Smell the Flours at La Table Haute Pastry
This cozy, affordablly priced bakery specializes in both classic and contemporary French pastries, including croissants, danishes and baguettes. La Table Haute also has cakes and macarons, and everything pairs nicely with a hot hand-pulled espresso.
26 Market Blvd. S.E., 403-808-3126, latablepastry.com
Fuel up the Whole Family at Abe’s Modern Diner
Abe’s Modern Diner describes itself as one of Airdrie’s “little gems,” and the menu walks the talk: pulled barbecue chicken sandwiches, truffle-mushroom burgers and pork belly poutines are on offer for lunch and dinner. Dietary restrictions got you down? Abe’s is a nut-free kitchen, has vegan burgers and can make the majority of its menu items gluten-free.
101, 30 Market Blvd. S.E., 587-254-0539, abesfood.ca
Get in the Game at Apple Creek Arcade
Just outside Airdrie sits the Apple Creek Arcade, which features more than 60 new and vintage arcade games, including pinball, skeeball and air hockey. Newer installments include Minecraft Dungeons, Hot Wheels and Minions Soccer. For analog gamers, there’s a golf course — so you can also tag nine or 18 holes onto your visit.
11064 Township Rd. 275, 403-912-2191, applecreekarcade.ca
Take a Walk at Chinook Winds Regional Park
This 55-acre space has more than two kms of paved pathways, three individual park spaces, a skatepark, a spray and splash park, beach volleyball courts and baseball diamonds. In the winter, visitors can go tobogganing, cross-country skiing and ice-skate on the outdoor rink. It’s an excellent place to enjoy the outdoors, no matter the weather.
2853 Chinook Winds Dr. S.W., airdrie.ca
Get Lit at the Airdrie Festival of Lights
If you’re travelling through Airdrie in December, this light festival in Nose Creek Regional Park is a must-see. The festival is Western Canada’s largest free outdoor walk-through holiday light display, with 13 installations using more than 500,000 bulbs. Visitors can also take one of three miniature trains around the festival site. On your way out, stop by Santa’s Gift Shop to pick up some souvenirs (and tell him how good you’ve been all year).
Nose Creek Regional Park, 403-912-9627, airdrielights.com