This festival is a jewel set in a circle of sharp stunning Rocky mountains, the Sisters look down…read morewith grace and majesty, and brilliant streams ease their way through the town, and families converge happily to soak in Folk music from around the world. In a summer of folk festivals this was a special one. It feels very much like a neighbourhood festival. It can't draw acts on the same scale that Edmonton or Winnipeg does, but I heard artists here that I was delighted to discover and fall in love with, and sitting in the shade at the main stage in a park in the middle of town the sound quality was quite wonderful. The food vendors here were a little rough, the taco stand seems to be serving cold beans from a can, salsa and guac from a costo-style tub. Same with the pasta truck: we watched them cut open plastic bags of grocery gnocchi and open jars of plain tomato pasta and microwave it. Kind of a bummer for like $15. Not a lot of homemade, not a lot of vegan options. Ah well. The family running the mediterranean place were amazing. I didn't get to check out the smaller stage at the pub tent because newly this year it was licensed 18 only instead of allowing families to come in together, so that did make it hard to stick with our friends as they checked out different shows. There were some incredible artisans in the handmade village, and the set up for exploring and shopping is incredibly dreamy. But there were also a number of tents taken up by things that were very clearly not artisan made, including a big corner booth full of wal-mart style dresses and shirts still with the tags on from all different kinds of made in china fast fashion manufacturers. Really kind of depressing to see that put up alongside carefully handcrafted hats and jewellery and other goods. Canmore itself is stunning, and walking the baby to sleep along the winding paths along the rivers, through the cabins tucked in the woods in the heart of town with glimpses of the mountains through the hushing trees was heaven. But the city is also a bit hard on the heart. What was once an unpretentious mountain haven became a just another playground for the wealthy. Homes here are in the millions, locals have struggled to stay: this is how any city loses its soul. Canmore though is making efforts to stay diverse and to support affordable living, and you have to applaud and hold out high hopes for their efforts. I think the Folk Festival is a key piece of that community and artistic soul. May it continue to flourish.

Quite a few things went well. The swimming pool is pretty nice and there were barely any people,…read morethe gym looms nice but I couldn't go in:( The room was pretty nice, no dead or alive bugs seen, the beds were comfy, there was a nice TV with a bunch of channels (including Georgie and Mandys first marriage in one of them) which i found nice. A fire stick can also be connected. I didnt really have the food, cuz I went to banff and got food from the mickey d there. Overall very nice experience, there's also a mountain view in the rooms . The microwave and coffee machines also work and are nice .

I am just reviewing the restaurant, not the stay at the hotel. We were kinda stuck in a traffic jam…read moregoing on to Radium on the long weekend and decided to pull over for lunch. Pretty die in the wool typical restaurant hooked onto a hotel. Muted colours, basic setting, although I enjoyed the Indiginous artwork that graced the walls. Also pretty basic menu. Handhelds, a few other dishes, some salads and appetizers. Nothing that really wowed me. Server was friendly. She seemed like she enjoyed her job here. Two interesting things on the menu - the bison burger and the elk burger. I ordered the elk burger with a side of daily soup which was chicken and mushroom, and hubby ordered the bison burger with fries. I also ordered a local beer. Based on the amount of people in there, the food came out slowly. However, we both enjoyed our meals. My elk burger was tasty but I couldn't find the elusive Saskatoon jam on it. Soup was amazing. Hubby really enjoyed his burger and fries. Not at all a bad pit stop.

The Whyte museum was named after Peter and Catherine Robb Whyte, local artists and philanthropists,…read more who created a museum where visitors could see the culture and landscape of the Canadian Rockies. Paintings of the original settlers, the Indians, and their clashes with the white men explorers in the 19th century. Building of the railway, including an interactive tunnel view. How the railroad tracks were laid through mountainous areas, and the effect of frequent avalanches. Picture of the golden spike where the trans Canadian railway was joined. No Chinese workers, who did all the hard work, in the picture, just business men in formal clothing, gathering around the railroad track. Early women tourists in their long ankle length skirts exploring the glaciers in pictures. Men and women of wealth in pictures showing their fancy dress for crossing the Rockies by rail. Cutaway view of a automobile from the 1920s, with a film of automobiles in the Canadian Rockies at that time. The Canadian Rockies contribution to the war effort in the world wars, including descriptions and pictures of heroic actions by locals fighting the enemy. The Canadian Rockies in the movies, including posters of 'Saskatchewan', and 'River of No Return'. Helicopter skiing in the late 20th century, where helicopters would ferry skiers to the top of mountains, to ski down. Mountain climbers going up mountains, with display showing how they slept in tents anchored off the cliffs. Great way to spend time indoors when Banff was suffocating under forest fire smoke. $10 per adult, $9 for seniors, and AAA discount. Wife had no objection when I paid for 2 senior tickets, even though she was not yet 65. You know you are getting old when the museum cashier doesn't ask to see identification with dob!

