Free This Week

Long weekend brings loads of events to check out inside and out

  • Location: Various Venues

Music, and film, and art—oh my! This week sees a number of free offerings to check out including the extension of Arts Commons’ popular pop-up performance series, ArtsXpeditions. Make the most of the first week of September with Calgary’s arts community!

Eileen Kosasih Duo

September 1, 2021, 12:10 – 1:00pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free to watch

ProArts@Noon presents violinist and visual artist Eileen Kosasih and pianist Tim Plait. Hear the two perform a fresh, curated selection of mainly 20th century works for violin and piano. On the program are compositions by Bartok, Arvo Part, Piazolla, Cui, and more.
proartssociety.ca

ArtsXpeditions

September 1, 3 & 4, 2021
Various venues
Free to watch

Surprise! ArtsXpeditions pop-up performances are continuing to bring music, dance, and performance art to community centres, parks, and even the occasional street corner throughout September! Connect with all of the amazing talent that our community has to offer—this week you can see the YYC String Machine, Robert Adam, Chantal Chagnon, Shirley Hill, and more!
artscommons.ca

India Film Festival of Alberta

September 1 – 30, 2021
Various venues
Free to watch

The seventh annual India Film Festival of Alberta features award-winning films from all four corners of India, showcasing more than seven regional languages. Audiences can a virtual trip to India and savour all the goodness the country has to offer! Check it out in-person in Calgary from September 10 to 12.
indiafilmfestival.ca

Pink Flamingo Pride Party

September 2, 2021, 8:00pm – 1:00am
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required

Join Contemporary Calgary and Pink Flamingo indoors and outdoors for entertainment and revelry that includes live music, DJs, rap, acoustic, and spoken word performances, VogueYYC and special guests, break and street dancing, mural art, and much more! This is a QTBIPOC centred and hosted party, all are welcome.
prod5.agileticketing.net

Bring the Baby Tour & Tummy Time

September 3, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free to participate, registration required

Caregivers and babies can join Esker staff for this gentle baby-led conversational tour of their current exhibitions. Introducing babies to works of art lays the groundwork for visual, cognitive, and language development. This program is in-person and registration limited to 10 adults per tour. Recommended for little ones two and under.
eventbrite.ca

An Artistic Exploration of Contemporary Online Courtship

September 3, 2021, 5:00 – 8:00pm
EMMEDIA Gallery & Production Society (2005 10th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

Master of fine art graduate Kenzie Housego’s final thesis exhibition explores contemporary courtship behaviours and their relationship to historical modes of romantic communication and self-representation. Check out the show at its opening reception!
facebook.com

Tim Williams

September 3, 2021, 9:00pm
Stream online or tune in on CKUA Radio
Free to listen to

Bluesman Tim Williams is joined by dancer and harmonium player Amika Kushwara alongside Indo-Canadian vocalist and tabla wizard Cassius Khan for Conversations in Blue. Pre-recorded from the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage and hitting the radio waves Alberta-wide on CKUA’s Friday Night Blues Party, don’t miss it.
artscommons.ca

The Family That Paints Together

September 4, 2021, 9:30am – 12:00pm & 1:00 – 3:30pm
Leighton Art Centre (282027 144th St. West, Millarville)
Free to participate, registration required

For ages five and up, create a plein air painting as your child also paints their own version of the scene. Learn from each other as you discuss how to paint outside by using viewfinders, limiting palette colours, and painting through observation.
facebook.com

A Wandering Weekend

September 5, 2021, 10:00am – 10:00pm
Elbow Island Park (650 Rideau Rd. SW)
Free to explore

Join The Wandering Island for a day of wandering on Calgary’s own art island, including a choose-your-own-adventure walking tour, soundscapes in the landscape, and a bike-in film screening of mini-docs about The Wandering Island art projects. Be sure to check out the schedule.
wanderingisland.ca

Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.