9 Summer Festivals in Calgary

Those boots were made for walking…to some fun and fabulous festivals happening around town. Here's a roundup of our nine festival picks for your family.

Come and enjoy the bounties of everyone's A-list fruit at this U-pick farm located on the outskirts of Calgary. Live music, entertainment and activities for the kids make it a perfect outing (they don't even weigh the kids on your way out). Be sure to arrive in the morning and BYO bucket.

Calgary's village within the city is hosting this family event with seven live entertainment stages. Latin vibes will tempt you to let your hair down for a little cha cha with your big (or little) dancing partner. With 40 different kinds of salsas (for tasting, not dancing) and the Children's Carnival Zone, there should be enough spice to keep everyone amused and in the swing.

Take in a day of cultural celebration, where kids from all over Calgary come to experience a traditional lion dance, eat with chopsticks and burn some energy at the kids play zone. This one day event gets bigger and better each year.

This festival celebrates all the cultures that make Calgary so vibrant. Think of it as a mini trip around the world without the expense or the jet lag. The highlight is the fireworks competition where teams from different countries compete for best in show. Long daylight hours mean the pyrotechnic show starts late at night, but there are plenty of displays, food tastings and a Kiddies Korral, plus four playgrounds within Elliston park to provide plenty of distraction.

Calgary's only arts festival designed specifically for kids, the Calgary International Children's Festival sets up camp downtown. Designed for children of all ages, the festival showcases original dance, drama and music from the four corners of the globe. Festival events are located inside the Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts (for ticketed performances) and outdoors at the adjacent Olympic Plaza (for free events). Festival organizers suggest the Olympic Plaza as a perfect stopover en route to, or from, ticketed performances.

The granddaddy of music festivals, the Folk Fest is a weekend event running Thursday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday and Sunday. In our experience, there is enough variety to satisfy almost any taste. Plan to spend your time wandering around checking out the kids' entertainment area (bouncers, playground, face painting), the fantastic selection of locally produced food and the local musicians on various side stages—then plant yourself on a tarp in front of the mainstage.

The Canmore Folk Music Festival is sort of like a little sister to the Calgary festival with some artist crossover year to year. The Rocky Mountain backdrop is spectacular and worth the extra effort required to get there and organize accommodation. There's a strict ‘no alcohol' policy on-site and a dedicated family area on the grounds at Centennial Park, making it particularly kid-friendly

Focused on Latin American culture in Calgary, Fiestaval! promises hot, hip, swinging tunes (free dance lessons included), delicious Latin cuisine and live on-stage performances. Kid-centric activities (including face painting) help kids get into the festival mood.

The Fringe Festival is a growing theatrical phenomenon set in historic Inglewood. Boasting over 180 theatre shows from more than 30 local and international companies, there is something for everyone at this nine day festival. Your kids will love The Alexandra Centre Kids' Theatre.