22 distanced things to do in Calgary this week: April 12 to 18
As recommended by health officials, if you choose to participate in events outside of your home, please adhere to COVID-19 health and safety measures, including proper physical distancing, mask-wearing, and frequent handwashing. If you are sick, please stay home.
Despite stricter public health measures being put into place last week, there are still tons of things to do in Calgary right now.
Whether you want to catch a virtual concert from the comfort of your own couch, snap photos at some of Calgary’s most Instagrammable spots, or get spooked on a ghost tour, you’re sure to find something that suits your interests.
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Rally some family members or a cohort buddy, mask up, and make plans to try an activity or two from our list of things to do this week in Calgary.
Enjoy dinner and a movie at Hotel Arts
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What: Escape for a night with an in-room dinner and a movie at Hotel Arts. The package comes with a night’s stay in the hotel’s luxury accommodations, a gourmet in-room dinner for two, a bottle of wine, two craft sodas, truffled parmesan popcorn and other movie snacks, and a $25 credit towards your in-room movie.
When: Available daily
Where: Hotel Arts (119 12th Avenue SW)
Cost: Package starts at $275
Barenaked Ladies: A Night of Monster Jams of Pandemic Proportions
What: Catch a one hour concert featuring the Barenaked Ladies’ greatest hits, broadcast from Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall. Superfans can add bundles on to their tickets that include things like BNL bucket hats, fleece blankets, flower seeds, or a post-show Q&A with the band.
When: April 17 and 18
Time: 7 pm on April 17 and 1 pm on April 18
Where: Virtually
Cost: Tickets start at $19
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra’s virtual concert series: City Spaces
What: While their concert hall remains closed, the CPO has taken their show on the road, playing from iconic Calgary spaces in these free new virtual performances. City Spaces bring music to audiences from a variety of places, including the top of a modern skyscraper, the interior of a brutalist-era gallery, and the grand ballroom of a historic hotel.
When: April 17
Time: 7:30 pm
Where: Watch the performance virtually, broadcast from the Fairmont Palliser
Cost: Free
Spark Science from Home
What: TELUS Spark Science Centre hosts a wide variety of fun and educational options online, from virtual programs and Dome Movies at Home to Cereal Science and a collection of experiments and activities.
When: Programming varies, learn more through their website
Where: From the comfort of your own home
Cost: Varies by program
Southcentre Mall’s Spring Virtual Egg Hunt
What: Southcentre Mall has used the power of augmented reality to create a Spring Virtual Egg Hunt to help Calgarians get out of the house for a fun and safe adventure. Giant Easter eggs and other surprises have been hidden throughout the halls of Southcentre, ready for you to discover using the free “Virtual Easter” app.
When: On now until April 30
Time: Mall hours (11 am to 7 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays)
Where: Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Road SE)
Cost: Free
Take a walk through Devonian Gardens
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What: Feel like you’re in a tropical paradise in downtown Calgary at Devonian Gardens. Stroll the boardwalk, take in the plants and ponds, and grab a quick bite at the food court.
When: Daily
Time: 11 am to 5 pm Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 pm on Sundays
Where: Fourth floor of the CORE Shopping Centre (400 – 317 7th Avenue SW)
Cost: Free
Arts Commons presents National Geographic Live
What: Arts Commons has taking their 10th annual National Geographic Live series online this year. In this edition of the livestream, photographers Saiyna Bashir, Miora Rajaonary, and Danielle Villasana explore the complex story of women around the globe.
When: April 12
Time: 7 pm
Where: Online
Tickets: Free, with advanced registration required
Visit the National Music Centre’s Amplify platform
What: Amplify serves as an extension of the NMC’s onsite programs through an online hub detailing the sounds and stories of music in Canada. Take a guided tour of the museum virtually, delve into articles from their vast collection of historical musical instruments, equipment, and memorabilia, and learn more about the power of music for healing and wellness.
When: Anytime
Where: Online, from the comfort of your own home
Cost: Free
Wordfest’s Imagine On Air broadcast channel
What: Wordfest’s broadcast channel has assembled the “best writers, biggest thinkers, and sparkiest creators” in one virtual place to help fuel your curiosity. Join these great minds for a live conversation and get inspired.
When: April 13 and 15
Time: 7 pm
Where: Broadcast on wordfest.com
Cost: Free
Crossroads Market
What: This isn’t your traditional farmers’ market. Along with fresh produce and local eats, shoppers will find comics, jewellery, vintage items, a hair salon, and more at Crossroads Market.
When: Weekly from Friday to Sunday
Time: 9 am to 5 pm
Where: 1235 26th Avenue SE
Cost: Varies by purchase
Check out High Park
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What: High Park offers downtown views, adorable string lights, colourful picnic tables, and fun signs to take photos with – on top of a parking garage in the Beltline. Have a spring picnic six floors above street level and grab some cool photos while you’re at it.
