• Price Free

Get ready to grab your fill of pancakes, country music, and community, the Calgary Stampede kicks off this week bringing with it a host of free events. Here’s what we’re checking out:

The Painted Windows Exhibition

Until July 15, 2017
Throughout Bridgeland-Riverside, East Village, and Victoria Park
Free

A twist on a Calgary tradition, Buds of Buds presents this very cool exhibition featuring a variety of artists’ work on local business owners’ windows. Expressing what Alberta culture and heritage means to each artist, take an afternoon to walk around and explore. You can even vote for your favourite one—the artist who painted the window with the most votes will be awarded a $5,000 cash prize. Other awards include a $1,000 Jury’s Selection and a $500 Celebrity’s Choice.
facebook.com

ProArts@Noon Presents Brittany Rae

July 5, 2017, 12:10 – 12:50pm
Cathedral Church of the Redeemer (604 1st St. SE)
Free

Soprano Brittany Rae is joined by French-Canadian bass-baritone Simon Chalifoux and pianist Evan Mounce for this noon hour concert exploring the merging of the male and female voices.
proartssociety.ca

Guided Walks of the Painted Windows Exhibition

July 5, 9 & 13, 2017
Meet at Studio Bell, Home of the National Music Centre (850 4th St. SE)
Free

Join Love Art in Calgary for one of three free guided walking tours of Buds of Buds’ Painted Windows Exhibition. It all starts in the East Village before heading to Bridgeland and Victoria Park. Download the Buds of Buds App, vote for your favourite window, and learn details about each artist and business. Check out the event page for times and details.
facebook.com

First Flip Stampede Breakfast

July 6, 2017, 7:30 – 10:30am
Stephen Avenue (Between 1st St. & Centre St. SE)
Free

Kick off the party with Calgary’s first pancake breakfast of the Stampede season, this free event is known for its great food and entertainment. Presented in partnership with Tourism Calgary, Calgary Telus Convention Centre, Calgary Parking Authority, Calgary Economic Development, and the Calgary Downtown Association, no RSVP is required, just swing on by.
calgarydowntown.com

Mini Masters

July 6, 2017, 11:00 – 11:45am
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration essential

Calling Calgary’s newest contemporaries! Join the Esker Foundation on the first Thursday of every month for a hands-on art class. Parents and guardians are invited to bring their little ones, ages two to five, to explore art-making in this fun and social program. All are welcome to participate, just dress for mess!
eventbrite.ca

Free First Thursday Nights

July 6, 2017, 5:00 – 9:00pm
Glenbow (130 9th Ave. SE)
Free

Have you been to Glenbow lately? It’s a great time to check out Kent Monkman’s Shame and Prejudice: A Story of Resilience—the museum is open late and admission is free.
facebook.com

The Holy Mountain

July 6, 2017, 7:00 – 8:55pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended

A Christ-like figure wanders through bizarre, grotesque scenarios filled with religious and sacrilegious imagery, join the Esker Foundation as it screens Alejandro Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain. Viewer discretion is advised.
eventbrite.ca

Miss Confederation

July 6, 2017, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free

Canada’s journey to Confederation kicked off with a bang—or rather, a circus, a civil war, a small fortune’s worth of champagne, and a lot of making love (in the old-fashioned sense). Miss Confederation offers a rare look back, through a woman’s eyes, at the men and events at the centre of this pivotal time in Canada’s history. Head to Shelf Life for this reading from Anne McDonald’s latest book followed by a panel discussion with Rea Tarvydas, Lori Hahnel, and Susan Cameron.
facebook.com

My Caveat, Your Excavation

Untitled Art Society (343 11th Ave. SW)
July 6, 2017, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Free

Presented in partnership with LOFT 112, Untitled Art Society hosts this reading with Helen Hajnoczky and Maryse Larivière, followed by a dialogue with Michael Nardone. It’s a great time to explore Larivière’s current exhibition, Under the cave of winds.
facebook.com

