Heritage Day long weekend: What's going on in Calgary
Calgarians looking to take full advantage of the Heritage Day long weekend have no shortage of options when it comes to events going on throughout the city.
Here's a look at what's happening in Calgary from Aug. 4-7, 2023:
Heritage Day Festival
This family-friendly event runs from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday at Olympic Plaza.
It is free to attend and will feature multicultural performances, ethnic foods, artisan booths, face painting and live music.
Tour de Bowness Race and Street Festival
This all-ages event is back for its 20th anniversary.
The racing events kick off on Saturday with a 22km road race on Horse Creek Road, just outside Cochrane, Alta.
Racers will take on the gruelling one-kilometre Montgomery hill climb on Sunday.
The 141-foot ascent will be lined with cheering spectators, leading to a picturesque view of the city at the top of the hill.
Capping off the racing events on Monday is the Cory Meza Memorial Criterium.
This fast-paced, short-circuit race will see racers reach top speeds of around 70 km/h as they make their way through Bowness.
The street festival runs Monday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
More information can be found here.
Taste of Calgary
A section of Eau Claire has been transformed into Flavourtown for the long weekend, offering tasty treats from nearly 90 vendors.
This year marks the event's 26th anniversary, and it has grown exponentially since its inception.
Taste of Calgary runs from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. through Monday in Calgary Parking Lot #6 on 8 Street S.W.
Admission to the event is free, but attendees will need to purchase digital 'taste tickets' to try food.
Tickets cost $1 each, and each dish at the event ranges from two to seven tickets.
Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic
Spruce Meadows isn’t just for horses this August long weekend – it’s for dogs, too.
On Aug. 4-7 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., nearly 2,000 canines and their human companions will compete in several dog sports.
The event features agility, obedience trials, rally obedience trials, 35 associated specialties and the coveted Best in Show prize.
Calgary Fringe Festival
Held at multiple venues across the city, the Calgary Fringe Theatre Festival runs from Friday, Aug. 4 to Saturday, Aug. 12.
Alberta is home to the largest fringe festival in North America in Edmonton, but Calgary’s festival is always a favourite summer event.
Calgary International Blues Festival
The 19th annual Calgary International Blues Festival features a huge lineup of workshops, concerts and special events at Shaw Millenium Park.
The event will host non-stop music on the mainstage Aug. 4-6.
Lantern Peace Festival
The annual Calgary event dedicated to building a peaceful society free from violence will be held at Olympic Plaza from 5:30 to 9 p.m. on Aug 5.
Lanterns will be launched between 8 and 9 p.m. and are available for purchase for five dollars each or three for $10.
Incredible India Fest
The Westin Calgary Airport is the venue for the year’s Incredible India Fest on Aug. 7 from noon to 6 p.m., featuring cultural performances, traditional Indian cuisines from food vendors and live music.
The inaugural event is entirely free to enter and will also include a wide range of activities for kids, traditional singing and dancing.
Chasing Summer Music Festival
The festival produced by Live Nation runs for two days on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6 at the Max Bell Centre Ground in Calgary.
Headlined by Tiesto and Zedd, the 2023 lineup also features Gryffin, Seven Lions, James Hype, Jauz, ARMNHMR, Cheyene Giles, CID, Dr. Fresch, Eprom, Eptic, Gem & Tauri, Habstrakt, Hairitage, Kaleena Zanders, Luis Torres, Noizu, Peekaboo, REMK, Simon Doty, Sippy and more.
Days of Yore
Central Alberta’s largest living history festival will be held at Rosebud Park, 301 Secondary Highway 582 in Didsbury, Alta., from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.
The event is a mix of entertainment and education with the goal of teaching people about cultural traditions, lifestyles and activities of bygone eras.
Message from Alberta RCMP
For anyone planning to hit the road for the long weekend, the Alberta RCMP reminds drivers to be extra cautious.
Mounties will closely monitor the roads to ensure drivers obey the law.
Last year, the Alberta RCMP issued more than 2,000 tickets over the Heritage Day long weekend.
The Alberta RCMP issued the following release Thursday morning:
Remove all distractions: Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of collisions. Before you start your trip, set up your electronics, adjust your mirrors and seats and ensure children are comfortable and everyone is wearing their seatbelts.
Always drive at a safe speed: The posted speed limit is the maximum speed in ideal conditions. Always make sure you are staying within the speed limit and slowing down if conditions are not ideal.
Be mindful of recreational vehicles: Smaller vehicles like ATVs and motorcycles can be harder to notice when driving. With the removal of bans on ATVs and off-highway recreational vehicles, their drivers will want to take advantage of the season. Always check your mirror and blind spots while driving.
Never drive while under the influence: Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is never safe. Always make sure you have a designated driver or a place to stay until it's safe to drive.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver says he got a cellphone ticket for using his points app in the drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
Forecast turns favourable in fight against wildfire threatening northern B.C. town
A low-pressure system moving into northern British Columbia is expected to dampen wildfire activity that has forced several thousand people to flee their homes in and around Fort Nelson, the BC Wildfire Service says.
New study shows financial impact of homelessness on our health-care system
A new study out of London, Ont. lays out the cost of the homelessness crisis on our health-care system.
B.C. YouTuber ordered to pay $350K for 'relentless' online defamation campaign
An 'unrepentant' YouTuber has been ordered to pay $350,000 in damages as compensation for a 'relentless' campaign of defamation waged online against a business owner and his company, the B.C. Supreme Court has ruled.
Chief says grave search at B.C. residential school brings things 'full circle'
Chief Robert Michell says relief isn't the right word to describe his reaction as the search begins for unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school he attended in northern British Columbia.
'Endless Shrimp' just one misstep for Red Lobster as it eyes bankruptcy protection
While it's unclear what these closures might mean for the 27 restaurants in Canada, Red Lobster is expected to file for bankruptcy protection in the U.S. this month.
Ontario's 'Crypto King' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Of the $40-million Aiden Pleterski was handed over two years, documents show he invested just over one per cent and instead spent $15.9 million on "his personal lifestyle." The 25-year-old Oshawa, Ont. man was arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering on Tuesday.
Evacuees concerned over conflicting information on Fort Nelson wildfire
Evacuees staying in Fort St. John have expressed concern about how little they are hearing about what is happening in their now deserted city.
Insurance claims skyrocket and tensions remain high after slew of natural disasters
According to new data released by Statistics Canada, the cost of catastrophic insurance claims in Canada between 1983 and 2008 was $400 million each year.