• Location Various Venues 
• Price Free

From lectures to live music and networking events — not to mention all the Calgary Pride festivities — you will find no shortage of free events to explore around town this week. Read our weekly round-up to see what Calgary’s arts have on offer!

Squonk: Hand to Hand

Until August 31, 2022
Olympic Plaza (228 8th Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Audiences of all ages are invited to operate two giant purple puppet hands when Squonk takes over Arts Commons’ front yard as their band plays their signature brand of quirky, upbeat rock and two guitarists engage in a musical face-off.
artscommons.ca

Calgary Pride

Until September 4, 2022
Various venues
Select events are free to attend

Thousands gather at this annual event to celebrate the diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Catch a variety of events ranging from live music to readings throughout the week, including the annual Calgary Pride Parade and Festival.
calgarypride.ca

Alyssa Durnie & Barbara King

August 31, 2022, 12:10 – 1:00pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (608 1st St. SE)
Free to attend

Soprano Alyssa Durnie and mezzo-soprano Barbara King, with pianist Grace King, perform an afternoon concert filled with famous opera arias and duets. They are thrilled to present selections from Cosi fan tutte, Hansel and Gretel and more.
proartssociety.ca

Backstage Pass Summer Social

August 31, 2022, 4:30 – 7:30pm
The Prairie Emporium (300, 334 53 Ave. SE)
Free to attend, RSVP required

The Backstage Pass Summer Social is an opportunity to connect and engage with music industry professionals and artists, all while enjoying food and drinks at a favourite local hotspot – this is an open event for anyone interested!
docs.google.com

Live Music in the Plaza — Tennyson King

August 31, 2022, 6:00pm
Heritage Park (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
Free to attend

Heritage Park’s free outdoor concert series has showcased some of the best emerging acts the local music scene has to offer. Catch true indie folk rock nomad Tennyson King for their final concert this summer!
heritagepark.ca

Alberta Day

September 1, 2022, 11:30am – 1:00pm
Municipal Plaza (800 Macleod Tr. SE)
Free to attend

Kicking off Calgary Culture Days with a free concert and ice cream in front of City Hall. Join The City of Calgary for amazing music from Juno-award-winning artist Celeigh Cardinal and indie rock musician Amy Hef. There’s free ice cream for the first 2,000 people!
calgary.ca

Speed Poetry Contest Celebration

September 1, 2022, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Artisan Gardens, Fish Creek Provincial Park (15979 Bow Bottom Tr. SE)
Free to attend

Celebrate Bow Valley Ranche Historical Society’s cowboy-themed first annual Speed Poetry Contest and Alberta’s birthday with the History Wrangler, featuring music, cupcakes and fun for the entire family.
bowvalleyranche.com

Free First Thursday

September 1, 2022, 5:00 – 10:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to attend

Explore Contemporary Calgary’s galleries, join a tour, connect with Antyx Community Arts and enjoy thoughtfully crafted beverages by Sugar Water Bar, international cuisines by Healthy Baby and music by HOT SAUCE BOOGIE.
contemporarycalgary.com

Trans Panic: A Global History

September 2, 2022, 5:00 – 10:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (701 11th St. SW)
Free to attend, registration required

Why are trans women subject to disproportionate violence? Where did it come from? And when did it arise? The Calgary Institute for the Humanities presents the 4th annual LGTBQ2S+ Lecture, featuring Dr. Jules Gill-Peterson.
eventbrite.ca

Fiesta Filipino

September 2 – 4, 2022
Olympic Plaza (228 8th Ave. SW)
Free to explore

Fiesta Filipino is ready to level up! Head down to the biggest and most colourful street party showcasing Alberta’s vibrant Filipino and Asian communities. Experience the sights, sounds and tastes of Filipino culture and heritage!
facebook.com

Play The Parks: TAYLR & Colin Carbonera

September 3, 2022, 2:00pm
cSpace King Edward (1721 29th Ave. SW)
Free to attend

Presented by the TD Music Connected Series and curated by Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI), this week’s Play the Parks concert marks the second of three musically and culturally diverse live shows at Calgary parks this summer.
tdmusicconnectedseries.com

A Pernicious Arrangement

September 3, 2022, 2:00 – 3:00pm
Outdoor Venue, High River Performing Arts Foundation (125 5th Ave. SW, High River)
Free to attend

The Senior’s Acting Lab invites you to a theatrical reading of an original play written by Louise Day and directed by Erin Noble, which was conceived during a class at the UCalgary taught by Clem Martini and performed at Pumphouse Theatre.
seniorsactinglab.com

Ken Dryden

September 6, 2022, 7:00 – 8:00pm
Stream online
Free to watch, registration required

Wordfest’s Imagine On Air presents Ken Dryden in celebration of his highly anticipated new book The Series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Summit Series, for a conversation hosted by Wordfest’s Shelley Youngblut.
beta.wordfest.com

Have a free event that’s not listed? Email us at events@calgaryartsdevelopment.com or fill out this form.