This weekend, Calgary moves into fall, and with it come some great seasonal things to do, so grab your sweater and a PSL, and let’s get it!
From a spooky pumpkin event to cozy bookstores, check out these 10 fantastic things to do around the city this week.
What: Carve pumpkins, pose at the fall-themed photo ops, and enjoy the farm’s regular activities like the petting zoo or the train rides. Pumpkins can be purchased for $5.50 for carving.
When: Fridays and Saturdays from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Where: Calgary Farmyard — 284022 Township Road 224, Rocky View
Price: Tickets start at $22.95 for ages 3+ when purchased online here or $28.50 at the farm gate.
Night Light Calgary
What: Multiple spaces throughout Victoria Park will be transformed into light and art installations for the second annual Night Light Calgary Festival. From September 26 to 28, you can check out these funky displays.
When: September 26 to 28
Where: Victoria Park; for a full map, check out the website here
Cost: FREE
What: Pumpkins After Dark will spook up Winsport this weekend with pumpkins that are carved to resemble classic Halloween characters, dinosaurs, dragons, and movie and pop culture icons. It’s shaping up to be a must-do fall activity in Calgary!
When: September 20 to October 31
Where: Winsport, Canada Olympic Park — 88 Canada Olympic Road SW
Cost: $27.77; find tickets here
What: Nothing beats a weekend trip to the Crossroads Market; whether you’re looking for produce, meats, bread, cheese, or something handmade, there’s no shortage of fantastic things to check out at this weekend market.
When: Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday year-round from 9 am to 5 pm
Where: 1235 26th Avenue SE
What: This five-week series will host a variety of family-friendly programming to round out the YYC summer season. Each weekend will showcase different vendors and local musical talent. There’ll also be plenty of eats and sips from local brands, including Cluck N Cleaver, Made By Marcus, Monogram, and Eighty-Eight Brewing.
When: Every Thursday through Saturday until September 28
Where: Lot 6 – 311 8th Street SW, Calgary
Cost: Free
What: If you’re looking for a truly awe-inspiring experience, there are some awesome shows playing at Telus Spark’s Dome Theatre right now. Whether you’re a nature lover, interested in the science of ice or can’t get enough dinosaurs, they’ll all come to life before your eyes on this big screen.
When: View a list of showtimes here
Where: Telus Spark Science Centre – 220 Saint George’s Drive NE
Cost: Included in the cost of admission and can be purchased here
What: Film lovers, rejoice! Enjoy the best in short- and feature-length cinema when the Calgary International Film Festival returns this weekend!
When: September 19 to 29
Where: Various venues
Cost: Single tickets are available, or bundles begin at $77; find them here
What: If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Danny and Sandy after high school, Jubilations Dinner Theatre has the perfect show for you! Follow the dynamic retro duo into the past and see where their love story went (over a delicious three-course meal!)
When: Running until October 19
Where: Jubilations Dinner Theatre — 1002 37th Street SW
Price: Tickets start at $75.95 and can be purchased here
Visit a cute bookstore
What: Visiting a bookstore can make for a great date! If you haven’t known each other for long, finding out their favourite reads is a great way to get to know your possible person. If you have been dating for a while, you’re probably pretty comfortable sitting together in silence, which makes this the perfect relaxing date idea!
There are a ton of great bookstores around Calgary, but one of our favourites is Slow Burn Books in Marda Loop — it’s a romance-themed bookstore, so it doesn’t get any more date-y than that!
Take a workshop at Plant
What: It’s long been discussed that doing new things together can strengthen your bond with your partner. What better way to test out that theory than trying a fun plant-themed workshop together? This is a bonus if you live together because you’ll get some cute new home decor out of it that you’ll (hopefully) both agree on. Perfect for the fall, you can even try a broom-making workshop this year!