There are tons of things to do in Calgary as we head into the fifth month of the year.
That’s right, this Sunday is May 1 already, and while we’ve seen more snow than showers in April, we’re sure hoping that May brings some flowers to YYC!
This weekend in Calgary, you can celebrate spring with a pysanky Easter egg exhibit at Southcentre Mall, catch a live theatre performance, pretend you’re Alice at a Mad Hatter Tea, go on a cheap movie date, and more.
Here are 12 of the best things to do in and around Calgary this weekend.
Watch the award-winning Calgarian play Cantata (Rumours Of My Crazy, Useless Life)
Courtesy of Sage Theatre
What: Cantata (Rumours Of My Crazy, Useless Life) is a dramatization and fictionalization of Clem Martini’s experience as a caregiver for a brother with schizophrenia and a mother developing dementia. The family undergoes much stress as the delicate balance of caregiving unravels.
When: April 28 to May 7
Time: Showtimes at 2 pm and 7 pm, based on the date
Where: cSpace King Edward
Cost: Tickets range from $5 to $60 in a Pay-What-You-Will model
Stomp your boots at Corb Lund‘s Back to the Barrooms tour
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What: Join Corb Lund for his Back To The Barrooms tour as he performs at two iconic music venues in Calgary: Palomino Smokehouse and King Eddy. Lund will be playing seven shows in Calgary, and each is sure to be a boot-stompin’ good time.
When: April 28, 28, and 30, and May 1, 2, and 3
Time: 7 pm on April 28 and 29 and May 2 and 3, and 8:30 pm on April 30 and May 1
Where: Palomino Smokehouse (109 7th Avenue SW, Calgary) and King Eddy (438 9th Avenue SE, Calgary)
Cost: Tickets starting at $52
Laugh along with a stage performance of Kim’s Convenience
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What: Set in a family-run corner store in the heart of Toronto’s Regent Park, Mr. Kim, also known as “Appa,” is a Korean shopkeeper grappling with a changing neighbourhood landscape and struggling to connect with his grown second-generation children. This is the final weekend of the production at Alberta Theatre Projects, so be sure to catch it before it’s gone.
When: From now through May 1
Time: Showtimes at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, based on the date
Where: Martha Cohen Theatre at Arts Commons (215 8th Avenue SE, Calgary)
Cost: Tickets start at $25
Join Alberta Ballet for the opening weekend of blockbuster production Cinderella
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What: Watch a stunningly choreographed performance of a classic live as Co-Artistic Director Christopher Anderson’s take on the beloved fairytale Cinderella hits the stage this week in Calgary. The blockbuster production premiered in 2018 and was met with rave reviews by audiences and media alike, drawing large crowds and smashing box office records for the Ballet, so this is one show you don’t want to miss.
When: April 28 to May 7
Time: 7:30 pm, with 2 pm matinees on Saturdays
Where: Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (1415 14th Avenue NW, Calgary)
Cost: Tickets starting at $62
Visit an immersive IBPOC dance installation in Chinatown
Courtesy of “SHED”
What: Avant-garde multi-sensory experience, SHED | knowing each other as different and the same, is an immersive dance installation featuring a collection of moving portraits, embodied by a roster of local BIPOC artists. Choreographed by interdisciplinary artist Pam Tzeng, SHED is a new body of work that invites audience members to pause, delight in their senses, and enjoy the slowing of space and time.
When: Wednesdays from April 27 to May 14
Time: 10 am to 6 pm
Where: The New Gallery in Calgary’s Chinatown (208 Centre Street S, Calgary)
Cost: Free; book your gallery here
Celebrate spring with pysanky Easter eggs at Southcentre Mall
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What: A group of local artists, led by pysanky specialist Daena Diduck, have designed five oversized, three-dimensional Easter eggs ranging from three to six feet tall, on display at Southcentre Mall through the end of April in an exhibition entitled “Pysanky for Peace.”
After April 30, the eggs will be auctioned off to local businesses and organizations, with proceeds going to Ukrainian Canadian Social Services, a charitable organization that responds to the needs and interests of the Ukrainian community in Canada through a wide range of programs, services, and humanitarian aid.
