Free This Week
Last week of summer is chock-full of affordable events to hit up
The calendar is so full this week, we have no idea where to start. So, end your summer with a bang and check out these amazing—and free—events. From Culture Days programming to streaming live theatrical performances, it’s an awesome time to get to know Calgary’s arts community.
Aya Mhana Duo
September 15, 2021, 12:10 – 1:00pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free to watch
Hailing from Sweida, Aya Mhana is a Syrian-born singer, songwriter, and oud player. Having recently performed at the Calgary Folk Music Festival, you can catch her for a free show courtesy of ProArts@Noon! Be sure to pack your lunch and make a date of it.
proartssociety.ca
ArtsXpeditions
September 15, 2021, 12:00 – 4:45pm
Olympic Plaza (215 8th Ave. SE)
Free to watch
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 performances from Scarlett Bulter, Jeremy Gignoux Trio, Joanna Borromeo, and Misha Maseka!
artscommons.ca
Stories of Métis Women
September 15, 2021, 7:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required
Join Shelf Life books for the virtual launch of Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me, edited by Bailey Oster and Marilyn Lizee. This collection of stories about culture, history, and nationhood as told by Métis women explains the story of the Métis Nation from the women’s own perspective. Register to take part.
facebook.com
Janet Skeslien Charles
September 15, 2021, 7:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration recommended
Wordfest’s Imagine On Air presents Janet Skeslien Charles, author of the bestselling novel The Paris Library. The one-hour conversation is hosted by Sarah Meilleur, Interim CEO of The Calgary Public Library, and is the featured event of the September Community Book Store.
beta.wordfest.com
Digby and Glass
September 15 – 18, 2021, 7:30pm
Steam online
Free to watch
Would you give up control for power? This 30-minute-long political thriller explores the lengths people will go through to stay in power. As our characters have a dangerous conversation, they will be surrounded by the real live citizens of Calgary, with the performance broadcasted live from Rotary Park. As a streamed live performance, the cast and crew assemble nightly to perform for you, all without a safety net. Check Facebook for updates.
facebook.com
Notes for Tomorrow
September 16, 2021, 4:00 – 5:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required
Daniela Ortiz and curator Florencia discuss the complicated relationships between structures of colonial, patriarchal, and capitalist power and the fraught emotional responses that these generate. Within this framework, they explore the various ways in which art practices and the everyday intersect.
contemporarycalgary.com
Mini Galleries Grand Opening
September 16, 2021, 5:00 – 7:00pm
Rotary Park (617 1st St. NE)
Free to explore
This summer, six artists from the National accessArts Centre (NaAC) began working on the inaugural exhibition for the Crescent Heights Mini Galleries, demonstrating that beauty can be found in small places. Check out the grand opening of the first exhibit.
crescentheightsyyc.ca
Single Onion #177
September 16, 2021, 7:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required
The Single Onion presents a literary evening not to be missed! Poets Lisa Richter, Tyler B. Perry, Joan Shillington, and Alex Williamson kick off this fall season. The Single Onion takes place the third Thursday of the month, nine times a year—trust us, you won’t want to miss it!
facebook.com
Michelle Zauner
September 16, 2021, 7:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration recommended
Wordfest’s Imagine On Air is thrilled to present Indie pop star Michelle Zauner with her bestselling memoir about family, grief, and food, Crying in H Mart. The one-hour conversation is hosted by Lainey Lui. Register for your unique Digital Doggie Bag delivered the next day with extras inspired by the conversation.
beta.wordfest.com
Dancing in the Park
September 16 – 19, 2021
Steam online
Free to watch
Now in its second online iteration, Dancing in the Park is once again moving from the park to the virtual world, bringing artists and audiences together from across the globe. Produced and programmed by Tia Ashley Kushniruk and Katherine Semchuk, this year’s festival brings you four distinct evenings of dance film and discussion.
youtube.com
Bring the Baby Tour & Tummy Time
September 17, 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.
eventbrite.ca
Inglewood Night Market
September 17, 2021, 4:00 – 11:00pm
Inglewood (Between 10th Ave. & 10th St. SE)
Free to explore
Inglewood Night Market is back, and showcasing 100 unique and local artisan vendors, food trucks, live music, and more. Its markets feature the best arts and culture talent Calgary has to offer. Come to shop and stay for the atmosphere—it makes a fantastic night out.
inglewoodnightmarket.ca
Rooster Davis
September 17, 2021, 9:00pm
Stream online
Free to listen
Rooster Davis’s music combines the bouncing energy of New Orleans jazz with Canadian, rock, and country—a perfect cocktail for the Albertan jazz fan. Pre-recorded from the Jack Singer Concert Hall stage, tune in to hear the concert over the radio waves Alberta-wide on CKUA’s Friday Night Blues Party.
