Kensington Sun and Salsa Festival July 25 2010

Put it in your calendar – July 25th, 2010 marks the date for the 17th annual Sun & Salsa Festival in Calgary. Come join the merchants of Kensington Village as we close down the streets to cars and open them up to the people of Calgary. Tantalize your taste buds with over 40 of the most unique salsas you’ve ever experienced prepared by Kensington restaurants, and vote for your favorite. Get swept up in the music as you dance to one of the many live bands. Learn a new move with Salsa dance demonstrations, or practice an old one on the beach volleyball courts. Make it a family event and let the kids run at the Kid Carnival, and make sure Fido gets taken care of too at our dog-watering station. Enjoy the shopping as many merchants celebrate the day with sales, or find that hard-to-find gift from one of the local vendors who set up for the day. Help support local charities too, as the proceeds from chip and water sales go directly to the Brenda Strafford Center and Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids.

The Kensington Village 2010 Sun & Salsa Festival, an experience that will not soon be forgotten.
More details at www.visitkensington.com

Asian Heritage Month

During the month of May, there are many exciting events taking place in the city of Calgary as part of Asian Heritage Month. To give you an idea of some of the highlights, please see the official press release below:

Discover the riches in the fabric of our lives
This May, experience Asian Heritage Month

Asian Heritage Month engages people of all backgrounds through events that foster awareness of the broad spectrum of Asian Canadian’s social participation and cultural heritage. The Asian Heritage Foundation (AHF) hosts ImaginASIAN celebrations in Calgary throughout the month of May.
Back by popular demand are the “Find the CanASIAN in You” Bus Tours, which visit different communities on each Sunday and affords the experience of sights and sounds and tastes of Asia. The youth programs have been expanded to encompass visual arts, theatre and dance. The I HeART YOUTHinASIA art show promises to be a revelation of artistic talent among Asian Canadian youth. ACCT-OUT improvisational theatre was extremely well-received in 2009, and this year sees the participation of Asian Canadian high school students from across Calgary in “Meet the Asians”. New to the Festival is the New Millenium Allstyles dance showcase and competition, featuring local dance crews and a special guest performance by Quest Crew.
Also this May, the ImaginASIAN Film Series screens three very different, but uniformly excellent films: Mao’s Last Dancer, One Crazy Ride, and All About Dad. In June is the special Bollywood Extravaganza, with sumptuous dinner, entertainment and demonstrations to wrap up ImaginASIAN. As an ongoing project from last year, AHF raises support for the From Asian shores to Alberta Prairies project that purchases books and materials for public libraries, reflecting the increasing diversity of library users across the province.

For tickets and information, visit www.asianheritagecalgary.ca.

Carifest Calgary

Carifest is a long standing annual festival which celebrates all things Caribbean by showcasing the culture, music and food of the many nations located throughout the Caribbean.
This year’s event takes place from June 5-12 2010, and promises to be as fun filled and popular as ever.
The festival starts on June 5th with a Caribbean Gospel Concert which takes place at the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in NE Calgary from 7-10pm.
The following weekend, on June 11th the Friday Night Gala and Costume Show will feature singers performing a full range of Caribbean music, with prizes awarded for the best performers which will take into account both the singing and and the carnival costumes. This showcase takes place at the Theatre Junction Grand (608 1st St SW) starting at 7:30pm.
On June 12th, the Carifest Parade will start at 11am from Olympic Plaza, finishing at Shaw Millenium Park. The parade promises to be a lively and colourful affair with carnival bands from across the country competing for cash prizes based on their performance and costumes.

The parade will lead into the main event, the Sunshine Festival, at Shaw Millenium Park, where live Caribbean music will be accompanied by food and crafts from across the Caribbean. The Sunshine Festival runs until 7pm and admission is free.
For more information about Carifest, including photos and video from previous years, be sure to visit www.carifestcalgary.com

Calgary Reggae Festival

Whether you are a fan of reggae music, or just appreciate a fun event for the whole family, you will be happy to hear that the Calgary International Reggae Festival will once again be providing a weekend of entertainment and activities from August 19-21 2010. You can be sure there will be a high calibre of reggae musicians performing throughout the festival, and the list of artists includes Beres Hammond, Inner Circle, Culture featuring Kenyatta Hill, Lenya Wilks, Mello G, Mandy Woods, Lil Bit, Progress, Tony Anthony and Strugglah.
At the main event on Saturday 21st, as well as the fantastic music, you can expect to find a beer garden, a separate youth area, interesting arts & crafts, colourful clothing, and food vendors where you will be able to sample a taste of authentic Caribbean cuisine.
We will be adding new information about the festival as it becomes available, so stay tuned! In the meantime, be sure to make a note of the dates in your summer entertainment calendar!
For further information about the festival, visit the official website at www.reggaefest.ca
Tickets for the festival are already on sale at www.ticketweb.ca

BBQ On The Bow Festival

   

September 4 and 5 2010 sees the 18th Annual BBQ on the Bow Festival, a popular and entertaining event for adults and kids alike taking place at Eau Claire Market in downtown Calgary.
To give you an idea of the fun activities taking place at the Festival, please see the official press release below:

18TH ANNUAL BBQ ON THE BOW FESTIVAL – SEP 4 & 5 at EAU CLAIRE MARKET
CALGARY, ALBERTA……… BBQ On The Bow Society will host the 18th Annual BBQ On The Bow Festival 2010 – Sat, Sep 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 PM and Sun, Sep 5 from 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM at Eau Claire Festival Market. We are Canada’s Oldest BBQ Competition and home of the Alberta BBQ Championship.

Join us for a SMOKING HOT FESTIVAL of activities. The Saturday kicks-off with team arrivals, the Big Rock Beer BBQ Sauce Competition and BBQ’s Galore Chef’s Challenge.

The main event on Sunday hosts live Main Stage Entertainment featuring local concert bands, Stampede Talent Search winners and headlines top Canadian blues musicians with some very special guests.

Other activities on Sunday include the Alberta BBQ Championship & Awards Ceremony, Children’s Craft Tent and Children’s Entertainers, a BBQ Food Pit Concession & Kicking Horse Coffee Tent, Street Zone with displays and vendors and the General Store featuring Alberta fresh corn & tomatoes, BBQ sauces and cookbooks by local authors for sale to the public.

Debra Wong, Executive Producer states, “In an effort to support local Alberta Producers, Celebrity Chefs will be grilling up their favorite recipes in the BBQ On The Bow Kitchen from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM. Some of the dishes are simply amazing and it’s a great way to promote our local Producers”.

So join us for a fun filled day at the 18th Annual BBQ On The Bow Festival 2010.
Sat and Sun, Sept 4 & 5 at Eau Claire Festival Market in the heart of downtown Calgary.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – FREE OF CHARGE.

For info go to www.bbqonthebow.com