Calgarians gear up for 2014 festival and event season

With festival and event season already upon us and as we get closer to warmer weather, The City of Calgary would like to share some tips and tricks for Calgarians including where to find more information on road closures, parking restrictions and pathways.

“Each year, Calgarians come out and enjoy music, people, food and community. It is part of what makes our city culturally vibrant, and a great place to live, work and play,” says Sarah Iley, Manager of Arts and Culture. “We want to share these tips to help all Calgarians better enjoy our city’s festivals and events in a safe and responsible manner.”

Throughout the festival and event season, various road closures and parking restrictions will be in effect to accommodate the different events and ensure public safety. A great resource for up-to-date information is to follow The City of Calgary’s Transportation Department on Twitter @yyctransport or visit calgary.ca/trafficinfo.

When planning to attend an event, walking, biking or taking public transit may be a great way to get there and not worry about parking restrictions or road closures. With approximately 800 kilometres of pathways and an ever-expanding network of buses and CTrains there is often a variety of choices to get where you need to go.

By employing the ‘pack it in, pack it out’ method we can also help keep our city beautiful. This means any garbage and recyclable products brought to an event, should be carried home as garbage and recycling.

With these tips in mind, come out and enjoy two local events that are helping launch the 2014 event season.

1. The annual Sikh Parade and festivities on Saturday, May 10, will attract close to 30,000 participants. The event features floats, free food, vendor booths, Sikh martial arts demonstrations, and celebrations at the Dashmesh Culture Centre in the Martindale community.
2. On Sunday, May 11, the Sport Chek Mother’s Day Run & Walk will attract almost 15,000 participants in support of Calgary Health Trust’s Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Both 5km and 10km routes will begin and end at Chinook Centre.

City of Calgary Festivals and Events group supports more than 270 events each year that take place on City land, providing a one-stop approach for event organizers looking to access and obtain permits and approvals from various City departments. This team also programs annual City of Calgary celebrations including Canada Dayyc, New Year’s Eve Family Dance Party, Alberta Culture Days Kick-Off Celebration and Nuit Blanche. In addition, they partner with regional, national and international organizations to deliver unique events such as the Tour of Alberta, the Junos, WorldSkills and the upcoming Celebration of Excellence parade and ceremonies on June 6, which will celebrate Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Athletes who competed in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

For more information on festivals and events in Calgary, including tips on how to plan one, check out calgary.ca.

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