20 Things To Do this July in YYC

It's the most wonderful time of the year

Summer is truly in the air this July. The sun is shining, the patios are open, and the midway foods and carnival rides are calling our names. There is so much to do this month in YYC - from exploring your inner creative to indulging your inner foodie, we’ve crafted a list of just some of our most anticipated activities to help you get inspired.

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Written By: Chloe Wong

It’s the most wonderful time of the year

Summer is truly in the air this July. The sun is shining, the patios are open, and the midway foods and carnival rides are calling our names. There is so much to do this month in YYC – from exploring your inner creative to indulging your inner foodie, we’ve crafted a list of just some of our most anticipated activities to help you get inspired.

1. Blacklight Painting @ Raw Canvas
July 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th at 10pm
Raw Canvas, 100-1130 Kensington Road NW
Website

Round up your crew and join Raw Canvas for some dope beats, delicious eats, and good times every Saturday night in honour of their weekly Blacklight Painting event. Class starts off with the lights on at 10 pm. Once food and drink is served and the backgrounds of your painting are complete, lights go off and the fun begins.

2. Flower Crown Workshop
July 5th from 7pm to 9:30pm
Wurst, 2437 4 Street SW
Website

Turn your favourite Snapchat filter into a reality on July 5th with Maker YYC’s Flower Crown Workshop at the always fun Wurst in trendy Mission. Just in time for summer – you’ll be looking on point with your stunning creation all festival season long. Tickets are $40 and include all supplies.

3. Natural Bath Bomb Workshop
July 6th, 2016 from 7:30pm to 9:30 pm
Vintage Caffeine Co. 101 19 Street NW
Website

Add some luxury to your bathtime ritual and join Maker for their Natural Bath Bomb Workshop on Wednesday, July 6th, 2016. They’ll be at Vintage Caffeine Co. to show you how to create four of your own unique bath bombs. Tickets are $50 and include all supplies.

4. Alpine Canada Alpin 2016 Stampede Party
July 7th, 2016 from 6pm to 10pm
Wild Rose Brewery 4580 Quesnay Wood Drive SW
Website

Kick off the 2016 Calgary Stampede with Alpine Canada Alpin at Wild Rose Brewery on Thursday, July 7th. A fun-filled evening of friends, Wild Rose brews, great food, and awesome entertainment, this is an evening not to be missed. Tickets are $40 and include a Wild Rose beer of your choice, a cowboy dinner, and the chance to win great prizes.

5. Wildhorse 2016 Lineup
July 7th to July 16th at Various Times
Wildhorse Saloon 500 6th Avenue SW
Website

The Calgary Stampede and Wildhorse Saloon go together like peanut butter and jelly – and this year, they’re bringing you an amazing lineup of talent with acts like Milky Chance and Reuben and the Dark to keep you dancing ’til the sun rises. 

6. Calgary Stampede
July 8th to 17th from 11am to midnight
Calgary Stampede 1410 Olympic Way SE
Website

It wouldn’t be July in YYC without the Stampede. With 34 new foods set to hit the midway this year and an amazing lineup set to hit the Coca-Cola Stage, one thing is for certain: it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

7. Market Collective – Stampede Edition
July 8th, 9th, and 10th | July 8th from 4pm to 9pm, July 9th & 10th from 10am to 6pm
Chinese Cultural Centre 197 1st Street SW
Website

Join Market Collective at the Chinese Cultural Centre on the weekend of July 8th as they showcase the work of local artists, artisans, and musicians in their Stampede Edition event. They’ll have a full line up of food trucks as well as live music and DJ’s all weekend long.  

8. Lawn Bowling
July 10th and 24th from 2pm to 5pm
Inglewood Lawn Bowling Club 1235 8 Avenue SE
Website

If you love lawn bowling, but not spending the afternoon at the retirement home, come play a couple games with us. It’s Date Night is excited to be hosting a new Sunday Funday tradition. On Sunday July 10th, 24th, and August 7th from 2pm to 5pm, join us for a Lawn Bowling tournament at the Inglewood Lawn Bowling Club. Assemble your team of 4 or sign up as a single/pair and we will place you on a team. Costumes are highly encouraged, and will be rewarded.

9. Pig & Duke’s Give A Mile Stampede Breakfast
July 11th to July 14th from 8am to 12pm
Pig and Duke Connaught 1312 12 Avenue SW
Website

Pig & Duke Connaught location will be hosting a free Stampede breakfast from Monday, July 11th to Thursday, July 14th. They’ll be accepting donations for Give  A Mile, an organization which provides miles of customer loyalty program points to those in need of visiting a loved one who is critically ill or dealing with palliative illness. Come fill your bellies with good eats and feel good for supporting this cause all day long.

10. Single’s Night Tequila Patio Party
July 13th from 7pm to 9pm
Salt and Pepper Inglewood 1413 9 Avenue SE
Website

Single and ready to… drink tequila? If you’re interested in hanging out with other singles in a setting that’s not infused with cowboy boots, nausea inducing carnival rides, and drunken parking lot shenanigans, join us at Salt and Pepper Inglewood’s beautiful patio on Wednesday July 13th for a night of Speed Dating – tequila patio style. We’ll hang out on the amazing patio, enjoy some tequila, each other’s company and probably (definitely) some guacamole.

Singles night for ages 24-38.

