Best Calgary Spring & Summer Festivals

The Best Spring & Summer Festivals in Calgary

Calgary’s spring and summer seasons are embraced by many in YYC with open arms not only because of the warm, sunny weather, but also because of the arrival of some of our city’s best annual festivals.

These events play a large role in promoting community, heritage and multiculturalism while also being a staple of arts and culture in our city.

If you're looking to get out to some of the best spring and summer festivals that Calgary has to offer, then you'll want to check out one or all of the following events.

Here are our top picks for best spring and summer festivals in Calgary. Don't miss them!

Lilac Festival

• When – Early June
• Where – 420, 1711 4th Street SW
• Cost - Free

The 4th Street Lilac Festival is one of the biggest one day festival events in Calgary all year - and one of the most exciting!

Spanning along 4th Street between 13th Avenue and Elbow Drive SW, this massive celebration of the arts and culture in our city exposes you to an eclectic mix of musical genres, street buskers and other live performances that will leave your entertainment quotas filled.

You’ll also get to shop around at more than 500 artisan vendors and do a bit of snackin’ (or a lot) at one of the several food trucks or restaurants lining the streetscapes.

The best part about Lilac Festival is that you never know what to expect; from tobacco pipes and office pens made out of bullets to live acrobatic and fire breathing performances, there's a little bit of something for the 100,000 plus people that attend annually.

Sled Island Music Festival

• When – Mid to late June
• Where – various venues
• Cost - $15.00 +

Every year Calgary’s annual Sled Island Music Festival comes around, it's bigger and better than any of the years before!

What makes this event so cool is the fact that it's not held just at one location, but several (over 25 last year) across the city. That makes each and every Sled Island Music Festival event a unique experience on its own.

That includes tickets prices also. Some events are much more affordable while others you'll pay upwards of $50.00 or more, making the entire experience fully customizable to suit your specific tastes. And, with more than 200 performing artists / bands performing during the four day festival, it'll be hard not to find something you like.

The Sled Island Music Festival was recently voted as one of the top 10 festivals in Canada by CBC Radio 3 listeners. Find out what all the hype is about this summer at one of the Sled Island Music Festival events!

Calgary Folk Music Festival

• When – Mid to late July
• Where – Prince's Island Park
• Cost - $15.00 +

There are few music festivals in Western Canada that will expose you to such a diversity of musical genres and raw talent other than the Calgary Folk Music Festival.

Every year this massive event, hosted in the beautiful (and central) downtown recreational area of Prince's Island Park, brings over 70 artists from over a dozen different countries to perform on 9 different stages.

Apart from the live musical performances, the island is completely transformed to include an interactive family area, culinary vendors, adult beer garden and international craft market.

Join more than 10,000 people every day to watch this celebration of culture and music unfold on one of our city’s most acclaimed green spaces!

Fiestaval

• When – Mid to late July
• Where – Calgary Olympic Plaza
• Cost - Free

Things get spiced up in the downtown core during Fiestaval, one of our city’s finest celebrations of Latin culture.

This family-orientated event is completely free, includes artisan shops and food vendors and live music, dance and entertainment of all sorts.

It's downtown location near public transportation and C-Train terminals makes it an ideal summer festival for the whole family to enjoy.

Last years’ stage performances were phenomenal – you don’t want to miss this one!

GlobalFest

• When – Mid to late August
• Where – 285, 2323 32nd Avenue NE
• Cost - $15.00 +

There are few festivals in Calgary that deliver as much bang for your buck than GlobalFest. These nightly firework shows light up the night sky while reflecting on the ponds at Elliston Park, creating a magnificent display of color and beauty for all to enjoy.

What’s cool about GlobalFest is that the firework shows are actually themed to represent different nations of the world so you can choose which night you want to check out.

Apart from the show, you will find several cultural booths where you can learn about different cultures and eat some of their cuisines.

There are also a variety of artisan shops and family activity areas, making GlobalFest one of the most family-friendly and all-inclusive festivals year round!

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Want to know more about local activities, events and everything else to do with YYC? If so, we invite you to join us at Calgaryism on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram today – have a great spring and summer!