What to Do in Calgary: January 2016

Welcome to our monthly round-up of events in, around, and connected to our community in Calgary’s NW. Each month as University District continues to come together we ask our team what they’re looking forward to in the month ahead. Here is what we’re excited about in Calgary for the month of January.

Follow along using the hashtag #UDistrictYYC as you explore our city this month.

High Performance rodeo
Various theatres downtown (15 minutes drive from University District)
January 7-31, 2016
Various prices

The High Performance Rodeo is Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts. Encompassing theatre, music, dance, comedy and interdisciplinary art, the High Performance Rodeo is the largest event of its kind in western Canada. It brings performers from all around the world to Calgary for the month of January for wild theatrical fun. We recommend picking up the guide (or download it!) or browsing the website to pick out what you’ll see this year, then pick up a flex pass for the best deal. This year, they’ve got theatrical elevator rides, blindfolded soundscape theatre, a 24-hour playwriting competitions, and something called: “DEEP AEROBICS”  in which the audience will a) wear spandex, and b) get a workout. That’s what is so great about the High Performance Rodeo – you never know what kind of experience you’ll have, just that you can’t miss it.

Celebrity Chef Showdown

Calgary Petroleum Club (15 minutes drive from University District)
January 28, 2015
$111

The Brakemen Foundation helps children in Calgary and surrounding areas through its non-profit fundraising activities. The chefs from the Brakemen Foundation and Calgary Petroleum Club will showdown in a head-to-head live cooking competition in support of Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids. Doors open at 5:30pm include open bar and a light canapé.

Homexpo

BMO Centre, Stampede Park (15 minutes drive from University District)
January 15-17, 2015
Tickets $6-10

Get a head start on your 2016 renovations with this 3-day one-stop-shop trade show. This year, you can take in presentations from special guests Sarah Richardson and Tommy Smythe.

Body Worlds Vital at Telus Spark!
Telus Spark! (18 minutes drive from University District)
January 16-May 31, 2016
Tickets start at around $24.95 (+taxes & fees) with discounts for youth and seniors.

Body Worlds Vital is a making a much anticipated return to Calgary. The exhibition allows you to see the human body like never before from the inside out and at its best: “healthy, vibrant and in motion”. It also provide vital education what happens when the body isn’t operating the way it should, and shows the impact of contemporary health concerns. This exhibition has been seen by more than 38 million people, and should not be missed.

Good to know: the exhibit is open during operating hours (including extended hours on Thursdays) and to ticketholders during all Adults Only Nights, which happen once a month at Telus Spark!

Banff Mountain Film Festival
University of Calgary theatres (4 minutes from University District)
January 18-24, 2016
Tickets $20 for students/seniors, $25 for others.

The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour is one of Alberta’s most popular artistic and athletic exports. It brings together cinematic works that tell some of the worlds’ most compelling stories. From epic mountain bikers to intrepid explorers, these stunning films will challenge how you look at adventure and lift you spirits.

THEATRE CALGARY: THE LITTLE PRINCE
Theatre Calgary in Arts Commons (15 minutes drive from University District)
January 19-February 28, 2016
Tickets start at around $55 (+taxes & fees)

The Little Prince is one of the most universally cherished and best-selling books of all time, selling millions of copies worldwide. Theatre Calgary is premiering a new musical adaptation as a musical, based on the book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, adapted by Nicholas Lloyd Webber (want to guess who he is related to?) and James D. Reid. This will be a real event for the arts community in Calgary, and inspire audiences to embrace their inner artists.

SILVER SPRINGS LEGO COMPETITION
Silver Springs Community Association (8 minutes from University District)
January 30, 2016
All Ages, $3.00 per entry

Submit entry forms by January 22, and you can compete for lego-building supremacy in Calgary’s NW. The cost of entry is just $3 per entry and there are many categories and age groups. Set up takes place Friday, January 29 with builds taking place in the morning on the 30th and public voting/viewing to follow.