EV Junction Pop-Up Retail Park

July 6 – 9, 2017
EV Junction (4th St. & 8th Ave. SE)
Free

Head to the East Village every Thursday through Sunday until October 1 and hit up the food trucks, live music, performances, pop-up art, and much more. This Thursday enjoy an acoustic jazz guitar trio performing popular jazz standards, part of the Creative Living Room Series, and check out Junction Jams with BassBus Friday night.
evexperience.com

Stampede Parade

July 7, 2017, 7:30am
Downtown Calgary
Free

Same great parade, new direction—head downtown this Friday for the annual Stampede Parade. This year’s Parade Marshals are none other than the seven chiefs of the Treaty 7 Nations. And after the parade, head to the grounds for free admission from 11:00am to 1:30pm.
calgarystampede.com

Bring The Baby Art Tour

July 7, 2017, 12:00 – 12:30pm
Esker Foundation (1011 9th Ave. SE)
Free, registration recommended

Escape the heat and bring your baby to Esker Foundation for this tot-friendly discussion and relaxed, social tour.
eventbrite.ca

Stampede Lunch

July 7, 2017, 1:00pm
Contemporary Calgary (117 8th Ave. SW)
Free

You don’t have to get art to get lunch, just head to Contemporary Calgary for a Stampede classic—beef on a bun. And while you’re there make sure you check out Buffalo Boy’s Stampede Tickle and Slap, a performance by Adrian Stimson, taking place from 3:00 to 4:00pm outside the gallery on Stephen Avenue. Following the performance, a parade led by Stimson will head to the Globe Cinema for another performance and the reception for WILD: Fabricating a Frontier.
facebook.com

Amy Bishop

July 7, 2017, 7:00pm
Good Earth Coffeehouse Glenmore Landing (1600 90th Ave. SW)
Free

Enjoy a nice cup of coffee and some live music this Friday at Good Earth Glenmore Landing with Amy Bishop. You can even request a song!
facebook.com

Other Histories Opening Reception

July 7, 2017, 8:00pm
The New Gallery (208 Centre St. SE)
Free

Amin Rehman is known for work that engages with and comments on the current effects of neo-colonialism and globalization. Encompassing multiple artistic mediums such as installation, painting, video, and neon, Other Histories plays with the meaning and intentionality of their words. Admission is free and all are welcome.
thenewgallery.org

Calgary Night Market

July 7 & 8, 2017, 5:00 – 11:00pm
Southcentre Mall (100 Anderson Rd. SE)
Free

Enjoy live local entertainment, local eats, and a one-of-a-kind market featuring artisan vendors and local businesses.
facebook.com

WILD: Fabricating a Frontier

July 7 – 15, 2017
Multiple locations
Free

Exploring interspecies relations, the intersectionality of the frontier, and feminist and Indigenous discourses, WILD: Fabricating a Frontier is presented by Contemporary Calgary in partnership with the Calgary Underground Film Festival and M:ST Performative Art Festival. An intensive 10-day festival, WILD features nightly performances, film screenings, and discussions by local, national, and international artists, filmmakers, curators, and writers, as well as an exhibition running from July 7 to August 26 across three separate venues.
contemporarycalgary.com

Pancake Breakfast & Connections 2017 Closing Reception

July 8, 2017, 9:00 – 11:30am
Ruberto Ostberg Gallery (2108 18th St. NW)
Free

Ruberto Ostberg Gallery closes its Our Home and Native Land – Connections 2017 show with its annual artist-run pancake breakfast. Come by for pancakes, enjoy a live musical performance by Shona Rae and the Voodoo Hand, and take in a fantastic exhibition.
facebook.com

Theme Portrait Publication Launch + Exhibition

July 8, 2017, 6:00 – 10:00pm
Shelf Life Books (1302 4th St. SW)
Free

Celebrate the launch of SEITIES no. 008 with on site tintypes by Rainika PhotoGraphik and fine art photography on display by cover artist George Webber and feature artist Todd Korol.
facebook.com

Calgary Parking Authority Stampede Breakfast

July 11, 2017, 7:00 – 9:00am
Calgary Parking Authority (620 9th Ave. SW)
Free

Join the Calgary Parking Authority and celebrate Stampede with a free breakfast and great music. You can even grab your own #CPACOW and have a chance to win $100 in free parking.
facebook.com