How to spend Canada’s 151st birthday
By: Robyn Welsh, Publishing Editor
With Canada Day coming up this weekend, Calgary will be bustling with things to do. If you’re still not sure how to spend the country’s birthday, we’ve compiled a few ideas for you.
Hiking
What better way to celebrate Canada than hiking in the beautiful natural oases right in our backyard?
Several great trails include Moose Mountain, Grotto Canyon, Ha Ling Peak, Guinn’s Pass and the Badlands Train in Dinosaur Provincial Park. Make sure to look into the difficulty of the hikes and any required equipment before heading out.
For more hiking suggestions, read our story about hiking in the fall here! It features some trails that are great for both summer and fall hiking trips.
Attend a street fair or block party
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. the East Village community will be lively with vendors, food trucks, children’s activities (including balloon animals!), and live music. Los Majes and Rick Poltaruk will be performing starting at 11 a.m.
So if you’d like to spend the day dancing along to Latin and Christian blues music, the East Village street fair is the place to be.
At Max Bell Centre, MarketSpot will be hosting the fifth annual Canada Day block party. The event will feature live music, beer gardens, food trucks, and free kids activities from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. As well, Max Bell is a great spot to view the fireworks from!
Heritage Park Canada Day
From a parade, line dancers and juggling to old-fashioned games and crafts and mini horses, Heritage Park promises ample entertainment for guests on Canada Day. The park says that the event is a great way to learn about Canadian heritage.
The first 2,018 guests will get a free pancake breakfast with paid admission before 10:30 a.m. on July 1. The event will run from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Camping
It may be a little bit late to book a campsite this year since they go so quickly for Canada day. But if you have a fun group of people, it won’t hurt to look!
If you’re having trouble finding somewhere for this year, I would suggest snatch a campsite as soon as booking open next year. Several great spots near Calgary include the Gooseberry, Interlakes, McLean Creek, Beaver Flats, Little Elbow and Crimson Lake campgrounds.
It can be just as fun to set-up a tent and camp out in a backyard, especially if that backyard has a fire-pit. Plus, you’ll have access to an indoor bathroom and a fridge to keep your drinks cool. Camping in someone’s backyard also takes far less planning, is more low-stakes and can be less of a time and commute commitment for participants. You can also try to find a friend who can see the fireworks from their backyard to make the experience even more spectacular!
No matter what you end up doing this Canada Day, if you’re in Calgary, the annual fireworks are set to begin at 11 p.m. on the Centre Street Bridge. The City of Calgary’s website says a few good vantage points are Riverfront Avenue, Nose Hill Park and Max Bell Center.
There are many more events taking place across the city July 1st. For more ideas visit http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Recreation/Pages/Events/Canada-day.aspx.
