Calgary owes its current awesomeness to its kickass history, and that’s why we Calgarians don’t mind celebrating the latter. To this end, we have Heritage Day, a day made up of a mind-blowing mashup of history and entertainment. It’s like history class, but without the droning teacher!
As you would expect, there are plenty of exciting things to do in the city during this time of year and we’re here to point you in the right direction.
Get ready to ignite your patriotic hearts with a day jam-packed with epic adventures, mouthwatering local eats, and activities that’ll make you scream, “Oh Calgary and Canada!”
Table of Contents
- 1. Explore the Heritage Park
- 2. Attend the Heritage Day Festival at Olympic Plaza
- 3. Watch the Tour de Bowness Race and Street Festival
- 4. Catch Shakespeare On the Go at Jack Long Park
- 5. Shop at the Inglewood Night Market
- 6. Spend time at the Fort Calgary
- 7. Bring the whole family to Marda Gras
- 8. Watch the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic at Spruce Meadows
- 9. Experience fine dining at the Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
- 10. Learn about Calgary’s History at Chinook Country Historical Society
- 11. Explore local cuisine at Alberta on the Plate
1. Explore the Heritage Park
Website: https://heritagepark.c
Address: 1900 Heritage Dr SW, Calgary, AB T2V 2X3, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-268-8500
Heritage Park is one of the best ways to celebrate Heritage Day if you’re feeling especially patriotic. I mean, it’s right there in the name!
Here, one can get to know more about the local history through delightful activities and attractions perfect for the whole family. Several popular attractions include the Gasoline Alley Museum (tons of antique vehicles) and the Nightingale Accessible Railcar.
Here’s a tip: if you want to snack on some pastries with a side of tea, stop by Alberta Bakery during Heritage Day!
2. Attend the Heritage Day Festival at Olympic Plaza
Website: https://www.calgary.ca/parks/olympic-plaza.html
Address: 228 8 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2P 2M5, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-268-2489
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 9 PM
One of the main events of Heritage Day in Calgary is the Heritage Day Festival at Olympic Plaza.
There’s a multitude of things happening here all at once during Heritage Day such as ethnic foods and handcrafted novelty items up for sale, multicultural performances, and more.
Needless to say, this is an event you mustn’t miss if you find yourself in the city during this time of year.
3. Watch the Tour de Bowness Race and Street Festival
Website: https://www.tourdebowness.com
Address: 6501 Bowness Rd NW, Calgary, AB T3B 0E8, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-288-5422
Heritage Day activities don’t have to be centered on local history only. In fact, a lot of Calgarians use this day to explore the city and enjoy the various local activities like the Tour de Bowness Race and Street Festival.
During the event, you get to watch a thrilling race of people paddling their road bikes. Additionally, there’ll be food trucks selling local fare you can munch on while watching the race.
If you’re feeling competitive, you can even sign up for the race beforehand. Just check out their website and be on the lookout for when it opens!
4. Catch Shakespeare On the Go at Jack Long Park
Website: https://www.theatrecalgary.com/artists-and-education/shakesbow/
Address: 920 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0S4, Canada
Operating hours: Monday to Sunday – 5 AM to 11 PM
You can also spend Heritage Day in Calgary by watching Shakespearean plays at Jack Long Park. If you want to witness talented thespians interpreting centuries-old scripts by a renowned playwright, don’t miss out on this!
By the way, their performances usually take place in different locations all over Calgary, so be sure to check out their complete schedule on their website.
5. Shop at the Inglewood Night Market
Website: https://www.inglewoodnightmarket.ca
Address: 1235 26 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 0W5, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-453-7424
Here’s another great idea to make your Heritage Day in Calgary more memorable: why not try shopping at the Inglewood Night Market?
This is the perfect opportunity for those who would like to support local artists and vendors by purchasing farm fresh ingredients and handcrafted items.
Aside from that, you can get a variety of things here such as antiques, vintage clothing, wine, and a lot more.
6. Spend time at the Fort Calgary
Website: https://www.fortcalgary.com
Address: 750 9 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 5E1, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-290-1875
Operating hours:
- Monday and Tuesday – closed
- Wednesday to Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
Fort Calgary is a famous historical spot in Calgary that attracts a lot of curious visitors and locals, especially during Heritage Day.
Here, you’ll get to explore permanent exhibits that tell a variety of stories about the local history like Treaty 7.
During Heritage Day, they even host interesting events that vary every year. See their website for more information about their upcoming Heritage Day events.
7. Bring the whole family to Marda Gras
Website: https://www.visitmardaloop.com/mardagras/
One can also enjoy the Marda Gras event if they’re in town during Heritage Day. But hold up – do you think the name sounds familiar? It should: Marda Gras is a play on Mardi Gras because it’s a thrilling event along Marda Loop.
During this day, Marda Loop is closed for cars to accommodate pedestrians and vendors selling a wide variety of products and services. In the past, they even hosted a pet pageant so attendees were able to see dogs dressed in tutus, hula skirts, and other fun costumes.
8. Watch the Alberta Kennel Club Summer Classic at Spruce Meadows
Website: https://www.albertakennelclub.org/summer-classic
Address: 18011 Spruce Meadows Way SW, Calgary, AB T2X 4B7, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-974-4200
Operating hours: Monday to Friday – 9 Am to 5 PM
See a thousand furry friends competing at the Alberta Kennel Club Summer during Heritage Day. If you’re a dog person, you obviously can’t miss this event that only happens once a year!
You’ll get to see talented purebred dogs do several trials that test their agility, obedience, and such to see who will win the title of the goodest boy or girl!
9. Experience fine dining at the Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant
Website: https://bvrrestaurant.com
Address: 15979 Bow Bottom Trail SE, Calgary, AB T2J 5E8, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-476-1310
Operating hours:
- Monday – closed
- Tuesday to Friday – 11 AM to 9 PM
- Saturday and Sunday – 10 AM to 9 PM
You can’t celebrate Heritage Day with an empty stomach! For comforting local meals, we highly recommend one of the top restaurants in the city – Bow Valley Ranche Restaurant.
We’re particularly delighted about their Alberta beef tenderloin and angus striploin. Additionally, their lamb sirloin is also a wise choice.
Aside from their delicious dishes, they’re also known for their historical ranch house structure. With that in mind, it’s the perfect venue to spend a day that celebrates the local history.
10. Learn about Calgary’s History at Chinook Country Historical Society
Website: https://chinookhistory.ca/historic-calgary-week
Address: 223 12 Ave SW, Calgary, AB T2R 0G9, Canada
Contact details: +1 403-261-4667
For inquisitive history buffs, prepare for your thirst for knowledge to be quenched with the help of Chinook Country Historical Society.
Through the society’s History Calgary Week during Heritage Day, you’ll get to learn about various topics that helped shape Calgary into what it is now. Every year, they focus on different topics relating to Calgary’s history. In the past, they talked about the history of local transportation – it’s more interesting than you might expect.
11. Explore local cuisine at Alberta on the Plate
Website: https://www.albertaontheplate.com/
Another fun way to celebrate Heritage Day in Calgary is through the local cuisine. While you can explore several local restaurants you haven’t tried yet on your own, we suggest checking out Alberta on the Plate’s 10-day celebration.
With their help, you’ll be able to explore the best eateries in town! During the course of the event, attendees will be able to appreciate the dishes prepared by participating local restaurants approved by Alberta on the Plate.
Be sure to visit their website to see all the participating restaurants near you. Heck, you can even travel around Alberta to try all the restaurants, because why not?
