Eat Thanksgiving dinner at a Fairmont hotel
When: October 6 to 10 (dates vary by location)
All weekend long, Fairmont hotels are offering special Thanksgiving menu options. At Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser from October 6 to 9, try a three-course menu at Hawthorn Dining Room and Bar ($70). If you’re heading to Lake Louise from October 7 to 10, Chateau Lake Louise is also offering a seasonal four-course dinner, as well as special Thanksgiving programming all weekend long. If you are in Banff for the weekend, Fairmont Banff Springs is offering take-away Thanksgiving dinners for six to eight people ($375), available on October 8 and 9.
Multiple Fairmont locations, fairmont.com
Eat at a new chef-driven cafe and restaurant inside a rock climbing facility
Newly opened inside SoCal Bouldering Centre, Approach Cafe and Bar is a chef-driven restaurant with a relaxed atmosphere. Watch your friends or kids climb while you nibble on dishes like honey kimchi fries, Brussels sprouts and butternut squash salad, a fried chicken sandwich with gochujang or rice and beef Persian koofteh meatballs. You can wash it down with one of a few local beers, select wines, cocktails and café items.
Inside SoCal Bouldering, 75 Shawville Link S.E., 587-603-6201, approachyyc.com
Watch the film Up with a live soundtrack
When: October 7
As if watching Carl’s curmudgeonly journey in the Disney film Up didn’t make us cry enough already, this weekend, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO) is screening the film while performing the musical score live. CPO is doing two performances on October 7, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. at Jack Singer Concert Hall.
225 8 Ave. S.E., 403-294-7455, calgaryphil.com
Wander through a pumpkin pathway at Pumpkins After Dark
When: Multiple dates until October 31
From Thursday to Sunday evenings (and a special Halloween night showing), check out more than 10,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns at Pumpkins After Dark. The experience takes one to two hours to walk through, with photo opportunities, food trucks and treats along the way.
WinSport, 88 Canada Olympic Rd. S.W., calgary.pumpkinsafterdark.com
Meet your soccer idols at the Allstate Soccer Show
When: October 8
This Sunday at the BMO Centre, the Allstate Soccer Show will be in Calgary for the first time, giving soccer fans an opportunity to meet their idols. Players from the Canadian Men’s and Women’s National teams and clubs like the local Cavalry FC will be there for signings and meet and greets. There will also be panel discussions and a fun zone with soccer-related games and activities.
BMO Centre, soccershow.ca
Enjoy a yakitori omakase dining experience at Shokunin
Shokunin is well known in Calgary for its yakitori menu — a Japanese preparation of charcoal-grilled chicken skewers. The restaurant only butchers up to 30 chickens a day with a limited number of the most sought-after parts like the chicken oyster, and when they sell out, they sell out. If you’re tired of missing out, chef Darren MacLean has created a new 15-course, omakase-style menu with all the best yakitori, as well as appetizers, desserts and an optional drink pairing.
2016 4 St. S.W., 403-229-3444, shokuninyyc.ca
Sink some putts at WinSport Spooktacular Mini Golf
When: Thursdays to Sundays until October 31
This spooky minigolf experience is back at WinSport. From Thursdays to Sundays until Halloween, dress up in your costume, grab your putter and play on this 18-hole, Halloween-themed minigolf course with some friends or family.
WinSport, 88 Canada Olympic Rd. S.W., winsport.ca
Check out Pumpkin Palooza at Cobb’s Corn Maze
When: Saturdays and Sundays from October 7 to 29
Nothing says fall like pumpkins, and Cobb’s has no shortage of them. On Saturdays and Sundays in October, visit this park to walk through the pumpkin patch and choose one to carve for Halloween. You can also check out the petting zoo to see cute animals like kangaroos, fainting goats, pigs and more.
1500 84 St. N.E., 403-210-2676, cobbsadventurepark.com
See a play about the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
When: Until October 29
Playing at Vertigo Theatre, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an adaptation of the classic Victorian gothic horror story. The North American premiere of this production follows Dr. Jekyll as he faces his dark side. The play features four actors playing multiple roles in a thrilling, live experience that brings the story to life like never before.
161, 115 9 Ave. S.E., 403-221-3708, vertigotheatre.com
Shop at Uniqlo’s first Calgary Location
Japanese brand Uniqlo has opened its first Calgary location at CF Chinook Centre. The new store brings 15,000 square feet of cool fashions to Calgarians, including the brand’s environmentally friendly fabric options like BlueCycle jeans.
Read More: Japanese Retailer Uniqlo Opens New Store in Calgary
CF Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Tr. S.W., 403-797-3551, uniqlo.com