Watch a new play about love
When: January 30 to February 18
It just feels right to see a show about love during the month of February. A co-production between Lunchbox Theatre and Chromatic Theatre, Kisapmata uses vignettes to explore two Filipino women’s love story. If you don’t have Valentine’s Day plans yet, consider the 7 p.m. showing on February 14.
161, 115 9 Ave. S.E., lunchboxtheatre.com
Drink tons of hot chocolate during YYC Hot Chocolate Fest
When: February 1 to 29
Most of us don’t need an excuse to enjoy a delicious cup of hot chocolate, but February is always a particularly good month to do so in Calgary. That’s because YYC Hot Chocolate Fest, which encourages local restaurants and coffee shops to come up with unique hot chocolate drinks in support of Calgary Meals on Wheels, runs for the entire month. Try as many of the 2024 drinks as you can, then vote for your favourites online.
Multiple locations, yychotchocolate.com
Check out amazing photos during a local photography festival
When: Throughout February
This annual festival is a celebration of great photography and the established and emerging photographers who capture the captivating images. Now in its 20th year, the Exposure Photography Festival has an impressive line-up in store for audiences throughout the month of February. Along with a wide range of photography exhibitions, attendees can also check out events like artist receptions, panel discussions, a cyanotype workshop, portfolio reviews and more.
Multiple locations, exposurephotofestival.com
Immerse yourself in Mirror Mirror’s multi-sensory experience
When: Opens February 2
A multi-sensory, immersive and interactive experience lands at CF Chinook Centre this month. Mirror Mirror features nine art installations that invite you to participate and explore light, sound and creativity. Adult tickets range from $22 to $26 (depending what day you visit) for the 45-minute experience.
CF Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Tr., mirrormirrorexperience.com
Dine on French fare at Francine’s
Meat & Bread’s downtown space has hosted many evening dining concepts and pop-ups over the last few years. The latest one is Francine’s, a French bar led by chef Garrett Martin and bar manager Nathan Wry. Guests can expect “old-world cocktails, spirits and aperitifs with craveable, tavern-focused and French-accented fare.”
Inside Meat & Bread, 821 1 St. S.W., francines.ca
Have a laugh at a 26-hour improv marathon
When: February 2 to February 3
If you love watching improv day or night, this is the event for you. Local improv company The Kinkonauts is holding a 26-hour improv marathon, staging 26 improv shows starting on Friday, February 2 at 8 p.m. until Saturday, February 3 at 10 p.m. This includes an improvised film noir on Friday at 11 p.m., the 45-minute hat game on Saturday at 3 a.m. and a celebrity pot roast battle on Saturday at 5 a.m. Tickets for the event are by donation and support the Centre for Suicide Prevention.
The Atrium, 625 11 Ave. S.W., kinkonauts.com
Stay warm and active by playing outdoor sports at indoor facilities
It may be winter in Calgary, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your favourite summer sports like golf, baseball or surfing. There are several indoor facilities around the city where you can still play these sports without getting chilly.
Read more: Where to Play Summer Sports Indoors in the Winter
Have some winter fun at Chinook Blast
When: February 2 to 19
There’s no shortage of things to do during this exciting winter festival. Highlights include the Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market featuring more than 75 vendors, sporting events like the 2024 Nitrocross and the Snow Rodeo, the SweetLights lantern installation in Olympic Plaza and more.
Multiple locations, chinookblast.ca
Play arcade games and go bowling in National on 10th’s revamped space
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If you’re looking for a fun night out this month, National on 10th has re-opened with tons of new features. In addition to a new look with 25-foot TV screens, a re-imagined Bourbon Room and a refreshed bowling alley area, there’s a new menu and activities like arcade games and karaoke. Grab some friends and make a night of exploring the revamped space.
341 10 Ave. S.W., ntnl.ca
Check out some Lunar New Year celebrations
When: Multiple dates
This year, Lunar New Year begins on February 10, and there are several celebrations and events happening around the city throughout the month. Check out a Lunar New Year Market at The District at Beltline on February 3, a Chinese New Year Festival at the Calgary Chinese Cultural Centre on February 3, 4, 10 and 11, a 10-course gala dinner on February 23 and more.
Shop for chocolate, coffee and tea at a local market
When: February 4
If you’re a big fan of tea, coffee and/or chocolate, don’t miss this upcoming market in Marda Loop. Running from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., The Chocolate, Coffee & Tea Lovers Market promises plenty of samples and cool products to discover.
3130 16 St. S.W., eventbrite.ca
Get tickets to the Ethnik Festival of Arts & Culture
When: February 9 and 10
Celebrating Afro-Canadian and Caribbean cultures and traditions, this year’s Ethnik Festival of Arts & Culture features a Calgary Food War and emerging artists showcase on February 9, followed by a day of performances and presentations on February 10. The lineup includes Calgary Poet Laureate Wakefield Brewster, MC and comedian Grand Komanda, vocalist Tayo Gbalajobi and more.
Main festival and emerging artist showcase at Telus Convention Centre, 136 8 Ave. S.E.; Calgary Food War at Carya Village Commons, 610 8 Ave. S.E., ethnikfestivals.com
Enjoy some Vietnamese food at the newly opened VyThi Café
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There’s a new spot for Vietnamese food in northeast Calgary. At VyThi Café, there are tons of pho and banh mi options to choose from, as well as a selection of appetizers and drinks ranging from the signature milk tea to the Taro Tornado smoothie. Check it out the next time you’re feeling hungry.
