Stephen Avenue Walk forms a part of 8th Ave South, bounded by 4th St SW to the west & 1st Street SE…read moreat its east end. This walk is where we found Calgary's finest restaurants, pubs, bars & cafes. This pedestrian mall offers us walking access to downtown Calgary's main attractions, including Banker's Hall, the CORE Shopping Centre, the Telus Convention Centre, the Glenbow Museum, Arts Commons & Olympic Plaza. There are several Canadian curio stores here. During the Stampede the Avenue is filled with outdoor patios, magnificent hanging flower baskets, live music, performers, festivals, food trucks & vendors. We enjoyed our pancake breakfast here and also watching the Clydesdales fill the Avenue.

OK PEDESTRIAN PROMENADE…read more Stephen Ave Walk is a pedestrian promenade that extends a few blocks along 8th Ave in downtown Calgary near the Calgary Tower. We later learned that the Walk was named after George Stephen, the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway. We found Stephen Ave Walk a bit underwhelming. It reminded us of Pearl Street Mall, a similar open air pedestrian promenade of shops and restaurants in Boulder Colorado. But while Pearl Street has a buzzy hip vibe, Stephen Ave Walk seemed tired and struggling. There were some noticeably empty storefronts and only a few interesting shops such as Patagonia and Filson. Many of the eateries on Stephen Ave Walk appeared to be bars and casual dining. We had read that Stephens Ave was a mecca for downtown art. We saw two pieces - the Conversation, two large Botero-like bronze statues of businessmen and Trees, a group of multistory tall metal palm trees near the CORE shopping center in the Plus 15 Skywalk.

It was my first time to attend Global Fest. I really don't know about it, not until one of my…read moreoffice mates asked if we are going. In GlobalFest, you'll see different food stalls representing various countries. Yes, I basically went there because I heard there's going to be a lot of food! For your convenience, tickets can also be purchased from CO-OP, First Calgary Financial, London Drugs, Chinook Financial, and Marlborough mall. There were several gates to enter the event. Security was really tight because police started blocking roads as early as 6pm. Parking fees will range from $10-$20 (depends on the distance of the parking area to the main ground). If you're planning to attend the event I suggest bringing a bug spray (not unless you're willing to be sprayed by natural bug repellant which cost $10) with you as well as folding chairs or outdoor blankets. Think of it as if you're going to a camp site but not to have bonfire but to watch fireworks Overall, it was a nice experience!

We got the VIP.experience which was disappointing. There was truly no real benefit to paying the…read moreextra money for his experience. We even had to leave the VIP area for cheaper beer. The lines were as expected the parking and ubering in was a nightmare. The email they send you with your tickets told you exactly where the drop.off was and the security wouldn't let.them in there. Unfortunatly there was no drone show which we were looking forward to. I wouldn't spend the money for VIP again but the fireworks show was nice.

Typically is held during the first week of August from around noon to well into the evening…read more They're pretty busy most of the time, but the lines REALLY start forming in the evening, and things did start running out on the day we went. Location seems to vary depending on what they can arrange during that year, so you'll see that they have their location on their website and Instagram as TBD. Watch that, not Yelp. Yelp has them down at 200 Barclay Parade SW Calgary. However, when we went, it was at Lot 6 - 311 8 St SW, Calgary. But as their location changes, so do the parking. We were INCREDIBLY lucky with a parking space right across the street from them. It really was a case of the earlier the better. Entry is free, you pay for food by buying "sampling tickets" which are $1 each and can be bought beforehand online. They also had special sales and contests for free tickets and other goodies held on their Instagram during the days leading up to the event. Each individual stall will have a board up listing how many tickets each item is, which is typically 2 to 7 and we saw most items being 3 to 5. The stalls range from restaurants, bars, bakeries, and food trucks, and they're getting more popular every year. As aforementioned, a lot of the popular dishes (and you'll be able to tell which those are) ran out. If you really want something, better get it sooner than later. Once you're there, you may want a table. Be sure to look further INTO the grounds themselves. There were a lot of people crowding and waiting on the tables at the front, closest to the most obvious entrance. They completely missed the picnic tables, chairs, and tables further inside. The stalls dedicated to alcoholic drinks have their own aisle with standing tables. They also have a dedicated pamphlet that has all the available stalls and their individual menus, which were SO convenient. Definitely 10/10 on foresight because that definitely cut down on the scrambling. They were really on top of keeping their trash cans from overflowing as well. Would also advise bringing Tupperware, wet wipes and napkins, and maybe a bag. Not so much solely for just the Taste of Calgary, but these tend to be useful in general for food festivals. I can confirm that there were dishes here where you needed a wet wipe afterward. Tupperware is great for taking home what you didn't finish. A plastic baggy is useful as a personal trash bag for throwing away things when you're walking and eating, while a normal bag dedicated to just your packed leftovers is good if you are a tourist traveling to more than one place that same day (like us). On a personal note, we're from California, so our/my perspective is a bit skewed. We have lots of food festivals and events in the Bay Area, all of which tend to be VERY EXPENSIVE. This may not be 626 or Foodieland, but it was a big enough festival that we were already in awe about not being charged an entrance fee or having to wait at least half an hour in line just to get in. You would not believe the amount of adulation we made about how cheap everything was, especially considering how the conversation rates at the time. It was the most PERFECT way to start our vacation, especially since we couldn't stay in Calgary very long. So if you're also only in Calgary for a day or two (having flown in) before you're driving out somewhere else (probably Banff), this is the one event you have to go to. XD

