It’s the first full week of March and there are lots of things to do in Calgary right now with spring finally on the horizon.
Enjoy a drag show while you eat brunch, watch the adorable penguin walk at the Calgary Zoo, head to the Rockies to check out an immersive exhibit atop the Banff Gondola, catch a dinner theatre adaptation of a popular Canadian TV show, and much more.
Here are 12 of the best things to do in and around YYC this week.
Be awed by Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Bridgeman Images
What: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition invites visitors to experience the 34 frescoes of the Vatican ceiling in life-sized, close-up detail right here in Calgary. Guests will be able to see reproductions of works such as The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgment, down to each individual colour and brushstroke.
When: March 3 to April 15
Time: Time slots available between 10 am and 7 pm Thursday through Sunday, with the exhibit closing at 8 pm
Where: BMO Centre – Hall F (20 Roundup Way SE, Calgary)
Cost: Available online starting at $16.60
Walk into a parallel universe at Calgary’s science centre
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What: Fascinated by the idea of parallel universes? If so, you can now take a deeper trip into the world of the subatomic in a new exhibit at TELUS Spark Science Centre’s digital immersion gallery. The team at Calgary’s science centre has taken what many would consider to be the hardest science subject – quantum physics – and turned it into a floor-to-ceiling visual adventure that everyone can relate to.
When: Open as of March 1, 2022
Time: Science centre hours (9 am to 4 pm Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 5 pm Friday through Sunday)
Where:Â TELUS Spark Science Centre (220 St. George’s Drive NE, Calgary)
Cost: Included with general admission ($26 for adults, $19 for children)
Enjoy a drag show while you brunch at Eggs, Henny!
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What: Eggs, Henny! is back this month with a morning of food, drag, and live tunes. The event features drag queens Valerie Hunt and Tangerine Dream, along with singer D’orjay The Singing Shaman!, and there will be cocktails and delicious brunch options including soft scrambled eggs on toast, breakfast sandwiches and more.
When:Â March 13
Time:Â 11 am to 2 pm
Where: The Prairie Emporium (300 – 334 53rd Avenue SE)
Cost:Â $20 (food and beverages not included in ticket price)
Visit the Otipemisiwak exhibition at Fort Calgary
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What: Fort Calgary launched Otipemisiwak, an exhibition of contemporary visual art, to celebrate Métis Week in November, and it remains on display until June 2022. The exhibit showcases recent works by Daphne Boyer, a visual artist and plant scientist, using a photo-based technique that mirrors spectacular traditional Métis beading.
When: Now until June 26, 2022
Time: Fort Calgary hours (currently 10 am to 5 pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays)
Where:Â Fort Calgary (750 9th Avenue SE, Calgary)
Cost: $10 for general admission to Fort Calgary, or free for youth age 17 and under and Indigenous peoples
Celebrate International Women’s Day at Southcentre Mall
Renderings of International Women’s Day art installations at Southcentre Mall (Courtesy of Southcentre Mall)
What: In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, Southcentre Mall is launching a month-long celebration in partnership with the Women in Need Society (WINS). Calgarians can visit the mall on Women’s Day and throughout March to receive a potted plant in exchange for a minimum $5 donation to WINS, and learn about how they can support women in their community and take a stand for equality. Guests can also explore a special Women’s Day-inspired art installation and participate in the 2022 Global International Women’s Day theme, #BreakTheBias.
When: March 8 to 31
Time: Visitors can pick up a plant from the WINS kiosk near Sporting Life on March 8 or on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays during mall hours until the end of the month. The plants will also be available daily at Twisted Goods during mall hours (10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays) from March 8 to 31.
Where: Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Road SE, Calgary)
Cost: Minimum $5 donation to WINS to receive a potted plant
Get your laugh on at the Bianca Del Rio Comedy Tour
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What: Join Bianca Del Rio, America’s funniest drag superstar and self-proclaimed “clown in a gown,” on her Unsanitized Comedy Tour in Calgary this week. Del Rio will bring her snarky frankness, impeccable timing, and politically incorrect humour for a comedy show like no other.
