Celebrate local art with Calgary Culture Days events
by Riggs Zyrille Vergara, Publishing Editor
Throughout the whole month of September, Calgary will be featuring a series of arts and cultural events which showcases the city’s diverse art scene and local talent. From weekly musical performances around the city to open-minded conversations about the Indigenous arts downtown, this month-long celebration has a lot to offer for many Calgarians.
“We are very excited to present, with our partners, three Culture Days events where everyone is invited to enjoy a positive and inspiring experience with Calgary’s diverse range of cultures through arts and recreation,” says Jennifer Thompson, The City of Calgary Manager for Arts and Culture.
One of the featured events is the ArtsXpeditions which will highlight free family friendly music, dance and performance art mostly at Olympic Plaza but also in many venues scattered around the city like at parks, train stations and more. Olympic Plaza performances every Wednesday at noon will happen thanks to a partnership with Arts Commons. ArtsXpeditions will feature twice as many performances than they had the previous years.
To foster connection of people and cultures through the expression of drumming and rhythm, the city is also introducing the Drum Circle on Sept. 18 at Unity Park on International Avenue. This free-for-all event welcomes anyone who wants to play a variety of drums and percussion instruments in an open drum circle with a diverse group of multicultural musicians.
The third annual Pokaiks the Children: Orange Shirt Day event will also be part of the celebration by bringing a live event of community speakers and musical entertainment on Sept. 25 at the Olympic Plaza. This event will showcase Indigenous arts and foster reconciliation through fun activities, conversations and education. Through a partnership with Colouring It Forward Reconciliation Society, the city and its Indigenous community members, the event will also be featuring a walk before the live showcase starting at Third Street and 8th Ave to Stephen Ave and to Olympic Plaza.
Calgary Culture Days coincide with Alberta Culture Days and National Cultures Days. These are yearly celebrations aimed to increase awareness, accessibility, participation and engagement of Canadians in the arts and cultural life of their respective communities.
