13 fun Christmas gift ideas for Calgarians

The City of Calgary is encouraging Calgarians to support local businesses this holiday season through the Support Local YYC campaign.

Supporting local helps businesses in the city thrive and grow, while supporting local jobs and workers, and ensuring more money stays in Calgary.

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Collecting gifts for everyone on your list can be stressful, especially if you’re not a pro gift giver (honestly who is?).

Fear not! We’re here to help you find great gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.

Here are 13 gift ideas for the Calgarian on your list.

Spa day at Ska Thermal Spa

Give the gift of rest and rejuvenation with Ska, Calgary’s only urban thermal spa. Ska brings hydrotherapy indoors with a unique combination of hot and cold facilities, along with a full line-up of treatments. This spa in the heart of the Beltline opens on November 24, so grab a gift card for your loved one and send them off to enjoy some deep relaxation.

MadeByMarcus ice cream subscription

 

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It’S tOo CoLd FoR iCe CrEaM. Don’t be silly, ice cream is for ALL SEASONS. Local creamery MadeByMarcus has a wonderful ice cream subscription for Calgarians who enjoy scoops in 30-degree weather AND minus-30-degree weather. Being a Pint Club member gets you (or the person you’re gifting it to) four pints a month for three, six, or 12 months.

Candle-making workshop at Milk Jar

 

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This is perfect for the person who races to Bath and Body Works every time the three-wick candles go on sale. In the two-hour workshop, you’ll learn about oils, scents, and blending it all into the perfect candle. Plus you go home with a candle of your creation and a reed diffuser.

Calgary-opoly

This one is for the board game enthusiasts who don’t dread the thought of playing Monopoly. This iteration of the classic game features classic Calgary locations and images like the Calgary Zoo and the Scotiabank Saddledome, of course! If you want to get even more niche, there’s an Airdrie-opoly, too. You can find it at Walmart.

C of Dead T-shirts and sweatshirts

If the person you’re shopping for is a die-hard Calgarian, they’ll probably get a kick out of the C of Dead clothing line, which heavily features Calgary nostalgia, like the old blue-navy-pink transit logo stripes and Lloyd’s roller rink imagery. (If my fiance is reading this, I’ll look really cute in a size M).

A map of Calgary, with a twist

We’re loving these poster-sized maps of Calgary that add a little flare. You can find this map, with all the neighbourhoods labelled, or this map, that features illustrations of landmarks, and other iterations like it, on Etsy.

Blueprints of the Saddledome

This could be the cherry on top of the sundae that is your dad’s man cave or maybe you have an architectural nerd in your life that loves the ‘dome. In either case, this Saddledome blueprint art is undeniably cool and would wow most Calgarians. If you like that, check out this ‘dome seating chart art as well.

Terrarium Workshop at Plant

 

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Plant, an Inglewood shop for all things foliage, is a green thumb’s paradise. It has lots of cool and unique plants in stock as well as cool accessories for outdoor and indoor gardening. Luckily for the plant lover in your life, they also have terrarium-building workshops.

If you’re gifting plants this season, check out our list of our favourite plant stores.

Albeerta merch from Last Best Brewing

This is the perfect gift for your favourite beer drinker. Grab a six-pack and a T-shirt or a toque and your resident craft beer connoisseur will be content.

A sweater that has the *correct* pronunciation of Calgary

Calgarians have been correcting people since the dawn of time… well since the dawn of Calgary at least. These hoodies tell those guilty of *not saying* Calgary correctly before they can make that mistake.

Tickets to a musical at the Jubilee Auditorium

 

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Broadway Across Canada is bringing a whopping FIVE stage musicals to the city in 2023, including Fiddler on the Roof (January 10 – 15), Anastasia (February 28 – March 5), Pretty Woman (April 4 – 9), Aladdin (July 18 – 23), and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations (September 19 – 24). Your once-a-theatre-kid-always-a-theatre-kid bestie will love you forever if they found these tickets under the tree.

Buy or renew their annual pass to the zoo, Heritage Park, or Telus Spark

 

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If you have a friend who always takes their kids to the zoo or splurges on the Heritage Park admission for the sausage rolls and sourdough bread, they’ll appreciate the gesture of getting them the season/annual pass.

Pick up some stocking stuffers at Twisted Goods

 

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Twisted Goods is a fun store with lots of knick-knacks that are sure to make your loved ones smile! The store’s two locations (one at Southcentre Mall and one at Market Mall) carry sweet little goodies, like Disney villain nail decals, Friends-, Schitt’s Creek-, and Office- themed mugs and merch, as well as some other funky finds that celebrate both Canadiana and pop culture.