of free fun in store this week. Dive into immersive media art at Particle + Wave, cheer on Calgary’s top ice carvers at Cold Cut, or experience fearless self-expression at the Unapologetic open mic, plus even more in the full roundup below.
Contemporary Conversations: Our connected ecosystem
February 19, 2026, 6 – 7:30 pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required
This panel brings together artists Tyler Los-Jones, Sandra Sawatzky and Alberta Rose W. / Ingniq in dialogue with curator Mona Filip. The discussion explores shared ecologies, multispecies entanglements and how art can deepen empathy for our interconnected world.
contemporarycalgary.com
Single Onion #217
February 19, 2026, 7 pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4 St. SW)
Free to explore
The Single Onion celebrates Black History Month with a special event curated by Bethel Afework and featuring poets Bkay Won, Iftu Hargaaya and Jya Noe.
shelflifebooks.ca
Cold Cut: Calgary’s Canadian Ice Carving Championship
February 20 – 22, 2026, 9 am – 5 pm
Calgary Farmers’ Market (West & South)
Free to attend, registration recommended
This family-friendly winter event at both Calgary Farmers’ Market locations will bring together top ice carvers to compete. Drop by Friday for a sneak peek of the ice block setup and enjoy the main event Saturday and Sunday!
calgaryfarmersmarket.ca
Particle + Wave: Media Art Exhibition — Opening
February 20, 2026, 6 pm
EMMEDIA (2005 10 Ave. SW)
Free to attend
This year’s Particle + Wave exhibition showcases the incredible range of technological possibilities in contemporary media art, highlighting both the tools and the conceptual frameworks that shape the field today. Don’t miss the opening!
emmedia.ca
Ashes! Ashes! — Opening Reception
February 20, 2026, 7 – 9 pm
A/P Main Gallery (460 42 Ave. SE)
Free to explore
Ashes! Ashes! is a tactile, intimate exhibition by Margaret Joba-Woodruff that uses charcoal, beeswax, paper and wool to trace memories of home, loss and repair. Through experimental printmaking techniques, the works reflect on housing precarity, shared domestic spaces and what we carry with us as we move on.
albertaprintmakers.com
YYC Songwriter Showdown II: Round 1
February 21, 2026, 2 – 5 pm
Cafe Gravity (909 10 St. SE)
Free to attend
YYC Songwriter Showdown II returns with 32 artists battling head-to-head in a live, bracket-style competition for $10,000-plus in prizes and the title of champion. Round 1 runs Saturdays in February, featuring original performances judged by industry pros and fans.
bwemusic.art
Particle + Wave: Artist Talk with Ghazal Majidi and Zain Alam
February 21, 2026, 2 pm
EMMEDIA (2005 10 Ave. SW)
Free to attend, registration required
Get a rare, behind-the-scenes insight into the work of two visionary media artists in one afternoon. Ghazal Majidi and Zain Alam open up their immersive audiovisual practices, blending ethics, embodiment, sound and ritual for an unforgettable look at cutting-edge contemporary media art.
showpass.com
Chinese New Year Festival
February 21 & 22, 2026, 11 am – 5 pm
Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre (197 1 St. SW)
Free to attend
Celebrate the Year of the Horse featuring lion and dragon dances, music, dance, opera, martial arts and family-friendly activities. Enjoy local vendors, festive food, calligraphy, lucky draws and more across two weekends.
culturalcentre.ca
Unapologetic: Open Mic Poetry Event
February 24, 2026, 2:45 – 4 pm
Nickle Galleries, University of Calgary (410 University Ct. NW)
Free to attend
Unapologetic is an open mic poetry event offering a fearless space for self-expression, release and creative exchange. This edition features Nickle Galleries’ Archival Resident and poet Iheoma “Oma is Loud” Uzomba.
events.ucalgary.ca
Still Speaking: Young Adults, ALS, and the Moments That Shape Us
February 25, 2026, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
cSPACE Marda Loop (1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
In the fall of 2025, five young adults created short films exploring meaningful moments from their experiences with ALS, either as caregivers or as individuals living with the disease. This meaningful evening brings the community together to watch the films and engage in thoughtful conversations.
cspacemardaloop.com
ProArts@Noon: Amanda Hillestad, Soprano
February 25, 2026, 12:10 – 1 pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1 St. SE)
Free to attend
Love and Loss is a musical journey of the excitement, pain, and human capacity to love. You cannot lose unless you have loved. Join Amanda Hillestad and Eileen Kosasih as they explore vulnerability shared through the music of Schubert, Strauss, Rossini, Head and Mozart.
proartssociety.ca
Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
