Alberta, Canada — Events
Lilac Festival
Every year on the last Sunday in May, hundreds of thousands of people flock to the trendy 4th Street Mission district of Calgary for the annual Lilac Festival. Celebrating the blooming of the spring and that all-important purple flower, the Lilac Festival features a huge market with over 600 stalls and an all-day line-up of the best in Calgary music, including rock, country, jazz, folk, and world music. The main event is a massive parade starting at 10am at the intersection of 4th Street and 25th Avenue, and continuing along 4th Street to 13th Avenue.
Calgary Stampede
For ten exciting days each July the Wild West wins the day in Calgary when the city comes alive with a celebration of true western hospitality and rousing fun. The Calgary Stampede is centerd around a myriad of rodeo events that see top professional cowboys compete in bull riding, roping, bareback riding, and steer wrestling. Meanwhile the gathered crowds join in the festivities with pancake breakfasts, square dancing, and cheering on a two-hour parade, ground-shaking Chuckwagon races, and a spectacular evening Grandstand Show extravaganza.
Calgary Folk Music Festival
A well-respected music festival, the Calgary Folk Fest (as it’s commonly known) attracts about 50,000 music fans to Prince’s Island Park every year. Featuring over 60 local and international acts each year - spread across seven stages - the Calgary Folk Music Festival is considered to be a bit of a ‘purist’s festival’, known for listening and appreciative audiences.