11. Adults Only Night at Telus Spark
July 14th, 2016 from 6 pm to 10 pm
Telus Spark 220 St Georges Drive NE
Website

Who said science can’t be fun? The second Thursday of every month, Telus Spark hosts an adults-only night, so you can explore all that the Science Centre has to offer without having to deal with screaming kids and angry parents. And the best part of it all? Telus Spark offers a bar on the second level, so you can drink a beer while keeping an ion the exhibits.

This month’s theme: Stampede Scientist. Explore the science that makes our yearly festival tick – from midway physics, to the sweet, sweet taste of fried food.

Pro Tip: Purchase a combo ticket for Admission to Adults Only Night plus a Maker’s Night Out Workshop for $45 + GST and try your hand at something new. This month’s workshop will be on coffee roasting, where you’ll learn how to roast coffee beans and discover how to bring out that full-bodied flavour. Say no more. More details.

12. Stampede Whiskey Tasting Dinner
July 14th, 2016 from 6 pm to 10 pm
Chef’s Table 1126 Memorial Drive NW
Website

Chef’s Table is teaming up with Kensington Wine Market to celebrate Stampede in style – pairing five worldly whiskey’s with five courses of Chef’s Table’s exceptional cuisine, all with a western flare. The experts from Kensington Wine Market will take you through each whiskey/whisky selection, exploring tasting notes of each and experiencing their interaction with each dish. Chef’s Table Chef de Cuisine Sean Cutler will also be on hand to explain the cowboy-influence on this custom menu.

13. Rooftop Rose Party
July 17th, 2016 from 12pm to 7pm
Charbar
618 Confluence Way SE

On July 17th get your Canadian Tuxedo on and grab the squad for a party that is the perfect way to end your Stampede bender. Rosé All Day is a celebration of all things summer, and the official launch part of Branded’s summer issue. The rooftop at Charbar will be lit like you’ve never seen it before. It will be a night to remember – if the wine doesn’t get the best of you, that is.

14. Trivia Night: 00’s Pop Culture
July 26th, 2016 from 7 pm to 9 pm
Wurst 2437 4 St SW

Tuesday is no longer the ‘wurst’ day of the week. Join us for a night of cocktails and a little healthy competition on the last Tuesday of every month at Wurst. We change up the games every month to keep your Monopoly ego in check. This month’s theme: 00’s Pop Culture. Tickets are $20 and include one drink. Start the marathoning, bring your ‘A’ game, and put on your Wurst behaviour.

15. Calgary Folk Music Festival 2016
July 21st, 2016 to July 24th, 2016 at Various Times
Prince’s Island Park 698 Eau Claire Avenue SW
Website

Named one of the “7 musical wonders of the world,” the 37th annual Calgary Folk Music Festival returns to Prince’s Island Park on July 21st. This three-day music festival is an annual sound salvation that programs 76 icons and upstarts from 16 countries on 8 stages in concerts and magical collaborative sessions.

It’s a genre-defying, continent linking festival where fiercely independent, creative troubadours and mater instrumentalists from Mauritania, Korea, New Zealand, Australia, the UK, Ethiopia, the United States, and Canada celebrate diverse traditions, deep roots, and cool grooves.

16. Fiestaval Calgary
July 22nd, 23rd, and 24th from 11am to 11pm
Olympic Plaza 228 8 Ave SE
Website 

Fiestaval is a free and family-oriented, multicultural arts and entertainment festival highlighting the Latin American Culture. It will take place in the heart of downtown Calgary at the Calgary Olympic Plaza on July 22, 23 and 24 2016. It is an opportunity to support Calgary’s Latin community while encouraging multiculturalism among all Calgarians.

17. YYC Girl Gang July Hang – Picnic Edition
July 23rd, 2016 from 3pm to 7pm
Shouldice Park 4900 Monserrat Drive NW

Website

Bring your favourite blanket, yoga mat, and your A-game to Shouldice Park on Saturday, July 23rd. YYC Girl Gang will be providing some snacks and salads, but pack a picnic basket with your favourite sandwiches for throughout the day. Join them for a killer marketing talk by Simply Modern Marketing and a fun 20 minute option yoga teaser class. The rest is lawn games, mingling, and munching.

18. Calgary International Blues Fest
July 25th to July 31st, 2016 at Various Times
Shaw Millennium Park 1220 9 Ave SW
Website

The 12th annual Calgary Bluesfest runs from July 25th to 31st and features a full week of the best in blues. Workshops, public performances, and special  events culminate in 4 days and nights of non-stop music on Mainstage at Shaw Millennium Park followed by the nightly Twilight Blues Series dance parties. This year’s festival is sure to be one of the best parties of the summer.  

19. Kensington Diagon Alley
July 31st, 2016 from 10am to 5pm
Pages Bookstore 1135 Kensington Rd NW
Website

Kensington is celebrating the universal release of the 8th publication in the Harry Potter series, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” on July 31st. Pages Bookstore will be home base as “Flourish & Botts,” where participants can pick up their copies of the new book and a ‘Maurauders’ Map’ guide to the other wonders of Kensington Village.

20. Drink Beers with Your Homies at Trolley 5
Trolley 5 728 17 Ave SW
Website

While Trolley 5 technically opened their doors in late June, we’re betting you’ll be willing to make an exception for this amazing new restaurant and brewery. Named after the historic streetcar that ran through the Beltline, this eatery is committed to bringing the community together through delicious food, refreshing beer, and the best of friends. Bound to be one of your new favourite places in the city, you’ll want to get aboard the Trolley 5   

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