When: Open daily
Time: 7 am to 11 pm
Where: The top level of the Centre City Parkade at 340 10th Avenue SW
Cost: Free
Heritage Park Ghost Tours
What: Visit Heritage Park after dark for a guided ghost tour through the abandoned streets of its Historical Village. Hear spooky stories and learn a little bit about Calgary’s haunted past during a 90-minute walking tour, covering approximately 2 km of the park.
When: April 15, 22, and 29, and May 6
Time: Two tours each evening, beginning at 7 and 7:30 pm
Where: Heritage Park Historical Village (1900 Heritage Drive SW)
Cost: $22.95
Watch a tournament happening in Calgary’s Curling Canada Bubble
What: Calgary is hosting Curling Canada’s curling bubble in the city right now, with two more events happening at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre between now and May. The 2021 World Men’s Curling Championships tournament is on this week, so be sure to catch all the action on TSN.
When: April 14 to 18 (Grand Slam of Curling) and April 30 to May 9 (World Women’s Curling Championship)
Time: Broadcast schedule available here
Where: Broadcast on TSN and Sportsnet
Zombie Scavenger Hunt
What: Test your ability to survive after a zombie apocalypse in this scavenger hunt game that leads you through the city. Players have 60 minutes to collect supplies to survive during the interactive game that invites participants to complete challenges and answer trivia questions.
When: Daily
Time: One hour of your choosing between 10 am and 9 pm
Where: Downtown Calgary
Cost: $29.30 per team (up to 10 people)
Calgary Farmers’ Market
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What: Pick up farm-fresh produce, warm and delicious baked goods, and locally-produced artisan goods at the Calgary Farmers’ Market. Pet products, coffee and tea, and flowers are also available to purchase.
When: Thursday to Sunday weekly
Time: 9 am to 5 pm
Where: 510 77th Avenue SE
Cost: Varies by purchase
Visit a sculpture covered with flowers and snakes in this Inglewood window
What: While we wait for the Esker Foundation’s main gallery to reopen, their Project Space window brings some art into our lives while simultaneously providing a concept to contemplate. Visible from street level, “The Garden” is a clay sculpture combining elements of nature with the human form, created by ceramic artist Yvonne Kustec.
When: Now through June 6
Where: Esker Foundation’s Project Space window (1011 9th Avenue SE)
Cost: Free
Explore fandoms and win prizes during Calgary Library and Calgary Expo’s four-month reading challenge
What: Calgary Public Library and the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo have paired up to host a reading challenge. Over the next few months, kids and adults alike can take on both reading and creative challenges to be entered to win one of 25 prizes.
When: Now through May 15
Where: Anywhere
Cost: Free with your Calgary Library card
Tee-off at one of the world’s best courses from Hotel Arts’ Golf Studios
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What: Choose from simulations of more than 20 of the world’s best courses, including Pebble Beach, Oakmont, and Valderrama, and tee-off from your own private Golf Studio in downtown Calgary. Players can enjoy their own stocked carts with food and beverage service from Hotel Arts’ Clubhouse during the game.
When: Open daily
Time: Book one-, two-, three-, or four-hour time slots from 8 am to 9 pm
Where: Hotel Arts
Cost: Starting at $50 for 55 minutes
Glenbow from Home
What: Tour Glenbow’s extensive collection and galleries of rotating exhibits virtually and get cultured without even leaving the house.
When: Anytime
Where: Online, available through Glenbow’s website
Cost: Free
“Escape from the Alternate Dimension” in this ’90s-themed virtual escape room
What: In this virtual escape room, players are transported to a parallel 1990s universe using a time machine. A Live Adventure Guide will host the experience and cater to your group based on the ages of players, making this a fitting activity for everyone – whether you were alive during the 90s or not.
When: Daily
Time: Start times are staggered through the day, typically between 9 am and 9:30 pm (players have 60 minutes to win the game)
Where: From the comfort of your own home
Cost: $25 per person
Snap photos at PARK PARK
What: PARK PARK took an urban parking lot in Inglewood and turned it into a modern play space. Visitors will find life-size symbols of a tree, a phone, a picnic table, a bike, a book, and more. Each of these colourful symbols also contains a useful feature integrated that relates to what they depict – check out these curiosities and be amazed.
When: Open daily
Where: CPA Lot 43 (880 11th Street SE)
Cost: Free
Watch a musical edition of The Paper Bag Princess
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What: StoryBook Theatre presents the story of The Paper Bag Princess as an online production and musical. Based on Robert Munsch’s book, the story follows a princess as she sets off to battle a dragon after it destroys her kingdom and kidnaps her prince.
When: Weekends from April 9 to 25
Time: Your choice of several time slots each day
Where: Online
Cost: Viewing codes are $32 each
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