Spring is getting closer every day, and it’s time to come out of hibernation! Luckily, there are plenty of things to do in Calgary this March to help you get back into the swing of things.
This Sunday, March 13, marks the return of Daylight Saving Time – sure, we lose an hour of sleep, but that extra daylight more than makes up for it. Plus, spring officially begins on March 20, bringing melting snow, fewer layers, and dreams of summer (although we know “second winter” always seems to hit Calgary just when we think we’re in the clear, so don’t get your hopes up just yet.)
Either way, good things are on the horizon, and we can’t wait to get out there and make the most of the longer, warmer days to come.
Head out to the Rockies for a staycation and check out an interactive exhibit at the top of the Banff Gondola, walk into a parallel universe at Calgary’s science centre, enjoy a live drag show while you brunch, be awed by a Michelangelo exhibit, and much more this month.
Here are 11 of the best things to do in and around Calgary in March.
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 nightly
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
Elle McLean/Daily Hive
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 an interactive 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: 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!
View this post on Instagram
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: March 13
Time: 11 am to 2 pm
Where: The Prairie Emporium (300 – 334 53rd Avenue SE)
Cost: $20 (food and beverages not included in ticket price)
Visit the Otipemisiwak exhibition at Fort Calgary
View this post on Instagram
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: On now until June 26, 2022
Time: Fort Calgary hours (currently 10 am to 5 pm Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays)
Where: 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
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 topsy-turvy at The Alice: An Immersive Cocktail Experience
Sofia Katherine Photography via 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: January 27 to April 10
Where: SunnyCider (#1 – 3300 14th Avenue NE, Calgary)
Price: $47 per person; available here
Take in the Banff Gondola’s immersive Nightrise exhibit
Elle McLean/Daily Hive
What: 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: 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)
Celebrate International Women’s Day with the Empowerment Festival
View this post on Instagram
What: This film and speaker series at MEC amplifies incredible stories, people, and lived experiences that allow people to uncover the own power within. Speakers include Erin Parisi, who is on her way to becoming the first transgender athlete on the single highest summit on each of the seven continents, adventurist Heather Black from the Blood Tribe Nation, and Kieren Britton, founder of The Lady Alliance. Plus, there’ll be giveaways and a special 10%-off discount night at MEC.
When: March 14
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: MEC Calgary (830 10th Avenue SW, Calgary)
Cost: $10
Watch live theatre during High Performance Rodeo
View this post on Instagram
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 programming is bold, cutting-edge, funny, frank, and full of heart,” reads HPR’s website. 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
Have a “wild” brunch at the Calgary Zoo
View this post on Instagram
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, a 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
Groove to live music during BIG Winter Classic
View this post on Instagram
What: BIG Winter Classic is a multi-weekend music and arts festival, celebrating the vibrancy of Calgary outside of just the warm summer months. Taking place in some of the city’s coolest venues, this festival mashes up music, art, local craft beer, and the “best and funnest” Calgarians for an epic time. “Because we’re Calgarians,” reads BIG’s website, “and dancing under patio heaters … actually sounds perfect.”
When: March 24, March 31 to April 2, and April 8 to 9
Time: Varies by show
Where: Various venues within The BLOX community (spanning east to west from 2nd and 9th Streets SW and north to south between 10th and 13th Avenues SW)
Cost: $30 for day passes, $139 for multi-weekend passes, and tickets to individual shows available at the door
Follow Channels and Categories