From festivals and firepits, to snow tubing and sports, Calgary promises a super fun Family Day Weekend!
If you’re looking for things to do in (and around) Calgary this Family Day Weekend, you’re in the right place! On the long weekend, you can visit select museums or provincial historic sites for free, try fishing for the first time without a fishing license, or experience a new sport for free. We’ve also included some family favorites like snow tubing and the Fish Creek Ice Falls.
Festivals
Chinook Blast promises to “warm up your winter” with live music, art installations, and fun winter activities in downtown Calgary, East Village, and Inglewood. While you’re exploring, get a tasty treat at a food truck and warm up at fire pits, or skate at the Olympic Oval. See the Event Schedule and map for details. Experience the best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreational activities! February 2-19, 2024.
YYC Hot Chocolate Fest is a friendly competition between participating restaurants, cafes, and chocolatiers to create the best hot chocolate AND support Calgary Meals on Wheels. $1-3 of each hot chocolate fest beverage will be donated to Meals on Wheels. Get the app to find a participating location near you! February 1-29, 2024.
FISHtival at Bow Habitat Station celebrates aquatic ecosystems. Join in games and activities, explore the Discovery Centre & visit special guest booths (we’ve seen reptiles and raptors in past years), and feed the fish! Tickets must be reserved in advance for this popular event. February 17, 2024; 9:30 AM to 4 PM
All Sport One City is a cool Sport Calgary initiative that allows you to try a new sport (parkour, fencing, bobsleigh, rugby and more) for free! Registration is required. February 10-19, 2024 at various locations around the city.
Free Admission
Free Admission to Provincial Historic Sites and Museums on Family Day: Visit world class attractions such as the Alberta Museum, Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Head Smashed in Buffalo Jump, and Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller for free. Note that some locations require you to pre-book tickets. For a complete listing of historic sites, visit https://www.alberta.ca/historic-sites-museums.aspx February 19, 2024.
Family Day at Studio Bell features The Buckleys, an organ demo, Country Instrument Petting Zoo, Hand drumming, Kimball Theatre Organ Demonstration, and the Canadian Chamber Choir. Admission is free on February 19, 2024; 10 am – 5 pm.
Outdoor Activities
Family Fishing Weekend: From February 17-19, 2024, you can fish without a fishing license! Fishing regulations apply (and national parks are not included), so you should check: 1) if the body of water you’re fishing is open, 2) what you are allowed to keep, and 3) catch limits. If you’ve never taken your kids fishing before, our 8 Tips to get your kids hooked on fishing will help.
Have a bonfire! Bring your own firewood and head to a picnic area with fire pits. Don’t forget roasting sticks for marshmallows and smokies! If you like to plan ahead, book a fire pit.
Play Crokicurl, a large-scale version of the Crokinole board game combined with curling. You’ll need 2 teams of 1-2 players per team. In Calgary, you can play for FREE at Bowness Park, or North Glenmore Park. Instructions and curling stones are available onsite.
Penguin Walk at the Calgary Zoo is something we look forward to every winter. Up to a dozen King penguins head out for a walk each morning at 10:30 am (unless it’s above +6ºC, or below -20ºC, or crazy windy), and you can get a front-row seat (technically you stand along the walkway but kids in strollers can sit. 😉 )!
Snow tubing is fun for adventurous kids aged 4 & up. Reach speeds of over 50 km/hr as you slide down the hill! Winsport (8 lanes of fun) and Mount Norquay (longest tube lanes in Alberta) have the biggest tube parks in Alberta. Read about our experiences tubing at Winsport and Norquay in these stories:
Hike to Ice Falls in town! Fish Creek Provincial Park’s ice falls are only 700 metres from the Bow Valley Ranch parking lot. See The Ice Falls and Caves of Fish Creek Park for more info.
Cross country skiing in-town is weather dependent. See our story Where to Cross Country Ski in Calgary for trail reports. We recommend heading to Canmore Nordic Centre, Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, or Lake Louise for freshly-groomed tracks. (See Where to Cross Country Ski in Kananaskis for options 1-2 hours from Calgary).
Ice skating: The best outdoor skating is at Olympic plaza, Calgary’s only outdoor refrigerated ice. Other options include Bowness Lagoon, Carburn Ponds, Barb Scott Park (12 Ave & 9 St SW – see the Chinook Arc interactive sculpture while you’re there), and Thomson Family Park. For more information, please see The Best Outdoor Skating Rinks in Calgary.
For more info on Family Day events at The Hangar Flight Museum, Calgary Public Library, Military Museums, and Lougheed House, visit Tourism Calgary.
Happy Family Day!
Related Posts
- 15 Things to Do in Calgary this Winter
- Where to Snowshoe near Calgary
- The Best Winter Hikes near Calgary
- Where to Cross Country Ski in Kananaskis