VERY SMALL MUSEUM IN BANFF…read more We recently visited the Whyte Museum located in downtown Banff. Admission is $15 adults, $12.50 seniors and students and free for children. There are free docent-led tours as well as a one hour Historic Banff Walking Tour (fee) and Historic Homes Public Tour (fee). No coffee shop on site but there is a very nice book and gift shop. This museum is a beautiful space but very small. The permanent exhibition hall is one large room featuring artifacts relating to the local Indigenous populations and the early history and pioneers of Banff. Without the docent-led tour of the special exhibit, Thick as Thieves, we would have spent less than 1/2 hour at the museum.

I recently got married at Hive Gallery, and words cannot express how wonderful the experience was…read more Cheryl and the rest of the crew went above and beyond to make sure the day was absolutely perfect. Everything that I envisioned for the day was carried out perfectly, from the photo booth that was set up for us to the room where kids could hang out and watch Netflix. We opted to have the ceremony outside on their large balcony, and it was truly a beautiful setup, with flowers entwined over an archway above us and the mountains surrounding us. Cheryl was even so kind as to record the whole ceremony for us, as my husband's family was unable to attend, so we will have a very special piece of the day to share with them when we go visit. The staff took care of all the decor based on inspiration photos that I had provided and assembled floral bouquets for all the tables, which were absolutely beautiful. The food, which was provided by Cornerstone Catering, was delicious... the best creme brûlée I've ever had! And when it came time for dancing, the tables were moved away, the disco lights came on, and their very talented DJ went to work, playing songs that kept the dance floor busy all night! I received so many complements from people who attended, telling me how beautiful the venue and the ceremony/reception were. I would not change anything about the day, as it was executed perfectly. Thank you to the staff at Hive Gallery for making my wedding day so magical!

My wedding reception was recently hosted at the Hive. I am writing this review to provide feedback…read moreto others considering the same, and to experience some sort of catharsis after an overall awful experience on what should have been a happy day. I have never felt so belittled, disregarded, and demeaned in a professional relationship. Before I provide insight into my negative experiences, I should recognize areas where the Hive excelled. The Hive is a beautiful facility with an interesting layout that lends itself well to smaller groups hosting events. The art work is top notch, and the décor of the wedding itself was put together beautifully. Staff members worked hard to choose, create, and set up flower arrangements and accommodate color selections. Staff members accommodated our guests with specific food restrictions, and ordered/picked up 2 meals from a local restaurant. This was going above and beyond as I expected needing to ask a family member to do this. The Hive hired an exceptional bartender to work the main bar. I had nothing but positive interactions with her and received good feedback from our guests. I will also say that our guests largely had a good time, enjoyed the venue, and had fun with the adult paint room. The Hive agreed to set up a photo booth with short notice (although this only required setting up a small digital camera on a tripod, securing a black sheet over a wall, and placing props I had already purchased on tables/hooks). The Hive was also good at adding small touches, such as placing blankets on the backs of chairs of outdoor guests for comfort. I realize my review is lengthy. In this case, the length is directly proportional to the level of difficulty we had in planning the wedding with the Hive. Due to character restrictions on Yelp, I cannot post my entire review here. I urge you to read the full thing on Trip Advisor (https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g181727-d9765610-Reviews-The_Hive_Gallery_Gatherings-Canmore_Kananaskis_Country_Alberta.html). If you do not have time, I will briefly sum up my experience. From the onset, there were communication issues. Complete information was not always provided; contradiction and inconsistency were instead the standard. I felt that the process was poorly organized and scattered. Major changes were proposed to our program, and contracts with the caterer as many as 5 days, and as little as 1 day before the wedding. Arrangements were not carried out as requested and agreed upon. I urge you to visit the Trip Advisor review for an abundance of concrete examples of my experiences.

