Free This Week
Saddle up for a week of free summer fun in Calgary! Experience Sunset Salsa in Inglewood, put your feet to the beat at Studio Bell, get laughing with Cornerstone Comedy, kick off Stampede at First Flip and more with this week’s roundup of free arts and culture events.
Free First Thursday
July 2, 2026, 5 – 9 pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required
Enjoy complimentary admission to Contemporary Calgary for a full evening of exhibitions and tours, a hands-on airbrush bandana workshop led by Calgary artist Karin McGinn, and a feature Quickdraw Animation Society Activation.
contemporarycalgary.com
Sunset Salsa featuring Mambo Productions
July 2, 2026, 7 – 10 pm
containR Art Park, Inglewood (925 9 Ave. SE)
Free to attend with tickets
Join Springboard Performance for a unique outdoor social dancing event. The evening starts with a Latin dance workshop with instruction, followed by social dancing and DJ DavidMambo & DJ Niko playing the best Salsa, Bachata and more!
showpass.com
First Flip
July 2, 2026, 7:30 – 10:30 am
Stephen Avenue (between 1 St. SE & Centre St)
Free to attend
Kick off the Stampede season with a free morning of pancakes, live music by The Frontiers and entertainment from Green Fools Theatre Society, Chinook Country Line Dancers, Pearl White Quills 8& Darcy Turning Robe and Kylie Austin.
downtowncalgary.com
Cornerstone Comedy hosted by Matt Riley & Steve Hodges
July 3, 2026, 6 – 8 pm
Cornerstone Music Cafe (139, 4929 Deer Ridge Dr. SE)
Free to attend with tickets
Cornerstone Comedy is a place where levity lives – where amateurs, seasoned comics and total first-timers all get their moment to shine. Don’t miss it!
eventbrite.ca
Artist Talk & Opening Reception with Anna Gaby-Trotz
July 3, 2026, 7 – 9 pm
Alberta Printmakers (460 42 Ave. SE)
Free to attend
Join Alberta Printmakers for the opening reception to celebrate Baseline by Anna Gaby-Trotz, who will be in attendance for an in-person artist talk. The exhibition features a collection of images gathered while examining the changing climate through the North West Passage.
albertaprintmakers.com
Artist in Residence: Sarah Almquist — Opening Reception
July 4, 2026, 2 – 4 pm
ASA Gallery, Crossroads Arts Centre (2nd floor, 1235 26 Ave. SE)
Free to attend
Join Calgary artist Sarah Almquist for the opening reception of her artist residency with the Alberta Society for Artists, which explores rest, self-care and creativity as acts of care and resistance.
albertasocietyofartists.com
Farmers and Makers Market & Backstrap Weaving Demo
July 4, 2026, 10 am – 2 pm
cSPACE Marda Loop (1721 29 Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Enjoy live music as you browse 50 local goods and makers on cSPACE’s south lawn. While you’re there, enjoy a backstrap weaving demonstration by Carmen Vazquez-Mackay from Ixchel Textiles.
cspacemardaloop.com
PlayLab: Feet to the Beat
July 4, 2026, 11 am & 1 pm
Studio Bell (850 4 St. SE)
Free to participate
Turn up the music and shake it out! Join dance educator/movement instructor Kym Butler in PlayLab at Studio Bell to move and groove to a new style of dance each session.
studiobell.ca
Third Annual Calgary Métis Fest
July 4, 2026, 12 – 8 pm
The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland (750 9 Ave. SE)
Free to attend
You’re invited to experience the rich heritage, traditions and joyful spirit of Métis culture in Calgary. Enjoy lively performances by Métis fiddlers, jiggers and musicians, check out an array of artisans showcasing unique cultural items and crafts, plus games, food, storytelling and more!
albertametis.com
A Ritual of Wishing: Community Cyanotype Project
July 4, 2026, 10 am – 4 pm
Historic Firehall No. 1 (104 6 Ave. SE)
Free to participate
The Exposure Photography Festival invites all ages to join artists Cy Yang-Smith and Leia Guo to drop in to create a cyanotype — an early photographic process that uses sunlight and water to produce a vivid Prussian blue
exposurephotofestival.com
Art Community Pancake Palooza
July 7, 2026, 9 – 11 am
cSPACE Marda Loop (1721 29 Ave SW)
Free to attend
Head over to cSPACE Marda Loop’s Art Park for Calgary’s only Stampede Breakfast created by artists, for arts champions. This vibrant, all-ages morning gathering will serve up classic pancakes, live music and lively conversations, with a generous helping of community spirit.
eventbrite.com
ProArts@Noon: The Decibelles
July 8, 2026, 12:10 – 1 pm
The Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1 St. SE)
Free to attend
The Decibelles, a treble vocal quartet, will share an eclectic mix of pop/jazz covers ranging from the Beatles to Manhattan Transfer and Myley Cyrus to Citizen Queen, touching on a variety of topics including food, female empowerment and of course love.
proartssociety.ca
Music in the Plaza: Tennyson King
July 8, 2026, 6 – 8 pm
Heritage Park (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
Free to attend
Discover one of Calgary’s most popular free concert series all summer long at Music in the Plaza! This week, take in a performance that blends Western indie-folk with traditional Chinese influences from award-winning, nomadic folk musician Tennyson King.
heritagepark.ca
Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