artscommons.ca
Alberta Culture Days
September 18, 2021
Polaris Centre for the Performing Arts (8, 261051 Wagon Wheel View, Rockyview)
Free to watch
Join the Polaris Centre as it celebrates Alberta Culture Days with an assortment of great entertainment! Check out the full schedule and make sure to swing by—this week you can see performances by the Calgary Wind Symphony, Esteban Herrera Quartet, and more.
polariscentre.ca
Story Making with Pepper the Dragon
September 18, 2021, 10:00am – 2:00pm
cSPACE King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to participate
Help contribute to improvised stories about Quest Theatre’s own Pepper the Dragon. Challenge these creatives by picking an object, dreaming up a location, inventing a plot point or spinning some dialogue and they’ll use your ideas to weave a brief, new story.
facebook.com
Fibre Workshop
September 18, 2021, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to participate, registration required
This easy-to-understand fibre workshop, facilitated by artists Richard Boulet and Marilyn Olson, focusses on a playful and stress-free attitude to material exploration. Participants receive a variety of easy-to-handle fibre-related materials and are guided on creating their own artwork.
contemporarycalgary.com
Activism in Bloom
September 18, 2021, 11:00am – 12:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to participate, registration required
Join Earth Guardians YYC for a workshop exploring the importance of youth activism, exemplified through the actions of a group of teenagers who formed Earth Guardians YYC, and who choose to amplify the need for individual environmental responsibility.
contemporarycalgary.com
East Side Studio Crawl
September 18, 2021, 11:00am – 5:00pm
Various venues
Free to explore
The 18th annual Eastside Studio Crawl is a festival of creativity that connects our community together! Follow the red balloons on the map to the arts and creative venues around the communities of Ramsay and Inglewood, and relive the spirit of past crawls with new adaptations for the present!
burnsvisualarts.com
Open House
September 18, 2021, 11:00am – 5:00pm
nvrlnd (1034 21st Ave. SE)
Free to explore
They’re back! After 18 months, nvrlnd is finally opening their doors again to the public for a signature nvrlnd open house. Head down and cruise through all three buildings, being sure to take in over 40 artists’ work. It’s a great opportunity to see some amazing local work and meet the artists behind it—don’t miss it!
facebook.com
Artwalk & Open Studio
September 18, 2021, 12:00 – 4:00pm
Atelier Artista, cSPACE King Edward (410, 1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to explore
Get to know Atelier Artista at this fun event. The studio doors will be open, the equipment out, and the studio’s muse, Darian, will be posing clothed on the model stand in the afternoon. Space is limited, it’s first come, first served to secure a place to be able to sit down and draw!
facebook.com
Flyover Park Grand Opening
September 18, 2021, 12:00 – 4:00pm
Flyover Park (651 McDougall Rd. NE)
Free to explore
Join Parks Foundation Calgary for the grand opening of Flyover Park, a family-friendly event featuring a formal program, live entertainment, a kids’ zone, food trucks, and a vendors’ market highlighting local businesses!
parksfdn.com
Carrie Armstrong
September 18, 2021, 1:00 – 3:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, Registration required
Join the Writer’s Guild of Alberta for a reading, interview, and Q&A with Carrie Armstrong, author of Mother Earth, Plants for Healing & Health. A proud Métis woman, teacher, and award-winning business woman, this event is followed by an interactive demonstration on how to make a traditional tea.
writersguild.ca
Prairie Impressions
September 18, 2021, 4:30pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required
The Society of Northern Alberta Print-Artists (SNAP) and Alberta Printmakers are celebrating Alberta Culture Days by offering a variety of free, interactive, and engaging online printmaking programming for all ages. This week, everyone is invited to experience a real-time print party from your own home.
albertaprintmakers.com
Wendy Walker
September 18 & 21, 2021
Various venues
Free to watch
It’s Alberta Culture Days! Join the Calgary Public Library for a live performance featuring accomplished singer-songwriter Wendy Walker. Rozsa Arts at the Library programs support artists and helps make the arts accessible to all Calgarians. Check it out!
calgarylibrary.ca
U/D Block Party
September 19, 2021, 1:00 – 4:00pm
University District (4410 University Ave. NW)
Free to explore
Check out the UD Block Party to discover what’s new at University District. Featuring live music, roaming performers, a kid zone, contests, and performances by President’s Choice SuperDogs, this pet and family-friendly event is free to attend, with free parking available.
myuniversitydistrict.ca
Dogwood Rose Reading Series & Stage to Page
September 19, 2021, 3:00 – 5:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required
Stage to Page has again partnered with the Dogwood Rose Reading Series. Spoken word poets are given the opportunity to have their works performed by professional actors and readers, followed by discussion with an all-star panel of industry professionals.
eventbrite.com
The Market on Stephen Avenue
September 21, 2021, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Stephen Avenue (Between 1st St. & Center St. SE)
Free to explore
Join Delisle Marketing and Events on Stephen Avenue for this local market then wonder down the avenue for more from amazing local shops and restaurants. There is sure to be tons of vendors, music, food, and so much more.
eventbrite.ca
Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.
