6 Fun Things for Heritage Day Long Weekend

This year is Heritage Day is August 4th, 2014 and every year we get a lot of questions asking “What is there to do in Downtown Calgary during the Long Weekend?”

While many folks leave town, savvy Calgarians know that fun can be found Downtown. That’s why we’ve compiled these 6 activities to entertain yourself during the Heritage Day long weekend.

1) Shakespeare By The Bow

Join Theatre Calgary on Prince’s Island Park for Shakespeare by the Bow. Showing August 1st, 2nd and 3rd (no shows Monday sorry) you have 5 chances to see a performance of Shakespeare’s ‘A Comedy Of Errors’.

These shows are family friendly and are ‘Pay What You Can’ meaning you can pay whatever you can afford at the end of the performance. You can catch the show nightly at 7pm and on Saturday August 2, and Sunday August 3rd you can catch a matinee performance at 2pm. See the Shakespeare by the Bow website for exact location of their stage and future info/showtimes.

2) For No Good Reason at the Globe Cinemas

Indie-movie fans are in for a treat at the Globe Cinema. The Globe will be screening the Ralph Steadman documentary ‘For No Good Reason’ which chronicles the career of this groundbreaking artist. Known for his work with “Gonzo” journalist Hunter S. Thompson, Steadman’s wild style is featured in this visually exciting documentary. The documentary also features Johnny Depp (who played Hunter S. Thompson in the film ‘Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas’), so really what more could you ask for?

3) Bluesfest 2014

Bluesfest takes place at Shaw Millenium park and this promises 4 days and 4 nights of non-stop music. Artists include award-winning blues master Joe Louis Walker, guitar goddess Ana Popovic; the brilliant Mannish Boys Revue with special guests ‘Monster’ Mike Welch and Sugar Ray Norcia; the legendary Billy Branch and the Sons of Blues; guitar giant and author, record label owner and producer, Bob Margolin, Boogie piano master Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne; Portland’s swamp groove masters Too Slim and the Taildraggers; Calgary’s very own Tim Williams, and many many more! Day-passes are just $50 and children 12 and under get in for free!

4) Live on Stephen Avenue

Every Saturday Downtown Calgary features FREE concerts on Stephen Avenue featuring some of Calgary’s finest pop, rock and country artists as well as touring artists from across the country. The very talented singer/songwriter Joanna Borromeo will be performing at 1:30 pm on August 2nd. The stage is just outside the Telus Convention Centre on 8th Avenue SE (just off Centre Street on Stephen Avenue). For more information on our FREE outdoor music series, please see our website.

5) Glenbow Museum

The Glenbow Museum will be open all weekend, including holiday Monday. See their excellent shows ‘Iconoclasts in Glass‘ and ‘Masterworks from the Beaverbrook Art Gallery‘ plus much more.

6) Visit A Park

The ultimate summertime activity that’s endlessly fun, family friendly and frugal is the local park. Going to a new park and getting out of the usual groove of your neighbourhood playground is a great way to entertain kids, or kill time with a good book, camera or art pad. In addition to the many great outdoor downtown parks that are open daily, the Devonian Gardens will be open from 12pm to 5pm on the holiday Monday. Located in the The CORE shopping centre, the Devonian Gardens are Calgary’s only indoor park and feature a kid-friendly playground, a public piano and public seating.

7) Heritage Day Festival

Olympic Plaza will be host to the annual Heritage Day festival that celebrates the many different heritages that make up Canada’s multicultural mosaic. Enjoy multicultural performances, ethnic foods, and unique handicrafts. Explore the Indian Village, get face painted into a lion, frolic on a bouncer, try a new dish, or simply soak up the sun on the grass in front of the stage and enjoy the folk performances! 12 to 6 pm

See the Chinook Country Heritage Society‘s website for more events happening around Downtown Calgary.

Note from the City of Calgary: All downtown CTrain stations as well as Bridgeland/ Memorial and Calgary Zoo stations will be closed throughout the long weekend from 12 a.m. Saturday, August 2 to 4 a.m. Tuesday, August 5. Shuttle buses will replace CTrain service. Please refer to this map of the CTrain system showing the closure.

Tagged as: art, august long weekend, downtown calgary, events, glenbow, haritage day, heritage day weekend, movies