Calendar

Blast off to free summer fun with the Ultimate Summer Challenge at Calgary Public Library. Kids ages 0 to 12 can explore a galaxy of reading challenges, activities, and exciting free programs; and those aged 13 to 17 can join the Teen Takeover. All ages will have the opportunity to win prizes, including an iPad, Nintendo Switch, STEM activity kit, and more! Sign-up now on Beanstack with your free Library card.

Book your timed tickets now and pack not only your sunscreen but your curiosity, too! Get ready for some Summer Sizzle at Spark! You are days away from experiencing Spark’s new planet-inspired Astronaut Ice Cream cones served in the new Rocket Fuel Café! They are out of this world! Plus: The Big Art Drive-In in the parking lot; “Showhome” on Venus in the atrium; A new Dome Theatre show called Tricks of the Night Sky, narrated by Jay Ingram; The Brainasium outdoor park is awaiting your return for fun-filled adventures. Be the first to see it all and book your timed tickets now!

Based on the success of the past “Dinosaurs Alive” exhibit, the Calgary Zoo is introducing 26 new realistic animatronic dinosaurs (across 17 species) within Prehistoric Park, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, covering the zoo’s regions including Canada, Asia, Africa, South America, and Antarctica. The exhibit, designed to educate, as well as entertain, encourages visitors to go on an immersive journey through the newly designed Prehistoric Park to experience what it may have been like to roam the Earth with the dinosaurs, while inspiring action to prevent the loss of endangered species today. “Dinosaurs: Awakened” will be viewable within Prehistoric Park until October 31, and is included in the price of daily admission. Tickets can be purchased from the Calgary Zoo website.

Drop in for a visit at Butterfield Acres, Calgary's Best Farmyard! Come and visit the cutest farm babies in the world, little goats! And lambs, and piglets, and chicks, and more! Be prepared to have your heart melted. Must pre-purchase timed tickets online. Your family can visit the Spring babies on the farm until June. Open weekdays: 10am to 2pm and weekends: 10am to 4pm.

Come and enjoy an afternoon listening to stories and some of Canada’s finest musicians. Storyteller/Musician Samantha Whelan Kotkas and her friends will entertain you and your children with musical interactive tales of child-accessible hikes in the Rocky Mountains. Teach your child about courage, unity, joyfulness, and caring in an afternoon of fun and adventure. An event for the whole family that you will want to be a part of. Recommended for children aged 5 to 12, but created with the entire family in mind. Come one hour before the show & enjoy family friendly activities. Stay after to meet the performers. Created and Narrated by Samantha Whelan Kotkas Music by Tyler Hornby Puppets by Green Fools Theatre Video by Joel Goundry Tyler Hornby - Drums, Chris Andrew - Piano, Pat Belliveau - Saxophones, Aaron Shore - Guitar, Stephen Shepard - Bass

Virtual Race for Pace takes place June 4 to 20. For over a decade, heroes across Calgary have laced up and embraced their inner hero for children with special needs! Race for Pace is a highlight for many families and an important fundraiser for Pacekids Programs. This year, they look forward to hosting a virtual Race for Pace, presented by Grant Thornton, and being able to bring the community together once again! Register yourself, friends, or family for this year’s virtual Grant Thornton Race for Pace. Every little superhero who registers by May 31 will receive a Superhero Supply Package loaded with fun and engaging activities! All participants will complete their run or walk at their leisure between June 4 and 20, and are encouraged to share videos/photos on social media and tag Pacekids Programs.

Make-A-Wish® Trailblaze for Wishes is a 10-week virtual challenge, which asks you to Hike, Walk, or Run your chosen challenge distance: 50K, 100K, or 200K. You set the pace, time, and destination. Get outdoors, track your kilometres, and raise funds to help children with critical illnesses. By participating and fundraising, you help bring the life-changing impact of a wish to children in the community who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. A wish experience can truly change a child's life, and you can help!

The shows run virtually, May 21 to June 13. For showtimes, visit the website. Leo and Lizzy Martinez want to be the smartest kids in the world and they have a plan. The children of hardworking immigrants, big brother Leo has convinced his little sister that being smart is the key to helping their family escape a tough, uncertain reality. The first step in the plan? Leo will win the local TV kids’ quiz show. But when their parents refuse to let him join the quiz team, Lizzy learns there’s something deeper driving Leo - something that makes life that much more challenging and unpredictable for her brother and her family. Seeing her brother’s spirit broken, Lizzy is determined to grow up, give up her dreams, and rescue the plan to see it through. Along the way, she and Leo discover it takes more than being serious and smart to save a family and one another. Rated ages 6+. To purchase tickets, visit the website.