If you’re looking to have some festive fun this winter, we have good news. A free winter festival is opening in Calgary tomorrow, and it’s set to be a blast.
Plaza Palooza will be open in Olympic Plaza for the next four weekends. It will offer a variety of fun activities for the entire family, from live entertainment to light-up igloos.
The festival will replace the ice rink that usually fills out Olympic Plaza during this time of year, with no skating or Christmas tree due to the upcoming closure of the plaza at the beginning of January 2025 as part of the Arts Commons Transformation (ACT) project.
However, the missing ice rink will hardly be noticeable with all the festive events at Plaza Palooza.
Live entertainment will bring an electric energy to the festival’s stage each night, featuring local artists on Fridays and Sundays.
Saturday nights will see the atmosphere liven up even more with the Palooza’s Battle of the Buskers competition. Each Saturday, 10 local buskers will have a chance to give a stellar performance to try to land a coveted spot in the finale on December 21. The winner will earn a paid performance spot at The City’s 2025 Canada Day celebrations — talk about a prize!
In addition to live entertainment, the festival will feature many roving performers, from stilt walkers and living statues to fire breathers and more.
Of course, no festival would be complete without some carnival games to get everyone into the competitive (but friendly) spirit. Challenge your friends and family to a tense game of box hockey, cornhole, or mini golf.
Visitors will have plenty of opportunities to grab a gram-worthy shot of the exciting activities, with dazzling festive lights and stunning light art displays making the perfect photo-op backdrop.
There will also be live ice sculpture carving demonstrations and light-up igloos for the kids to enjoy while you get that perfect holiday photo.
Plaza Palooza opens tomorrow at 4 pm, so get ready to kickstart winter with an abundance of festive fun!
When: Fridays to Sundays until December 22; 4 pm to 9 pm
Where: Olympic Plaza – 228 8 Avenue SE
Cost: Free entry