Calgary’s 15 BIAs strengthen our main streets and shopping districts, attract residents and visitors, and contribute to vibrant, resilient and economically strong communities.  

This season, the Kensington BIA is offering a range of holiday events starting with Kickoff to Christmas on Nov. 19, welcoming Calgarians to turn their holiday shopping into a neighbourhood outing that includes meeting Santa (and keep an eye out for the mean green fellow), Christmas tree lighting, live piano music, a petting zoo, free hot chocolate and late-night shopping at more than 20 shops.  

“Christmas in Kensington is a community celebration. It is about bringing people together. It gives Calgarians another way to experience our neighbourhood during the holiday season,” says Gwyneth Midgley, Executive Director, Kensington BIA. “When people attend an event, stop for a coffee, find a gift or discover a new local business, they’re helping support the independent businesses that give Kensington its character. And there's never been a more important time to support local!"  

Holiday events continue in Kensington over five weekends leading up to Christmas with horse-drawn carriage rides back by popular demand on Sundays Nov. 22 and Dec. 20 from 12-3 p.m.  

Calgary’s BIAs know their communities and local businesses best, and that local knowledge is what makes our partnership so valuable,” says Lori Kerr, Manager, Major Partners with The City. “As another holiday season begins, we want to help more Calgarians discover these areas, support local businesses and enjoy the unique experiences they offer throughout the winter.” 

The City partners with BIAs, which are non-profit organizations that work with businesses within geographic areas to improve and beautify their districts, support public spaces, and promote their areas as business and shopping destinations. The City supports BIAs with legislative requirements and governance guidance and expertise, while BIAs bring local knowledge and on-the-ground action to their communities.  

More BIA Winter Events 

• Bowness Holiday Craft Fair, Nov. 14 & 15, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. (Mainstreet Bowness BIA) 
• Light Up Montgomery Winter Festival, Nov. 15, 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Montgomery on the Bow BIA) 
• Kickoff to Christmas in Kensington, Nov. 19, 5:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Kensington BIA) 

The City also leads Support Local,  year‑round work that brings together initiatives that including the annual Calgary Parking Winter Contest and Winter in Calgary, to promote local shopping and reinforce the importance of supporting Calgary‑based businesses. Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas helped launch the Support Local holiday campaign by visiting the Mainstreet Bowness BIA and Montgomery on the Bow BIA last week. Calgarians are invited to keep discovering local shops, experiences and neighbourhoods across the city. Learn more calgary.ca/supportlocal.  

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Known as T2E, a clever play on their postal code, the car show event was born out of the Rides & Rods festival founded by several Greenview Industrial auto shops coming together, including local wheel expert and motorsport enthusiast Jim Wright 18 years ago. Over time, it has evolved into a large, community -focused celebration and this year expanded to a two-day celebration.

"Greenview is full of unexpected moments," says Executive Co-Directors Deicha Carter and Tel Bruce. "You might come for a T2E concert or car show and leave with a new favourite coffee shop, discover an artist's studio, or meet the owner of a family-run business that's been here for generations. That's the experience we want people to have." 

This year’s T2E two-day event will span seven city blocks and feature more than 150 classic cars, hot rods and motorcycles for show and shines, alongside an artisan market, free kid zone, live music, a community art installation tour, live mural painting, family-friendly activities, and a brand new downhill mini car derby. For the first time, the festival will also include nighttime entertainment, with light projections, a moonlit market, burlesque, and high energy music performances featuring Yukon Blonde and the Vanishing Ones trick motorcycle riders. 

T2E gives the area’s mostly small, locally owned businesses, many of them multi-generational, a chance to connect with first-time visitors and showcase what the BIA has to offer. 

“At the heart of our BIAs are the people, events and experiences that make Calgary unique,” says Kim Mustard, Manager for The City’s Major Partners. “We hope Calgarians will take the time to experience T2E – it is our only industrial BIA, and is a unique community mainly centered around automotive business culture with music, food, art and more. Our BIA partners are essential in building strong local economies and communities.” 

The City of Calgary supports 15 BIAs working to enhance and promote their defined geographic district to make it more vibrant, safe and welcoming for businesses, visitors and all Calgarians. Summer events, like T2E, highlight the role BIAs play in fostering local economic activity and creating spaces for Calgarians to gather, explore and celebrate our business districts. 

Learn more about Calgary BIAs, and our BIA Summer Events 

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