3 years ago we went to Taste of Calgary. It was great fun for whole family. Different venders to…read moretry different cuisines and drinks. It was jam packed and took us long time to find parking. It's better to uber ride or take public transport. Long waits and lines to try the samples after paying with tickets. Plus venders are not consistent with sample size. They give plate full to some and just few bites to few. We were disappointed with the quantity they gave us for bang bang cauliflower as that batch finished, so we just got left overs, they could have told us to wait to give us full quantity. Overall a good experience. Have not been there from 3 years now, hopefully they have started managing it well.

Spruce Meadows has an amazing amount of tree lights up around their entrance and parking areas and…read moreAl around - it's quite a festive sight to see! We were quite amazed by the sheer amount of lights and trees decorated it's an overwhelming display! The markets are of course a joy and fun to check out and of course check out the various food vendors and grab a warm drink! Happy Hollidays!

This Christmas Market is Rated Forth must see in the World!…read moreFirst time coming here since the pandemic started. We arrived at 9:45 am right when the gates open. The pavilions open at 10 am. Was busy from the time it opened and even more people coming through the gates! Five builds filled with vendors and animals for the kids!! Equi-Plex, Candy Cane Lane, Winter Wonderland, Riding Hall, Horizons Pavilion, with plenty outside food venues. Prepay tickets online is the best! The pay booth has a very long line. Plenty of parking and sites to see!

I've been a cuff attendee for some years now. I really enjoy the opportunity to see films that will…read moreprobably never be picked up for wide release and likely I'd never get to see otherwise. Sometimes there is good reason these films don't make a regular circuit and other times it's largely an issue of censorship or that they aren't "hollywood enough" or didn't have the right connections in the biz. Considering hollywood and censorship produce such swill as Crossroads and Glitter.. it's not exactly a recipe for fine movie making so there is room for this type of event. I get quite excited when I see movies from CUFF eventually make it a bit more mainstream (festival showings are important for indie films that do go wide release) I saw God Hates America on Netflix and Tucker & Dale vs Evil actually made a few "top of" lists on rotten tomatoes a few years ago. Reviewing the movies doesn't make a lot of sense because you're already out of luck there but I'll speak a but general to give you an idea of what CUFF is about even though it will never be exactly the same again. I saw 5 this year - 1 was visually stunning, it took a lot of risk but ultimately left me saying WTF?! I ended up on the internet looking for interpretation because I felt like I was missing something (I still think it is a bit of WTF though). Another was lower budget but like some very bloody effects which combined to hysterical and gross at the same time. Another was an anthology of shorts and many of them had me in stitches watching how different filmmakers interpreted death (I'm very macabre by the way). Another was a documentary about drugs and did actually affect some of my views on the subject positively as I never really FULLY understood the war on drugs and how harmful it's been. My favorite of the festival "sightseers" was like a rom com written for macabre old me... I really hope that out gets out into the world a bit more because it's well done! A good thing about the fest is that it's licensed - woot! The bad is we sat by a group of 7 who were just wasted and misbehaving all movie - ugh! (Sorry to the staff - I believe one of them peed in the corner - jerks) The bad was the venue (the globe).... my back and hips (not as young as they once were) took 3 days to recover after the 9 or so hours I was seated there. I suggest watching the website and twitter account around Feb/March when the listing for next year start to roll out. Most come with a trailer and a general run down. You may find reviews out there from other fests (rotten tomatoes or imdb) Not all movies are my thing but I usually find a couple gems right up my alley and I'm fairly confident there are some up yours if you don't consider yourself a 100% hollywood sellout that requires $45 mill budget movies.

My favourite film festival in Calgary. Can always count on CUFF to bring in films that break from…read moreconvention. The films feel more like full events than just screening films.