When: March 11
Time: 8 pm
Where: Grey Eagle Event Centre (3777 Grey Eagle Drive, Calgary)
Cost: Tickets starting at $62
Attend live dinner theatre with Jubilations’ Schipp’s Creek
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What: Add some entertainment to your mealtime at Jubilations’ current show, Schipp’s Creek. This pop music parody of the iconic TV show is sure to have you laughing, and the dinner theatre’s delicious food doesn’t hurt either.
When:Â On until March 19
Time:Â Showtimes vary
Where:Â Jubilations Dinner Theatre (1002 37th Street SW, Calgary)
Cost:Â General admission adult tickets starting from $69.95
Get topsy-turvy at The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience
Courtesy of The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience
What: If you’ve ever dreamed of drinking tea with Alice in Wonderland characters, munching on an “Eat Me” cake, and playing croquet with flamingos, here’s your chance. Create your own liquid concoctions under the watchful eye of the Mad Hatter at The Alice: Immersive Cocktail Experience. Dive through the looking glass and solve riddles and challenges just like Alice to unlock all the ingredients needed to create your enchanted teapot cocktails.
When:Â January 27 to April 10
Where: SunnyCider (#1 – 3300 14th Avenue NE, Calgary)
Price: $47 per person;Â available here
Go skating on two new ice rinks at Southcentre Mall
Top Deck (Courtesy of Southcentre Mall)
What:Â Now you can shop till you drop and go skating all in one visit to the mall, with the addition of ice rinks at Southcentre in Calgary. Top Deck, a community initiative supporting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, features two outdoor skating rinks located on the upper level of the parkade at the east end of Southcentre Mall.
The rinks are open for both public and private use, and Calgarians can enjoy leisure skating on one rink or play hockey on the second rink for some true Canadian fun. It’s important to note that all skaters are required to pre-book their visits online, and, as Calgary’s weather can be unpredictable, we suggest checking out Top Deck’s webpage for the current status of the rinks.
When: On until the end of the winter season
Time:Â Public skating Thursdays and Fridays from 3 to 7 pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 7 pm. Private bookings are available Monday through Wednesday from 8 am to 8 pm
Where:Â Upper level of the parkade at the east end of Southcentre Mall, next to Decathlon (100 Anderson Road SE, Calgary)
Cost:Â Public skate for a minimum $2 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area, or $100 for a private group booking
Check out a live or virtual theatre performance with Disney’s Descendants: The Musical
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What:Â Based on the popular Disney Channel Original Movies, Disney’s Descendants: The Musical is a brand-new musical comedy featuring the beloved characters and hit songs from the films. StoryBook Theatre is presenting the show live on stage, with 50% capacity, as well as virtually on-demand.
When: On until March 20
Time: Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7 pm, and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm
Where: Beddington Theatre Arts Centre (375 Bermuda Drive NW, Calgary) and on-demand virtually
Cost: General admission is $27 for children, $32 for adults
Watch the adorable Penguin Walk at the Calgary Zoo
King Penguin Walk/Calgary Zoo
What: Head to the Calgary Zoo throughout the winter months and watch the king penguin colony as they waddle their way through the zoo, starting at 10 am daily (weather dependent). The Penguin Walk is an extremely rare chance to observe these adorable animals in a new way and for the penguins to exercise their brains and bodies during the winter months.
When:Â Through the winter months
Time: Daily at 10:30 am (weather permitting – cancellation updates will be posted to the zoo’s website and social media channels)
Where: Walk begins at the Penguin Plunge habitat at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo (210 St. George’s Drive NE, Calgary)
Cost:Â Included with general admission ($29.95 for adults and $19.95 for children age three to 15)
Take in the Banff Gondola’s immersive Nightrise exhibit
Pursuit (banffjaspercollection.com)
What:Â Pursuit’s latest experience, Nightrise, combines multimedia, storytelling, and nature at the Banff Gondola for a multi-sensory journey like no other. The event will bring light and sound together to share a new and inspiring perspective in the heart of the Rockies. At Sulphur Mountain’s peak, guests can explore the many levels of the summit building and enjoy Rockies-inspired eats and drinks. Outside on the viewing decks, discover wonders that only emerge as the night begins to rise.
When: On now until April 14
Time:Â Gondola upload time slots between 5:10 and 8:10 pm
Where: Banff Gondola (100 Mountain Avenue, Banff)
Cost: Starting at $56 for adults and $28 for children (age six to 15)