The Grey Cup is in Calgary this weekend: the Edmonton Elks play the Montreal Alouettes at McMahon Stadium on Sunday, kickoff 5 p.m. Before that, the Grey Cup Festival fills Stampede Park with free family activities on Friday and Saturday, including a drone show each night. ZOOLIGHTS opens for its 30th season on Friday, and so does the Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market.
Indoors, Beauty and the Beast closes at the Jubilee, Vertigo opens a new Sherlock Holmes mystery and SUE the T. rex has two weeks left at TELUS Spark.
Eleven things worth doing in Calgary this weekend, with times, addresses and what each one costs.
113th Grey Cup: Elks vs Alouettes
Sports
Calgary hosts the CFL championship for the first time since 2019. Edmonton, the West champions, play Montreal, back in the Grey Cup for the second year in a row. Kickoff is 5 p.m. and gates open at 3. There's no public parking at McMahon: take the Red Line CTrain to Banff Trail station, or pay to park at the University of Calgary's lots 32 and 34 or the Art Parkade. University Drive NW is closed between 16 and 24 Avenue from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The stadium is cash-free, outside food isn't allowed, and empty water bottles up to a litre are fine. It's an open-air stadium in mid-November, so dress in layers.
When: Sunday, November 15, 5 p.m. (gates 3 p.m.)
Where: McMahon Stadium, 1817 Crowchild Trail NW
Cost: Face value ran about $280 to $520 before fees in October; check the official site for what's left
Grey Cup Festival at Stampede Park
Free
You don't need a game ticket to join in. The TELUS Family Zone in BMO Centre Halls A1 and A2 has inflatables, a bouncy castle, a toddler play area, an indoor turf field, the CFL Hall of Fame and autographs from CFL alumni, plus a sensory-friendly space and a nursing trailer. The kids' stage has Indigenous storytelling at 11 a.m. and a juggling workshop with Green Fools from 3 p.m. on Friday, and a TELUS Spark science show at 2 p.m. and a magician at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Outside in Lot 3, the Suncor Street Festival serves a free pancake breakfast from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and a drone show lights up the sky at 8:45 p.m. both nights. Take the Red Line to Victoria Park/Stampede station.
When: Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (drone show 8:45 p.m.)
Where: BMO Centre and Lot 3, Stampede Park, 650 25 Avenue SE
Cost: Free
ZOOLIGHTS opens for its 30th season
Family
Calgary's favourite Christmas lights open on Friday for their 30th year, with the Calgary Zoo's paths lit up after dark. Prices vary by date, and buying online ahead saves you a line at the gate. The Zoo CTrain station on the Blue Line is the easy way in.
When: Opens Friday, November 13; nightly 5 to 9 p.m. (gates close 8:30) through January 3, except November 17 and 24 and December 25
Where: Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, 210 St. George's Drive NE
Cost: $16.76 to $21.95 for ages 16 and up; $11.40 to $14.95 for kids 3 to 15
Spruce Meadows International Christmas Market
Market
Spruce Meadows' big holiday market opens on Friday for four weekends, with imported and handmade gifts from vendors across the grounds. Opening day has the third annual tree lighting and Santa's Cozy Corner, where a photo with Santa costs a minimum $10 donation to Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta. Parking is free, but there's no transit out here, so plan to drive.
When: Friday, November 13, noon to 6 p.m. (Santa's Cozy Corner noon to 5 p.m.); Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, November 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Weekends through December 6.
Where: Spruce Meadows, 18011 Spruce Meadows Way SW
Cost: $20 for adults; $12 for kids 3 to 12 and seniors; under 3 free (plus GST)
SUE: The T. rex Experience at TELUS Spark
Family
SUE is the most complete, best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever found, and the touring exhibition from Chicago's Field Museum has two weekends left at TELUS Spark before it closes on November 29. It's included with general admission. Spark is next door to the zoo, so a science-centre afternoon followed by ZOOLIGHTS makes an easy full day.
When: Through November 29; check TELUS Spark for daily hours
Where: TELUS Spark Science Centre, 220 St. George's Drive NE
Cost: Adults $33.95, seniors and students $29.95, kids 3 to 17 $24.95, families $117.95
Disney's Beauty and the Beast, closing Sunday
Culture
The touring Broadway production of Beauty and the Beast finishes its Calgary run this weekend, with Belle, the Beast, Lumière and "Be Our Guest." The show runs about two and a half hours with an intermission, and the weekend matinees are the easiest fit for younger kids.
When: Friday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 and 6:30 p.m.
Where: Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, 1415 14 Avenue NW
Cost: From about $94
Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty at Vertigo
Culture
Vertigo Theatre, Calgary's mystery stage, opens its new Sherlock Holmes on Saturday. A junior government clerk is found dead, Mycroft asks his brother to look into it, and the trail leads to Moriarty. The theatre sits at the base of the Calgary Tower, a short CTrain ride from the Grey Cup Festival.
When: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 7:30 p.m. Runs to December 19.
Where: Vertigo Theatre, 161, 115 9 Avenue SE
Cost: $33.05 to $74.05
The General by Quest Theatre
Family
Quest Theatre's one-hour family play by Robert Morgan follows Jainin and Jacob, who move to a small town and get to know a gruff old crossing guard. It's a short run, three performances in all, and the length suits young kids. The box office takes cards only at the door.
When: Friday, November 13, 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 14, 2:30 and 7 p.m.
Where: cSPACE Marda Loop Studio Theatre, 1721 29 Avenue SW
Cost: Adults $23, kids $18.50
Nature and Culture: International Poetry Film Festival
Free
The Poetic Phonotheque brings its international poetry film festival back to The Confluence for one day: short films built around poetry, on the theme of nature and culture. Admission is free, with a suggested donation for The Confluence's exhibitions. Drop in for a block of films, then walk the riverbank where the Bow and Elbow meet.
When: Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Where: The Confluence Historic Site and Parkland, 750 9 Avenue SE
Cost: Free
YYC Noodle Festival, final weekend
Food
The last weekend of Calgary's 10-day noodle festival, with locally owned restaurants across the city competing for the best bowl. Pick up a Noodle Passport at any participating restaurant, collect stamps and you're entered for a grand prize pack. Every bowl gives back to a local charity. The contestant list is on the festival site.
When: Through Sunday, November 15, during restaurant hours
Where: Participating restaurants across Calgary
Cost: Cost of your meal
Cineplex Community Day
Free
Participating Cineplex theatres show four family movies for free on Saturday morning: Tom and Jerry, The LEGO Movie, Paddington 2 and A Minecraft Movie. Tickets are handed out only at the theatre that morning, first come, first served, so show up early. Popcorn, drinks and candy are $3 each until 11 a.m., and Cineplex donates to BGC Canada's programs for kids.
When: Saturday, November 14, 9 to 11 a.m.
Where: Participating Cineplex theatres in Calgary
Cost: Free movies; $3 snacks
Editor's Pick: Saturday at Stampede Park. Go early for the free pancake breakfast, let the kids loose in the TELUS Family Zone, catch the TELUS Spark science show at 2, and stay for the 8:45 drone show. Then on Sunday, grab a seat (or a couch) for the 5 p.m. kickoff.
Know an event we missed? Tag us @culturealberta or email hello@culturealberta.com.
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