Phew, another great Beakerhead and quite a busy one at that…read more This year we planned for it to come around and were looking at the schedule months in advance (good thing because one event we did, Taste, sold out in August) and I'm pleased we got in there early to get our tickets! Top 10 of Beakerhead 2015 for me (in no particular order): 1. Wondering around SO many of the inner city neighborhoods I realize I don't spend a lot of time in. I was in... Bridgeland, Inglewood, Eau Clare, Belt line, Sun alta, Kensignton, East Village, Stephen's Ave ect. I discovered the city has developed some beautiful spaces that connect these areas while I wasn't looking so it was nice to wonder around and be drawn into a place I've always-wanted-to-go or haven't been to in forever. The nice weather also helped but I think I wish I had a bike as walking was getting tiring by the end of the weekend... next year bring the bike. 2. On beakerstreet I bought a fabulous airplant "jellyfish" that I love and my plant murdering kitties can't mess with it and a rainbow unicorn soap that smells like cherry blossoms because all of that is just awesome. I realize these come from stores I have in my city year round but I never found them so that's a win. 3. Taste. Ghostriver was back with a new sense this year: taste and it was at the river cafe. So it was like cool theater, delicious food semi dining in the dark (which I still have not done but still really want to try... ) 4. Engineered Eats. This year they had an eggs theme which was thrilling because many of the items ended up vegetarian so I almost got around to all venues with cool food. Gelato on fire? yup. Eggplant that tastes like bacon? yup, eggs as a major ingredient in a "banana split" you bet. Molecular Gastronomy is just awesome and I'm pleased at home many placed in our city have the courage to give it a go (even if it's just one week a year and they are generally more conventional). 5. Flaming skeeball. I don't feel I even need to explain what that's awesome because fire + anything is probably awesome (as long as it's well controlled and suppose to be happening). 6. Baron Building. The art and inventions inside were cool but I liked actually being allowed into the space. We spent more time that we expected just looking at the half torn apart historical building. 7. Astronaut Ice cream at the Rock n' Roll opening night reception. Stemming deeply from feeling deprived of this ever time I'm at a science center gift shop or NASA or whatever, I look at the Astronaut ice cream and want it but then decide, I shouldn't... it's for kids... it's probably just like_____ or whatever else and I'd never had it and then there is was at the reception so I was way to excited for that... not to over shadow the cosmic cosmos, real astronaut and giant pickles in bags... but dehydrated ice cream was awesome. Oh and the verdict is I would prefer REAL ice cream but it's pretty amazing in my mouth and now I know! 8. Giant inflatable bunnies. These would be terrifying if they were real but they were so cute and squishable (literally) 9. In a lecture series of wonderers, I learned about what it would be like if I were crazy and wanted to eat bugs (and not the ground up floor kind like they were cooking with at beakerhead but the gross ones with claws attached), what it might be like to conduct experiments with surprise alligators like could eat me that I had never considered and have more compassion for mountain lions (they are not just cute and murderous) along with some other things I can't unhear. For a series of lectures it was more fun than I expected. 10. I took part in the coffee shop theatre production and although the show was great, it was entertaining enough just to see the public walk in for a caffeine fix and notice some 30 odd people being totally bizarre and look like they might have walked into a candid camera show. Only 51 more weeks until Beakerhead....

Great festival combining science and art for Children and adults alike going on this weekend.read more

This was a fun little festival over the Family Day long weekend. It was spread out around a few…read moredifferent plazas and parks downtown from Olympic Plaza to 5th St SW. Each stop was an art installation of various size and purpose all themed around light. The event was completely free too with a couple of the installations located indoors so you could warm up if needed. The fun part of this was that many of the installations were interactive. At Olympic Plaza there were giant shards that you could spin. At The Bow you put your face into a lit up ring and when you smiled a large happy face lit up on the wall. At another location there was a screen inside a door playing a video of a landscape. When you closed the door and opened it again, a different landscape was seen through the door.

pretty good, not as nice of an area as the Inglewood summer festivals but there's more varietyread more

A million dogs,a million strollers and 4 million people at this one day fest…read more... It was an overcast, drizzly day but that did not keep the people from coming out to seemingly Calgary's first Spring fest. This was great to see. The roads were closed appropriately and the main attractions (live performers) were still in the main stream but off on the side streets aways. Regardless, my first time at this festival grades a bit low as we absolutely had to walk on the sidewalks to get anywhere, not in the street. No flow on the street at all. This means there was no way I could see who all the vendors were there or take part in much by way of looking or purchasing as the lines were just too long. Tons of food trucks though if you have the patience! But, it is what it is in this great, big city and I am sure there were many out of towners here as well taking part. Great for Calgary's already booming economy! Wear comfy shoes as you will be walking a lot esp. if you drive downtown as parking is scarce close by. We walked 11 blocks back to our car. Not a day to try a new restaurant on 4th Street either as they are all packed! Free admission.

We've been to a couple of these Marda Gras Festivals over the years and they are always super busy,…read morefun for the kids and an enjoyable outing for the entire family. We've been to and love New Orleans and so this festival holds a special place in our heart No issues with parking, even though it was a couple blocks away. Mayor Nenshi was on hand meeting and greeting the line up of people who wanted to see him. A handful of food trucks were on hand including Fiasco Gelato and we were excited to finally visit them. Fun Mardis Gras themed crafts for the kids. Face painting and bouncy houses are always a hit. A fun way to spend a couple of hours, chatting with people, trying new things, learning about the neighbourhood and supporting the Marda Loop Community.

Today I attended the marda gras festival. Nothing great to say about that. Lilac,sun and salsa and…read morelatin festivals were a way better than this. Not much crowd too. Even there were very less businesses. There was nothing much to pass time or enjoy either. There were two music band stages and were nt good too. It was just not worth going over a weekend after waiting for 20 mins for transit and walking to the marda loop. If there is no other work and idle then we could think of this festival :P .