March 10, 2026 The Recruitment Team Year round, Calgary comes alive with festivals and events that draw in crowds from around the world. This article will highlight some of the biggest annual food, arts, music, cultural and entertainment events for UCalgary students to attend! To read about our other picks for music festivals, visit: Why Future Dinos Will Love Calgary's Music Festivals.
Calgary’s most well know “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” the Calgary Stampede, has been a tradition for over 100 years. This rodeo brings together chuck wagon races, midway games and food, Indigenous culture, agriculture and live music for a jam packed 10 days. This is a must-see event in Calgary and one you don’t want to miss! Take in the sizzling summer days and nights at the largest outdoor EDM event in Western Canada, Chasing Summer. This 2-day festival brings together some of the biggest artists in the field of EDM such as Zedd and Tiesto. Soak in some summer rays and celebrate summer with your friends at Chasing Summer. Taking place in the heart of winter, Chinook Blast warms up the city with their multi-day celebration of community, culture and city pride. Bringing together art, music, theatre, sport and recreation, for over 2-weeks Calgary’s downtown comes alive to bring you winter spectacles for you and your friends. Many of the events taking place are free of charge and a fantastic way to fill up your winter nights. Calgary International Film Festival Bringing in over 200 feature and short films to the big screen, this fall Film Festival will delight every type of movie lover. The Calgary International Film Festival takes place in September and offers a multitude of gala events, moving screenings and red-carpet premiers giving local fans and filmmakers a chance to interact! If you’re a movie lover this is an event you don’t want to miss. Another event for our movie lovers to keep on your radar is CUFF. For over two decades, has been highlighting the best in local and international independent cinema. They also host CUFF. Docs Documentary Film Festival which has a focus on nonfiction films. My favourite feature of CUFF is their 48 Hour Movie Making Challenge in collaboration with NUTV and where we see some works created by UCalgary students! - Dianne Miranda Enjoy 5 nights of music, dance, food, and fireworks displays at the annual GlobalFest. This 5-day festival brings a multicultural celebration to Calgary’s Elliston Park where you can eat, watch, play and enjoy and ending each night with a world-class fireworks display brought to you by 5 different pyro musical artists. Tickets start at $14.50 and provide a low cost, extravagant week of events. This free one-day event kicks off the jam-packed summer festival season in Calgary and encourages people of all ages to come out and enjoy the sun. With over 500 street vendors and various live performances from 70 different acts throughout the day, grab your friends and make your way down to 4th Street for this popular Calgary tradition. Are you a foodie? Discover Calgary’s bustling culinary scene at Taste of Calgary. Entrance is free and sample tickets are only $1.00 so get your chef hat on and come and try Calgary’s best and most unique mix of restaurants and beverages. This event takes place in the first week of August and is a fantastic opportunity to get out and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Richard Harrison, Amanda Peters, Anne Koval, Michelle Porter & Richard Kelly Kemick, Wordfest 2023 // Photo by Dianne Miranda As an avid reader, one of the way Ifind community of fellow lover of words and stories is through Wordfest’s The Imaginairium, Canada’s Liveliest Festival. This fesitval is one of my favourite events every October. Wordfest brings together audiences of all ages and backgrounds to have conversations and for interactions with some of the world’s most compelling authors to happen. Some notable authors I’ve heard talk include: Carmen Maria Machado, Emily Austin, Billy-Ray Belcourt, jaye simpson, Margaret Atwood and more. - Dianne Miranda What better way to spend the cold wintry days of February than with a warm cup of the most creative hot chocolates you can imagine? All the while you can support efforts to provide nutritious meals to Calgararians as proceeds go to Calgary Meals on Wheels for every drink purchase. Local cafes, restaurants and chocolatiers annually participate in the YYC Hot Chocolate Festival to compete for Calgarian’s Best Hot Chocolate, Best Spirited, Most Creative, Worth the Drive and special Cup That Runneth Over Awards. - Dianne Miranda If you have walked around downtown Calgary, chances are that you have seen some large-scale murals encompassing sides of buildings and beautifully painted road works barriers, or e-scooter corrals. If so, you have the Beltline Urban Murals Project to thank for. Not only does this festival play a role in reshaping neighbourhoods and providing meaningful opportunities for the many amazing local artists, but they also host events such as their Kick-off Party, and panels opening discussions around the power of public art installations. Next time you’re on your walk around the city, I recommend making a few stops in this map for a self-guided tour of these murals. - Dianne Miranda
|
Skip to main content
(1).png)
