Calgary's Culture Days

Discover. Experience. Celebrate. Calgary Culture Days

Calgary Culture Days takes place every September 1 – 30 and is a celebration of local arts, culture and community spirit.

About Calgary Culture Days

  • A Calgary tradition

    Calgary Culture Days has been recognized since 2014. Each year, more people participate and discover something new about our city, our stories and each other. It’s an opportunity to showcase creatives, community groups and cultural organizations from all backgrounds, sharing diverse expressions of arts and culture in Calgary.

    Calgary Culture Days also includes moments of remembrance. We commemorate Orange Shirt Day and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by highlighting events that honour residential school victims, survivors and their families, while encouraging meaningful learning and dialogue.

  • Why it matters

    Arts and culture are at the heart of what makes Calgary a vibrant, welcoming city. They spark creativity, connect communities and breathe life into our neighbourhoods. From murals and music to film, festivals, and food — culture is everywhere.

    Arts and culture creates jobs, attracts visitors and helps grow our local economy. Most importantly, arts and culture help us feel like we belong by sharing our stories and celebrating what makes each of us unique.

Lonny Balbi, Founder of Taste of Italy and a 2025 Calgary Culture Days Ambassador, shares why learning about different cultures matters and how the Taste of Italy connects Calgarians to Italian heritage.

Featured events

Week of Sep. 1

Afro Caribbean Festival YYC

Sep. 6 & 7

Celebrate African & Caribbean culture with music, dance, art, food & more. Unity and diversity in Calgary’s inclusive festival!

Taste of Italy Calgary

Sep. 7

Celebrate Italian culture with food, music, dance and contests! Taste of Italy showcases local Italian businesses and brings a true taste of Italy to Calgary.

Joyland Film Screening + Panel Discussion

Sep. 7

A community led screening and panel discussion of the award-winning Pakistani film Joyland about queer love. An exploration of identity, desire and family expectations.

Phil in the Park

Sep. 7

Enjoy a free community concert with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra and Resident Conductor Juliane Gallant, featuring classical favourites, show tunes, pops and local food trucks to bid farewell to summer.

Event calendar

Planning an event in September that celebrate local arts, culture and community spirit?
 
Submit your Calgary Culture Days event


New events added weekly.

Eastside Studio Crawl

Eastside Studio Crawl celebrates artistic expression and collaboration. An invitation to spend the day making new friends!

Run for Childhood Cancer

Join the Run for Childhood Cancer with 2K, 5K and 10K options. Enjoy family fun with bouncy castles, food, prizes and more as we come together to support kids fighting cancer.

When: Sep. 20
Where: Peace Park

Run for Childhood Cancer

Culture Connect Festival

Multicultural festival featuring music, dance, crafts, exhibits and workshops that celebrate diverse cultures.

Recovery Day Alberta

Recovery Day Alberta is a free festival celebrating recovery, reducing stigma and connecting people to support and resources.

Exhibition Opening | Erik Olson + Preston Pavlis

Please join Contemporary Calgary for the opening of two solo exhibitions, Erik Olson: In the Garden and Preston Pavlis: You there.

Calgary Harmony: A Celebration of Culture, Heritage and Community

Enjoy a group Tai Chi demonstration with 200+ participants, traditional Chinese Mid-Autumn and Double Ninth festival celebrations and an ethnocultural diversity showcase.

Serious Family Fun: Folk Tales

A magical, family-friendly mash-up of music, stories and fun! Create and star in an opera with masks, singing and imagination.

When: Sep. 27
Where: Calgary Opera

Serious Family Fun

Culture Connect Festival

Multicultural festival featuring music, dance, crafts, exhibits and workshops that celebrate diverse cultures.

Festival of Lights: An Evening of Global Traditions

Celebrate light-related traditions from around the world with cultural booths, lantern-making workshops, live music, dance performances and a community lantern walk.

When: Sep. 28
Where: Sien Lok Park

Festival of Lights

Past events

Aug. 29 to Sep. 1 events

  • Fiesta Filipino (Aug. 29 to Sep. 1): A vibrant celebration of Filipino culture, diversity and unity through music, food, art, performances and storytelling.
  • Music on the Ave (Aug. 30): The City of Calgary invites you to kick off Culture Days by enjoying the sounds of local live music on Stephen Ave starting at noon. Featuring performances by Amy Hef, Stephen Fletcher, Tayo G and Robert Adam.
  • Alberta Day at Heritage Park (Aug. 31): Celebrate Alberta Day with Heritage Park and the Government of Alberta! Enjoy family-friendly entertainment, live music, activities and more in celebration of Alberta’s community, culture and heritage. 

Calgary Culture Days funding

This year, we introduced the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant to support community-led initiatives that help activate Calgary’s greater downtown through free or low-cost arts and culture programming during the month of September.

With a total of $100,000 in available funding for 2025, the Calgary Culture Days Microgrant supported new small-scale initiatives or the enhancement of existing ones, offering up to $5,000 per initiative.

Applications are now closed

Thank you to everyone who applied. You can see the supported initiatives in our events calendar.

Do you have a larger initiative in mind? Check other funding opportunities here.

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