This place is just great for a very casual pint, a hearty bike to eat and a very good late…read moreafternoon patio. Prices are extremely good, 2 pints and a burger for $15, and it's great food! The Legion is open to public and there is no cover charge or membership fees. They do Bingo on Friday nights which attracts a very diverse crowd. The Legion is one block off the main strip and is the ultimate spot to get started for a big night out or a spot to enjoy a game of pool with some friends without the worries of being too busy or over-run with tourists. Overall, absolutely will return and probably will be there on a regular basis!

It's the friendliest legion I've ever been in…read more My family dropped by for Bingo night, and we had a blast with cheap drinks and lots of laughs. We're sorta locals (live outside of town, moved here a few years back) and it's one of the few spots in Canmore that aren't in full tourist mode during the busy summer.

A place to see all the animals you didn't see live in Banff National Park…read more We didn't see a lot of wild animals in our trip to the Canadian Rockies. Trout in Maligne Lake, pikas at Morraine Lake, elk on the Icefields Parkway, and bison at a ranch in the Kananaskis Valley. Here in the heart of Banff is a two story 100+ year old building, constructed out of Douglas Fir, renovated, so that the interior structure looks spanking new, with varnished wood beams. Entering the front door, and I feel like I'm in the center of a stage, with all the animals seated in the stands and bleachers, looking right down on me, with open eyes, ready to pounce! Individual airtight glass cases, to keep out destructive insects and live rodents, and keep the dust down. Wolves, lynx, elk, moose, bison, mountain lion, ox, beaver, bear, deer, mountain goat, owls, birds, and pronghorn sheep. Two stories, with the second floor being a corridor running along the sides, with a center gap, looking down on the displays. Many of these animals, I've seen live in Yosemite, Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks. Today for the 150th anniversary of Canada, free admission throughout 2017. A great place to spend a few hours during our stay in Banff, under forest fire smoky skies, this first week in September.

One of the perks for running the Banff Marathon was free entry into the Banff Park Museum. It was…read morevery convenient since the race finished right at Central Park. So after the race, my friend and I stopped in here to check things out. Before we began looking around, the guy at the entrance made sure to let us know that some of the exhibits were over 100 years old and cautioned us not to touch any of them. There were 2 floors full of exhibits including a room with videos. A lot of the animals that we saw were ones you probably don't want to come across out in the wild! Overall I thought it was a museum definitely worth checking out.

Core Values Cider Co is a fun place to enjoy a delicious cider. The decor is colourful and the…read morestaff are all really friendly. I like that they have some seating outdoors (we took advantage of this space on a sunny afternoon). On our visit, there was live music, which added to our experience. The highlight was the cider. We tried a flight with Plum As You Are, Apples to Oranges, Diamond Dogs, and Shortcake. There wasn't a cider we didn't like! They were unique in flavour, refreshing, and tasty! We will be back soon!

I was there from Saturday to Monday for a work conference…read more staff: pleasant. To be honest I did not interact with them too much except for at breakfast buffet and they were friendly. service: front desk staff friendly, restaurant staff friendly, staff in conference area friendly. They were discrete as to not interrupt conference and still kept everything running smoothly. establishment: nice, quaint, comfortable rooms - from style - but perfect for sleeping and desk area to work. Bathrooms big and roomy. Conference room nice and big with big windows to outside. Restaurant fantastic. Great food and nice big windows to see the scenery while you eat! food: great! Buffet breakfast nice big spread and variety. Just the buffet lines were awkward - please find a smoother system for making the buffet lines. Buffet lunch was great - Indian/Mediterranean foods and flavour! Conference food and health breaks were a nice variety.

This place is off the chain amazing!…read more I went to a welcome party here recently for a weekend event and was blown away by the Banff Centre campus. GORGEOUS!!!! Words simply cannot do this place justice. Check out Three Ravens here to dine on culinary student delight! Creativity and nature are oozing from every corner. There's a free museum here as well you've got to check out. Basically, if you're going to Banff - visit here. And if you have the opportunity to come here for a conference or work retreat, don't think twice - say yes instantly!