Plaza Palooza

Celebrate, get festive and have fun! Plaza Palooza

Get together outdoors with your friends, family and fellow Calgarians to check out four weekends of free festival fun at Olympic Plaza. 

Location and dates

Olympic Plaza

Address: 228 8 Ave SE
Getting there:

For information on how to travel to Olympic Plaza using public transit, visit calgarytransit.com. For information on parking nearby, visit calgaryparking.com

Friday to Sunday, various weekends

Dates:

  • Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2024
    (Please note: Nov. 30 & Dec. 1 are cancelled due to cold weather)
  • Dec. 6 – 8, 2024
  • Dec. 13 – 15, 2024
  • Dec. 20 – 22, 2024

Hours:

4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Entertainment and activities

Join us for the family-friendly fun on offer including:

  • Live entertainment on stage every night - local community groups and artists on Fridays and Sundays, and Battle of the Buskers on Saturdays
  • DJs spinning tunes for the Plaza Palooza dance floor
  • Live ice sculpture carving demonstrations
  • Roving performers – stilt walkers, living statues, fire breathers and more
  • Calgary '88 Winter Olympics video courtesy of the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 

Dazzling lights and photo opportunities

Enjoy exploring the plaza, which will be decorated in dazzling festive lights along with spectacular light art displays – we’ll even have a roving photographer to snap & share pics of you and your crew. Featuring:

  • The DOOR(S) and The ARRAY by Big Art
  • Forest Guides by Ken Hacke
  • Prairie Fire, and Koda and Aurora by True North Absurdities
  • Light-up igloos for the kids to explore  
  • Roving photos from Hip Image
  • Selfie photo station 

Battle of the Buskers

On each of the first three Saturdays of the event from 5 – 9 p.m. watch some of Calgary’s best local buskers take part in a friendly “battle” on the Plaza Palooza stage. The Battle of the Buskers winner will be announced at 8 p.m. on the final event Saturday and will take home the ultimate title prize – a paid performance spot at The City’s 2025 Canada Day celebrations!

The details:

  • 10 local buskers a night will have 20 minutes each to show their stuff on Nov. 30, Dec. 7, and 14th. 
  • Buskers can collect donations during their performance and sell their music/video of their performances.
  • Competitors will be judged by a panel of local professionals within the Calgary’s Arts & Culture scene.
  • The three highest scoring buskers from each qualifying night will compete for the title prize during finale night, on Saturday, December 21.
  • The competition is open to anyone with a City of Calgary standard or transit busking ID.

Full details on rules, application deadline, requirements (including how to obtain a busking ID) and the registration form are available at calgary.ca/busking

Carnival games

Test your skills and challenge your fam and besties to our onsite games:

  • Box Hockey
  • Cornhole
  • Mini Golf

Staying warm

Winter evenings can get chilly, stay warm and cozy at Plaza Palooza:

  • Enjoy onsite fire pits to warm your hands and toes.
  • Craving’s Bistro will be open from 5 – 9 p.m. and Huggabowl will be open from 4 – 9 p.m. each evening where you can purchase warm food and drinks. 

While you're downtown, check out all the fun and exciting things to do! Visit calgary.ca/exploredowntown to plan your adventure in the heart of our city and for info on more opportunities for winter fun throughout Calgary, visit calgary.ca/winteractivities.

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