Free This Week
Festivals, flicks and concerts galore, it must be a long weekend
- Price: Free
The long weekend is here and we can’t believe July is almost over. Luckily, there are tons of free events to help squeeze every drop of fun out of summer! Here are our picks for the week:
Stephen Avenue Walk #IAMDOWNTOWN Summer Stage
July 26 – 29, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Stephen Avenue Summer Stage (Centre Street & 8th Ave. SE)
Free
July goes out with a bang on the #IAMDOWNTOWN Summer Stage. Don’t miss performances from Breakers, Youth Singers of Calgary ONCUE, Aaron Pollock, and Matt Blais.
calgarydowntown.com
Pop-Up Piano Series
July 26 & 28, 2016, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Wee Little Piano Book Exchange at Fifth Avenue Place (420 2nd St. SW) & Piano Bar in Eau Claire Market (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free, family-friendly
This week on the Downtown Calgary Street Pianos you can catch Bruce Petherick at the Piano Bar in Eau Claire Market on Tuesday and Noah Michael play the Wee Little Piano Book Exchange on Thursday.
calgarydowntown.com
Annie Davidson
July 26 & 30, 2016, 2:00pm
First Baptist Church (1311 4th St. SW) & John Dutton Theatre (616 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free
Cowtown Opera is once again presenting its original production, this time for Historic Calgary Week. The abridged version of this opera tells the story of Annie Davidson, the founder of the Calgary Public Library.
cowtownoperacompany.com
Concrete Sonata
July 27, 2016, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Woodlands Piano (332 6th Ave. SW)
Free, family-friendly
Join Downtown Calgary for the 2016 edition of Concrete Sonata, a collaboration with Honens, Canada’s premier piano competition. Performing will be 2009 Laureate, American-Swiss pianist Gilles Vonsatte.
calgarydowntown.com
Pop-Up Picnic
July 27, 2016, 12:00 – 1:00pm
Harley Hotchkiss Gardens (611 4th St. SW)
Free
Heads up folks! Downtown Calgary’s Pop-Up Picnic this week has been moved to the Harley Hotchkiss Gardens this week and you can check out a performance from Shakespeare by the Bow!
calgarydowntown.com
ProArts Presents Blues at Noon
July 27, 2016, 12:10pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free, family-friendly
Celebrate Calgary Bluesfest with Debra Power’s great talent. Honoured with the CBMA Award for Keyboard Player of the Year, Power recently represented Southern Alberta in the Solo/Duo Category of the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee.
proartssociety.ca/debra-power-blues-piano/
Summers on 17th: Kids Day Wednesdays
July 27, 2016, 2:00 – 6:00pm
Tomkins Park (17th Ave., between 7th & 8th St. SW)
Free, family-friendly
Wednesday is bustling and a great family-friendly afternoon can be found on 17th Ave. Each Wednesday this summer check out free kids crafts, books, games, a story time from the Calgary Public Library, face painting and free dance classes.
17thave.ca/summers-on-17th
Fountain Tire Open Road Cinema Tour
July 27, 2016, 6:45pm, film at 9:45pm
Stampede Grounds (1410 Olympic Way SE)
Free, claim your ticket by registering
Fountain Tire is celebrating its 60th anniversary with an Open Road Cinema tour. This free, fun-filled evening includes a screening of Kung Fu Panda 3, festivities, activities, and more.
picatic.com/calgaryAB
Music in the Plaza
July 27, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Heritage Town Square, Heritage Park Historical Village (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
Free
Heritage Park’s free summer concert series returns for a fifth season of spectacular live music, every Wednesday evening until August 31. This week its presenting one of the hottest, up and coming country acts in Canada today, Midnight Lights.
heritagepark.ca
Historic Calgary Week: George Webber
July 27, 2016, 7:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free
Celebrate Historic Calgary Week with Glenbow and Calgary-based photographer George Webber who will be speaking about his early photographic works in the museum’s collection
glenbow.org/programs/
A New Product (Ein neues Produkt)
July 28, 2016, 7:00 – 7:40pm
Esker Foundation (444, 1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended
Join the Esker Foundation for this screening of Harun Farocki’s black comedy that transforms a mundane situation into theatre of the absurd. German with English subtitles, this short film is a great chance to get to know Farocki’s work.
eventbrite.ca
Inner City Stories Presents: Sarajevo by Doug Neilson
July 29, 2016, 5:00pm
Loft 112 (535 8th Ave. SE)
Free
Join LoftOn8th as it launches Inner City Stories with Sarajevo by Doug Neilson. The evening will be kicked off by the author sharing three songs inspired by the character, storyline, and theme from his narrative.
facebook.com
Calgary Night Market
July 29, 2016, 4:00 – 10:00pm
Central Memorial Park (1221 2nd St. SW)
Free
Head down to Central Memorial Park and check out the Calgary Night Market. Featuring a variety of ethnic street foods, local vendors, buskers, and entertainment, this twice-monthly event is quickly becoming a Calgary summer fave. And be on the lookout for a few Pokemon too!
facebook.com/calgarynightmarket
Calgary Turkish Festival
July 29 – 31, 2016, 11:00am – 10:00pm
Eau Claire Festival Plaza (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free admission
Celebrate Turkish culture in Calgary with this fun festival! Full of art, folk dance and, of course, food, up to 15,000 people are expected to stop by.
calgaryturkishfestival.com
Kensington Summertime In The City
July 30 & 31, 2016, 11:00am – 5:00pm
Throughout Kensington
Free
This weekend is going to be a busy one in Kensington. Not only are they throwing a huge outdoor party alongside Slide the City on Saturday, but they are transforming the whole community into Diagon Alley on Sunday. Celebrating the release of the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, the day is full of Potteresque activities. We’re especially keen to check out a script reading at The Plaza Theatre from 11:00am to 1:00pm.
facebook.com/KensingtonCalgary
Inglewood Sunfest
July 30, 2016, 11:00am – 6:00pm
Mainstreet Inglewood (9th Ave. SE)
Free
Inglewood Sunfest is all about having fun in the sun! This feisty summer festival in the heart of this historic neighbourhood is here to celebrate, engage, entertain and delight and includes activities for all ages.
inglewoodsunfest.ca
Summers on 17th: MarketSpot
July 30, 2016, 12:00 – 6:00pm
Tomkins Park (17th Ave., between 7th & 8th St. SW)
Free, family-friendly
Featuring the dynamic duo of MarketSpot, a collaboration between Market YYC and Artspot, these two local organizations have teamed up to bring music, art and local vendors to Tomkins Park each week. Swing by and check out live music, reading racks supplied by the Calgary Public Library, artisan vendors, performances, produce markets, kids crafting activities and more.
17thave.ca/summers-on-17th
Tour de Bowness Street Festival
August 1, 2016, 11:00am – 4:00pm
Mainstreet Bowness BRZ (Bowness Rd. NW)
Free, family-friendly
Bowness comes alive with the Tour de Bowness Street Festival full of entertainment, food, kids activities and, of course, the 2016 Criterium bike race.
facebook.com
