Calgary has been home to a growing arts and culture scene over the past few years and many aspects of it can go unnoticed for the speed at which new ideas are popping up. With summer half over (how did that happen?), now is the perfect time to take advantage of the remaining month before school starts off again by exploring this vibrant side of our city and appreciate it. Grab some friends and make the most out of the rest of summer; get involved in Calgary’s diverse arts and culture with these 5 ideas!
1. Visit #YYC festivals and markets, and special arts events
Summer is the prime time for many festivals taking place in Calgary. See and shop the products of local businesses at Market Collective, celebrate the diversity of Calgary at Globalfest, and indulge in the dramatic side with Opera in the Village.
List of more related events taking place this summer below:
Festivals/markets:
To see a list of more events taking place this summer and beyond, check out Where.ca
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2. Read Calgary-based publications
One of my personal favourite ways to connect with other arts-oriented people and businesses around me is to read the many Calgarian magazines and online publications. They showcase local masters in their trade and bring about new ideas about what to do in our bustling city.
Choice magazines include Dote Magazine, a beautiful lifestyle magazine that has tons of aesthetically-pleasing spreads that would look great cut out and framed, as well as Branded Magazine, a magazine of a similar kind that speaks to many topics ranging from food, yyc living, and advice. Both magazines can be found for free at their listed locations on their website and articles found in the magazine can be found there as well. UPPERCASE Magazine is also a no-brainer, especially for the design geek. In it’s 6th year now, it has published 26 issues to date and is still churning out more. Though it isn’t free like the other publications, you can subscribe to receive free emailed content every Tuesday on their website.
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If magazines aren’t your thing, there are tons of great blogs run by talented Calgarians out there. Some of my top picks are as follows:
– Hello Lidy: a lovely DIY blog that also offers glimpses into Lidy Dipert’s life as a mother of two adopted children and her various home improvement antics. Hello Lidy is filled with inspiring, innovative, and cute ideas that will surely keep you busy!
– Calgary is Awesome: Does that title sound familiar? Much like us at Youth Are Awesome, CIA is a blog that sees many columnists write about all sorts of posts about life in Calgary and they all aim to bring positivist to your day.
3. Follow Calgarian accounts on social media
Though I personally have to force myself to use Twitter at times, every time I do decide to go on I always find tons of earlybird updates from local arts and culture accounts such as @SwerveCalgary, @DowntownCalgary, @Mruconservatory and @Calgaryphil, keeping me updated with new events and milestones. #YYCArts is another great way to see what others have to say about arts in our city.
And if you didn’t love our city enough already, be prepared to love it more after seeing the Instagram adventures of fellow Calgarians in and around our area. It’s a great way to decide where your next dine-out location will be and will surely inspire you to get out and enjoy the rest of your summer.
– MIKESEEHAGEL: Mike is a freelance photographer based in Calgary who loves showcasing the beautiful nature close to home and all around Canada. His feed will make you want to plan that trip into the mountains.
– CHRISTOPHERAMAT: Another Calgarian photographer who loves to share his appreciation for the natural landscapes of provinces all across Canada. The composition of his photos are perfectly serene with a hint of melancholy and is great for a introspective day.
– MELANIELAURENE: Melanie is proud city girl who is basically #goals. Her feed features her enjoying various locations within our city, as well as pieces of her personal life and stunning style.
– YOUTHAREAWESOME: A shamless plug I know, but following the weekly adventures of our bloggers is a great way to keep in touch with Calgarian culture.
If you’re looking for more ways to get involved socially, make sure to check out the social media accounts of events/places/businesses found in this post for more!
4. Visit these Calgary locations
Calgarian arts and culture isn’t limited to the web or festivals, in fact, some open year-round locations in our city have tons to offer. Listed below are some of my places to hang out with friends.
– Glenbow Museum, Arts Commons, Olympic Plaza and Stephen Ave: Perhaps the best go-to locations in Calgary when you want to appreciate the beauty of our city. The area immediately surrounding Stephen Avenue has everything you need: a mall, plenty of meal options, a museum, a concert hall, several theatres, and a functional park. Enjoy it in the summer when the fountains are running in Olympic Plaza and there are flowers lining Stephen Ave or love it equally in the winter with beautiful light displays and a free skating rink.
– 17th Ave + 4th Street: Having attended Rideau Park School and now attending Western Canada, 4th street and 17th ave have basically been my home for the past 8 years. Filled with vibrant shops such as Krickets, Phil + Sebastian, and 3 separate sushi places, 4th street is a lesser-known shopping street in Calgary. That certainly contrasts the rowdiness of 17th ave, which is home to tons of locations such as Tutti Frutti, Freak Lunchbox, and Buttermilk Fine Waffles.
– Reader Rock Garden: Certainly my favourite location in Calgary for picnics, a low-key hangout, and overall prettiness. It is a small garden in the heart of our city (right beside Earlton-Stampede c-train station) with a great café at the heart of it. It’s not uncommon to see picnickers, painters and bridal parties in the garden, and once you see it for yourself, it’s easy to see why. Its beauty deserves a blog post in itself.
– Kensington: A stone’s-throw away from Sunnyside C-train station, this hip little piece of Calgary is home to tons of small businesses ranging from food to miscellaneous majesticness. See their website for the full list. My (highly condensed) favourites include the Higher Ground Cafe, Gummi Boutique, and Plaza Theatre.
– Inglewood: Similar to Kensington, Inglewood is also bursting with the unique and hip new businesses such as Plant, Gravity Espresso & Bar, and tons of live music venues, gallery hours, and events as can be found on their website under the “arts & culture” heading.
5. Catch live entertainment from Calgarian talent
Speaking of live music, you have probably seen some of my posts regarding CPO performances and Mount Royal Conservatory programs. However, there are many more ways you can hear more live classical music in our city. The Calgary Youth Orchestra, Calgary Civic Symphony, as well as the Calgary Wind Symphony are all additional options.
I know that classical music isn’t the most popular genre nowadays, but don’t worry, there are plenty of lyrical artists in Calgary that are worth checking out. When Ailin and I had the opportunity to go to this year’s TedxYYC event, several Calgarian artists such as Dragon Fli Empire and Hello Moth performed during the show an thoroughly opened my eyes up to the variety of non-classical talent. Since TedxYYC was in late June, I can hardly call myself an expert on this subject. That’s why I found this great list of both past and present bands from Calgary you should know.
Listed above are my tips on gettin accquainted in Calgary’s arts & culture scene, what are yours? Comment below or tweet me at @Hui_Wen_Zheng
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