When: From now through April 30
Time: Mall hours (10 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays)
Where: Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Road SE, Calgary)
Cost: Free
Check out Glenbow’s new FREE satellite exhibit at The Edison
Rendering of Glenbow’s satellite location at the Edison (Courtesy of Glenbow)
What: Glenbow’s main building is currently closed for renovations, but its new satellite location at The Edison opens this week, featuring visiting exhibitions on temporary display. The first exhibition at The Edison, Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment, allows visitors to experience 200 works of art by a generation of 20th-century women painters, photographers, weavers, bead workers, and sculptors who remained largely unrecognized amid celebrated male artists of the time.
When: Beginning April 9
Time: 11 am to 8 pm Monday through Saturday, and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays
Where: The Edison (150 9th Avenue SW, Calgary)
Cost: Free; timed ticket required for entry
Pretend you’re Alice at Hawthorn’s Mad Hatter Tea
Courtesy of Hawthorn
What: Indulge in delectable pastries, dainty finger sandwiches, and oven-fresh scones to enjoy with Fairmont-curated loose leaf teas at Hawthorn’s Mad Hatter Tea. Alice in Wonderland-themed sweets include the Queen of Hearts Cookie, Eat Me Macaron, Cuckoo Clock Cupcake, and more.
When: Saturdays and Sundays until May 1
Time: 11 am to 3:30 pm
Where: Fairmont Pallier’s Hawthorn (133 9th Avenue SW, Calgary)
Cost: $95 per adult
See your favourite yellow square save Bikini Bottom at The SpongeBob Musical
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What: The SpongeBob Musical is based on the beloved animated series created by Stephen
Hillenburg and the stakes are higher than ever in this dynamic stage show, as SpongeBob and all of Bikini Bottom face the total annihilation of their undersea world.
When: April 22 to June 4
Time: 7 pm from Tuesday to Saturday, and 2 pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Where: Beddington Theatre Arts Centre (375 Bermuda Drive NW, Calgary)
Cost: Tickets from $33.60 for adults
Watch live theatre during High Performance Rodeo
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What: The spring edition of One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts, gives local audiences the chance to watch touring performances from across Canada, acclaimed international shows, and new and experimental work from artists right here in YYC.
The festival boasts theatre, dance, music, film, free lunchtime concerts, late-night cabarets, and much more, with shows in the basement of the Calgary Tower, at the Royal Canadian Legion, in the city’s +15s, a wrestling ring, an elevator, in City Hall, at the Central Library, and other unique and iconic venues around the city.
When: March 27 to May 28
Time: Varies by performance
Where: Various venues in Calgary, ranging from the Globe Cinema to Contemporary Calgary, The GRAND to Big Secret Theatre, and more
Cost: Ticket prices vary by performance
Go on a cheap movie date at select Cineplex theatres
Cineplex/Shutterstock
What: Looking for budget-friendly entertainment options? Cineplex is featuring select movie screenings for $2.99 this month at several of its Calgary locations. The Cineplex Family Favourites series runs every Saturday at 11 am and offers the chance to enjoy a good flick at a great price.
When: April 30 and May 7
Time: 11 am
Where: Varies by date; participating Calgary locations include Cineplex Cinemas Seton and VIP, Cineplex Odeon Crowfoot Crossing Cinemas, Cineplex Odeon Sunridge Spectrum Cinemas, Cineplex Cinemas East Hills, Scotiabank Theatre Chinook, and Cineplex Odeon Westhills Cinemas
Cost: $2.99; tickets available online
Have a “wild” brunch at the Calgary Zoo
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What: Enjoy weekend brunch at the Calgary Zoo. Held in the heart of Destination Africa, the zoo’s Safari Brunch features both gourmet and comfort breakfast foods, including a free-flowing chocolate fountain with fresh fruit, eggs Benedict with Canadian bacon, Belgian waffle bar, and much, much more.
When: Every Sunday until November 13, 2022
Time: First seating 9 to 10:30 am, second seating 11 am to 12:30 pm, and third seating on select dates from 1 to 2:30 pm
Where: Calgary Zoo (210 St. George’s Drive NE, Calgary)
Cost: $44.95 for adults, $27.95 for children