• Price Free

The long weekend might be behind us but there are still plenty of opportunities to squeeze more summer fun and a bunch of them are free. Here are our top picks for the week:

ProArts Presents Kathleen Morrison

August 3, 2016, 12:10pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free, family-friendly

Calgarian and coloratura soprano, Kathleen Morrison is known for her powerful voice and dramatic abilities. She is quickly becoming a sought-after performer on the international operatic stage and this is the perfect chance to hear her perform.
proartssociety.ca

Preview in the Plaza

August 3, 2016, 12:00pm
Eau Claire Market (200 Barclay Parade SW) *NOTE VENUE CHANGE*
Free

It’s the Year of Music in Calgary and the City has planned a bunch of free, lunch hour concerts on Wednesdays in Olympic Plaza. This week get a taste of Expo Latino with international recording artist Natalie Castro and Grammy-nominated Cuban superstar Wil Campa.
calgarycitynews.com

The Gender Apocalypse featuring Rae Spoon & Plastik

August 3, 2016, 9:00pm
#1 Royal Canadian Legion (116 7th Ave. SE) *NOTE VENUE CHANGE*
Free

Join TRUCK Gallery for this participatory performance by Rae Spoon and Plastik (Alexandre Decoupigny) where the audience is asked to dress up in ways representative of what a gender apocalypse means to them. This multi-layered performance mixes guitar, vocals and electronic elements with projected media collage as a backdrop meant to create conversations about gender and to highlight gender as a performance.
truck.ca

Music In The Plaza

August 3, 2016, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Heritage Town Square, Heritage Park Historical Village (1900 Heritage Dr. SW)
Free

Heritage Park’s free summer concert series returns for a fifth season of spectacular live music. This week hear Peter and the Wolves, fronted by Howlin’ Pete Cormier, Calgary’s rockabilly prince.
heritagepark.ca

Stephen Avenue Walk #IAMDOWNTOWN Summer Stage

August 4 – 6 & 9, 2016, 12:00pm
Stephen Avenue Summer Stage (Centre Street & 8th Ave. SE)
Free

Wednesday’s entertainment may have gotten washed out but there’s still chances to see Pete Fischer & The Hurricanes, Daughters of the Nile Belly Dancers, The Calysto Steel Band, and Mariachi Raza Azteca on Downtown Calgary’s Summer Stage.
calgarydowntown.com

Music in the Park

August 4, 2016, 12:00 –1:00pm
Central Memorial Park (1221 2nd St. SW)
Free

The City of Calgary’s free summer concert series is back! Come enjoy live music with family and friends in beautiful parks around the city. This week, head to Central Memorial to hear Los Morenos merge rumba, flamenco, pop-jazz, funk and eastern sounds with an infectious dance beat.

https://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Parks/Pages/Programs/Music-in-the-park.aspx

Street Piano Sing-a-Long

August 4, 2016, 12:00pm
Piano Bar at Eau Claire Market (200 Barclay Parade SW)
Free, family-friendly

The final series of Street Pianos for 2016 is here and this time it’s all about Sing-a-longs! Attendees a chance to get involved with the performance (download the lyrics here) and first up is Dee Skappak.
calgarydowntown.com

Blue on the Avenue featuring John Rutherford

August 4, 2016, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Stephen Avenue Summer Stage (Centre Street & 8th Ave. SE)
Free, family-friendly

John Rutherford joins host and curator Mike Watson for this week’s exploration of local blues music. Known for his work laced with the tonality and phrasing, Rutherford fuses a broad and eclectic range of influences creating a sound distinctly his own.
calgarydowntown.com

Free First Thursday Nights

August 4, 2016, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free

It’s the last Free First Thursday of the summer and with a great lineup of exhibitions, it’s a great time to head to the museum, all thanks to Servus Credit Union.
glenbow.org

Expo Latino

August 5, 2016
Prince’s Island Park (698 Eau Claire Ave. SW)
Free Friday entry with food bank donation

As Calgary’s hottest outdoor festival, Expo Latino celebrates Hispanic culture through dance, music, food and art. Bring a non-perishable food item for the Calgary Food Bank and get into the grounds for free on Friday.
expolatino.com

Memento

August 5, 2016, 8:00pm
TRUCK Contemporary Art in Calgary (2009 10th Ave. SW)
Free

Celebrate the closing reception of Memento, Natalie McDonald’s final thesis project. Resulting from two years of study as a MFA graduate student at the University of Calgary, the show interprets the artist’s experience journey from adolescence into adulthood through the use of installation and imagery of floral decay.
facebook.com

TD Chinatown Street Festival

August 6, 2016
Throughout Chinatown
Free

This street festival celebrates the city’s cultural diversity. Come down to enjoy and experience the best of what Chinatown has to offer—shopping, food, culture and a sense of community pride.
calgarychinesemerchants.org

Summers on 17th: MarketSpot

August 6, 2016, 12:00 – 6:00pm
Tomkins Park (17th Ave., between 7th & 8th St. SW)
Free, family-friendly

Featuring the dynamic duo of MarketSpot, a collaboration between Market YYC and Artspot, swing by and check out live music, reading racks supplied by the Calgary Public Library, artisan vendors, performances, produce markets, kids crafting activities and more.
17thave.ca/summers-on-17th

The Gruffalo

August 6, 2016, 2:00 – 2:45pm
Alexander Calhoun Library (3223 14 St. SW)
Free, ages two to six with a caregiver

Join The Jabberwocky Players for a musical interactive presentation of this popular children’s classic by Julia Donaldson.
events.calgarypubliclibrary.com

Kensington Summertime Outdoor Movies

August 6, 2016, 9:00pm
Calgary Parking Authority Lot 57 (1210 Kensington Rd. NW)
Free, family-friendly, BYO-chair

Back by popular demand, Kensington Summertime Outdoor Movies series returns for its second consecutive year and this year it’s all about the 80s. It all kicks off this week with The Breakfast Club.
facebook.com

Wafaa Bilal: 168:01 – Rebuilding Futures, One Book at a Time

August 7, 2016, 2:00 – 3:00pm
Esker Foundation (444, 1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended

Check out this informative tour with curator Srimoyee Mitra that focuses on Wafaa Bilal’s exhibition, 168:01, an exhibition that aims to replace the fine arts books in the University of Baghdad’s library that were destroyed over 13 years ago.
eventbrite.ca

Pop-Up Poetry

August 9, 2016, 11:30am – 1:00pm
Stephen Ave. in front of Winners (128 8th Ave. SW)
Free

Mount Royal University is celebrating the written word and Calgary’s remarkable writers. Meet and connect with local poets and watch the creative process in action with Calgary’s Poet Laureate Micheline Maylor, Richard Harrison, derek beaulieu and Cassy Welburn.
mtroyal.ca