Visiting Calgary

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Calgary is a city of contrasts. As a city with a population of greater than one million, we offer wide open spaces and great travel experiences to fit any budget or inclination!

We feature over 20 festivals each year to suit every taste! Blues, Folk, Reggae, Dance, Independent (Sled Island), Jazz, Greek, Lilac (music and vendors), Sun and Salsa (Latin), Expo Latino, Fringe Festival (theatre), Global Festival (fireworks competition), Highland Games, Mardi Gras, Afrikadey, Winter Festival, the Virgin Music Festival, Barbecue on the Bow Festival, Calgary Film Festival, Word Fest ( books) and our famous Children’s Festival. One of our most popular festivals is the High Performance Rodeo in January- 30 days of dance, theatre and art performances in various venues throughout the city!

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We are a city of sports! Come and see a NHL hockey game (October to June), watch our CFL team play football, cheer on our local baseball team, enjoy some lacrosse, pick the rising stars in our junior hockey team, watch world class equestrian events at Spruce Meadows – we offer year round spectator sports!

If you would rather do than watch- our city is home to miles of biking, hiking and running trails thatriver cafe connect all of our parks and green spaces. Rent a raft and laze down the Bow or Elbow River on a hot summer day! Enjoy a self guided walking tour of our downtown attractions or just picnic in the river parks- they are just steps away! Ride a zip line at Canada Olympic Park or just enjoy a game of mini golf! If you are a golfer, the city is home to many public courses geared to beginner or expert- you pick!

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 We are family friendly and full of activities to delight parents and kids alike! Visit the TELUS Science Center by day or star gaze on the Observation deck at night! Visit our world class zoo or enroll in a special activity and spend some quality time getting to know our tigers or hippos! Spend the day hunting for feathered friends in the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary or scare yourself silly on the Roller Coaster at Calaway Amusement Park. Ride a horse or head off for a mountain adventure on horseback- the city is ringed with ranches that offer family friendly riding fun!

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Every year, Calgary hosts the Calgary Stampede- “the greatest outdoor show on earth”. For 10 days in July our city returns to it’s cowboy heritage and flocks to an outdoor rodeo, chuck wagon races, midway, country fair, grandstand show and fireworks display. Cowboys from all over North American compete for thousands of dollars in prize money for bronc busting, calf roping, bull riding, barrel racing and all types of open range skills. It is our most exciting festival and is very popular- reserve accommodation and tickets early!

olympic plazaWe have an active theatre season in Calgary. Popular plays, musicals, dinner theatres, touring Broadway shows, performance artists, and new plays- Canadian and international provide a great experience for all theatre goers. Don’t forget about us for musical offerings! Home to the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, we boast a year round season of concerts to suit every taste. The Scotiabank Saddledome, The Jubilee Auditorium, and McEwan Hall at the University offer popular music concerts, comedy, speakers, ballet, opera, modern dance, classical music, emerging artists from every nation and educational opportunities.

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Don’t forget about our history! Visit Fort Calgary- our original RCMP fort in the center of the city. Explore our heritage at Heritage Historic Village- acres devoted to life before television and the internet! Ride a steam train or paddle wheeler or just stroll the grounds, exploring historic homes and watching life in the late 1800’s.Visit the Glenbow Museum for a large exhibit on our Aboriginal heritage or venture south of the city to Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump or Fort McLeod to experience prairie life long ago. If dinosaurs are your game then the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller will provide all the fossils and dinosaur model excitement you can stand. A family friendly museum that has served millions of international visitors- it is home to one of the largest fossil collections in North America.

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