Best Calgary Summer Activities

July 18, 2013
By Cody Battershill

Best Calgary Summer Activities

Summer is the perfect time for us Calgarians to unwind from months of hibernating during the winter cold. I’ll be the first to admit, sometimes I feel like a wild animal as I run in and out of buildings, stay home and stuff my face and then wake up shivering at the sight of snow, holding onto my blanket like its the last time ill ever see one.

But now it’s summer and it’s time to enjoy ourselves! What better way to do this than to have fun and engage in some of the most popular Calgary summer activities?!

I can’t think of any other way, can you? So here are some of the best Calgary summer activities!

Please leave us a comment and let us know what your favourite summer activities are, and we’ll do our best to add them to the list!

Outdoor Pools

When it comes to the best Calgary summer activities, there’s no substitute for cooling off and getting wet in the summer sun, that’s a for sure thing. Several outdoor pools in different parts of Calgary make it easy for locals to kick back and relax at the poolside.

Now whether that be for tanning, for lane swimming, for some good old water leisure or simply to watch the kids have fun is all up to you. Here are some of the best Calgary outdoor wimming pools I highly recommend to you and your loved ones this summer!

Wading Pools

Do you have young children in tow with you this summer? Calgary also has several wading pools in different quadrants that are great for young children and toddlers to get their water on!

The best part is that it’s easy to combine a picnic and other outdoor activities with a visit to any of Calgary’s wading pools, making them one of the best Calgary summer activities for families with little ones!

Indoor Pools

There’s something about summer that makes you want to get wet. Whether that be at an outdoor or indoor pool is totally up to you.

While outdoor pools are great, indoor pools typically offer longer swimming lanes and more amenities without the crowds. You could say they are preferred by many swimmers simply because of these reasons and some of them even come in a one two punch with a recreational centre and / or fitness facilities.

Aren’t sure where to go to get your indoor swim on? Here are the best Calgary indoor swimming pools.

River Pathways

Calgary is notorious for its extensive network of river parks and pathways. Used by many, in the summer time some of them in more concentrated urban areas such as Eau Claire and East Village are lined with outdoor food and drink vendors, live entertainment and sometimes artisan shops as well!

The spontaneity of not knowing what you’ll end up doing on the pathways in Calgary is very fun and exhilarating at times. Around the next corner it could be a live band performing in Prince’s Island Park or perhaps an amusing magician attracting a crowd on RiverWalk just outside Eau Claire Market…

Oh, and did we mention that if you’re looking for exercise, there’s no better place to get your cardio in? Needless to say, our cities network of pathways is one of the best Calgary summer activities around!

Calgary Parks

Going hand in hand with our network of pathways are our parks! Over 5,300 park sites in more than 10,000 hectares of space means that there aren’t just one or two parks near you, but there are several and that’s an understatement!

There are all sorts of summer activities at our Calgary parks. In larger park areas like Edworthy Park for example, there are several picnic areas, BBQ pits and sheltered eating areas, playgrounds, open fields, public washrooms and more.

And then there’s Fish Creek Provincial Park spanning 19 kilometres from east to west in south Calgary. This is the ultimate outdoor playground where you will find countless amenity areas as well as the beach at the man-made Sikome Lake, which has been known to attract 20,000 people or more on summer weekends!

The sheer volume of visitors to Fish Creek Provincial Park on any given day makes it one of the best Calgary summer activities there is. Check it out!

River Rafting

This is one of my favourite Calgary summer activities. Both the Bow and Elbow Rivers are great for river rafting, although they do provide a different experience.

The Bow River is faster and wider and runs from east to west. One of the best places to begin a day of rafting on the Bow is in Bowness Park. If you’re looking for a real lengthy day of river rafting, then you’ll want to begin in Cochrane and float down into Calgary.

The Elbow River is slower and narrower and runs from south to northeast. A great place to start is Stanley Park in the southwest.

Just remember to use proper safety gear and follow Calgary’s bylaws. The last thing you want is to get a $600 ticket for not wearing your life jacket!

Calgary Patios

It is a rejuvenating feeling to sit down on a patio and eat and drink amid the summer heat. It’s even better when you do this with your friends or family and have a good time.

There are tons of fantastic restaurant patios in Calgary that not only make good food, but are great places to create memories of the fun you had in summer time!

Enjoy yourself this summer while indulging in some delicious eats and salivating drinks at any one of these best Calgary patios!

Banff Activities

One of the best things about living in Calgary is our proximity to the Rocky Mountains.

Only an hour’s drive west on the Trans Canada Highway is Banff. The mountain village is a great starting point for those looking to get involved in summer activities in the Rockies!

Some of them include horseback riding, wild water rafting and hiking – see more at 3 Fun Summer Activities in Banff Alberta!

Festivals

Calgary is filled with action packed festivals year round, celebrating everything from arts and music to history and culture. Some of them, like the Calgary Lilac Festival for example, have always been some of the best Calgary summer activities there is, but the big ones aren’t the only festivals to look out for.

Apart from these Calgary Festivals in July 2013, there are many more to come in the following months you should keep an eye out for including…

GlobalFest – August 16th – 25th 2013

Chinatown Street Festival – mid August 2013

Expo Latino Festival – August 23rd – 25th 2013

Some of the best summer memories I have were created at these festivals. You just have to see them!

Nightlife

It seems that more legendary pop stars, rock stars, singers and disc jockeys visit Calgary during the spring and summer than in the fall and winter. I don’t blame them… I myself dread going outside for any reason when it’s super cold, even if it’s to get into my car so I can go to a concert!

Regardless if I am right or not, the summer brings on a whole new outlook towards nightlife and having fun at entertainment venues around Calgary.

No more waiting in long line ups and letting the cold suck the fun out of your night at these Top 7 Clubs for Summer Groovin', its summer time!

Canada Olympic Park

WinSport's Canada Olympic Park has a full line up of exhilarating Calgary summe activities for the whole family!

Ranging from ziplining and mountain biking to the eurobungy and spiderweb, theres no lack of fun things to do at COP! Check out these Summer Activities at Canada Olympic Park today!

3 More Fun Summer Activities

Just in case you haven’t found anything appealing on our list of best Calgary summer activities so far, here’s some more! See them for yourself at our 3 Fun Calgary Summer Activities today.

Historical Heritage Park, Canada Olympic Park and the TELUS Spark Science Centre are three very fun and engaging places to go with lots of activities and events!

Best Calgary Summer Activities…

Summer is a time to have fun, relax and enjoy life. Thanks to the amazing city we live in, there are more than enough awesome summer activities to keep us all busy.