7140, 333 96 Ave. N.E., 403-779-0388, vythicafe.ca
Hear from local Black artists at the latest TD Amplify show
When: February 9 and 10
The TD Amplify series, curated by Calgary poet laureate Wakefield Brewster this season, is back this month with Wakefield Brewster Presents, Pt. 2. Along with a performance by Brewster, the show features four Black artists — M’Kayla Kongnetiman, A.N., Okechukwu Nnamchi and Dizzy Walka — exploring the Black experience through dance, music, poetry and spoken word. There will also be a pre- and post-show party.
Engineered Air Theatre, artscommons.ca
Use a new app to go on a restaurant tasting tour
The newly launched Taste the City app helps you discover and explore local restaurants with its self-guided restaurant tasting tours. Once you book a timed tour, you’re sent digital directions on where to dine and when to walk to the next spot. Try three- or four-stop tours that take you to restaurants on Stephen Avenue, 17th Avenue or in Inglewood.
Try a candle workshop with Field Kit
When: February 9 and 13
Learn how to make your own candles with local artisanal fragrance company Field Kit. During the two-hour workshops, you’ll create two scented candles in coloured glass jars and a custom box. Tickets are $100 each.
408, 323 10 Ave. S.w., fieldkit.studio
Watch some concerts during Block Heater
When: February 15 to 17
Block Heater, the annual winter music festival put on by Calgary Folk Music Festival, is back with a mix of outdoor and indoor performances. Running from February 15 to 17, the festival features more than two dozen bands and singers, including Daniel Romano’s Outfit, The Devil Makes Three, Dominique Fils-Aimé and Jesse Roper. If you need to kill some time before a show or want to catch up with friends after one, consider grabbing a drink at the new Big Rock Festival Bar at the Royal Canadian Legion 1, which is open from 5 p.m. to midnight on February 16 and 17.
Multiple locations, calgaryfolkfest.com
Learn about the life of Leonardo Da Vinci
When: On now until May 5
Dive into the life of Leonardo da Vinci at a new Telus Spark exhibition. Running until May 5, Da Vinci The Exhibition is a family-friendly show covering the Italian polymath’s many accomplishments ranging from more than 65 inventions to the famed “Mona Lisa” painting.
220 St. George’s Dr. N.E., 403-817-6800, sparkscience.ca
Attend a candlelit concert featuring romantic jazz or Taylor Swift songs
When: Multiple dates in February
Fever’s Candlelight concerts are an intimate and unique way to experience live music. The shows feature musicians performing live in beautiful locations filled with candles, creating a moody vibe that adds to the musical experience. Throughout the month of February, there are concerts featuring romantic jazz, video game music and music by specific artists like Taylor Swift, ABBA and Coldplay.
Order a box of cookies from Calgary’s first Crumbl location
Calgary is the latest city to welcome this famed cookie franchise. As of January 19, Calgarians can now pop into the Quarry Park shop for cookies in flavours like strawberry crumb cake, cannoli and cinnamon square. The menu changes weekly, so check back regularly for new creations.
218, 163 Quarry Park Blvd. S.E., crumblcookies.ca
See a colony of king penguins waddle around the Calgary Zoo
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When: On now until mid-March (weather permitting)
Arthur, Cleopatra, Napoleon, Augustus — these are just a few of the adorable king penguins you could see waddling through the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo during the annual Penguin Walk experience. Every winter starting in January, the zoo’s king penguin colony goes on a daily morning walk around the grounds that the public can watch (depending on the weather and animal inclination). The walks start at the Penguin Plunge at 10:30 a.m. and follow a designated route, offering a cool opportunity to see these animals outside of their usual habitat.
Calgary Zoo, 210 St. Georges Dr. N.E., 403-232-9300, calgaryzoo.com
Go to Alberta Theatre Projects’ latest production, The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon
When: February 20 to March 10
Curling takes an intriguing and dark turn in Alberta Theatre Projects’ second production of the season. Set in the 1930s, the Canadian play sees shoemaker Wullie MacCrimmon go up against the devil in a Black Bonspiel curling match.
Martha Cohen Theatre, 215 8 Ave. S.E., albertatheatreprojects.com
Attend a documentary screening at the UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. event
When: February 24
Woezo Africa Music & Dance Theatre Inc.’s annual UNGANISHA: Explore. Connect. Dance. event returns with a film screening and panel discussion this month. The 45-minute documentary celebrates nine dance forms like Afro-Caribbean, samba, jazz and hip-hop, and examines how the African diaspora has shaped them over time. Tickets are only $25 to see the 2 p.m. or 7 p.m. show at Contemporary Calgary.
Contemporary Calgary, 701 11 St. S.W., woezoafrica.com
Volunteer for the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games
When: The Games run from February 27 to March 2
Calgary is hosting the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games at the end of the month, during which time athletes from across the country will compete in events like five-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating and more. If you want to be part of history and help make the games a success, you can still volunteer to help out at this exciting event.
Read more: 8 Things to Know About the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games
Read more: Meet 6 Local Athletes Competing at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary
[Correction: This story previous listed the incorrect date for Wakefield Brewster Presents, Pt. 2. The story has been updated.]