Looking for ways to get out and meet some other young professionals in the city this weekend? We’ve got you covered with all of the notable happenings in Calgary you need to know about.
Thursday night, dress to impress and head to ARTwear 2012: The Art of Fashion at Hotel Arts. The theme for the night is Vintage Hollywood, so make your ensemble glitzy, glam and dapper. The show begins at 8:30pm with the ACAD Wearable Art Showcase, followed by the ARTwear 2012 Fashion Show featuring designers Paul Hardy and Lara Presber, and boutiques Coco & Violet, Henry Singer, Leo Boutique and Mealan. Stick around after to mingle with fellow YPs as you sip Belvedere cocktails, bid on silent auction prizes, and dance the night away to a live big band orchestra!
For those wanting the VIP treatment, purchase a VIP ticket and you’ll gain access to the VIP Reception from 6:30pm – 7:30pm, where you can enjoy complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres and preview the works of Calgary’s hottest emerging designers. All VIP Guests will have GUARANTEED RUNWAY SEATING, along with a complimentary glass of champagne during the runway show.
Haven’t got your fill of fashion? Friday night we suggest checking out the Make Fashion Gala and Runway Show. Be a part of the collaboration of great minds that will be demonstrating how the convergence of technology and art can result in a new form, fashion and community brand for Calgary at Endeavor Arts & Event Space. Creativity and innovation are the guiding principles to unite fashion, jewelry and accessories designers with software and hardware engineers. Engage in cultural experiments and enjoy innovative cocktails, exciting performances and a runway show from the designers.
Saturday, get your morning started right by checking out newly opened Analog Cafe (740, 17 Ave SW), the latest spot from Fratello Coffee. The space is warm, bright and quaint, making it the perfect spot to catch up with friends over a coffee and baked goods (courtesy of Sidewalk Citizen Bakery). Fratello has been roasting coffee in Calgary since 1985, so you know the drinks are great right down to the last drop.
After you’ve had your caffeine fix, take a little stroll down memory lane with the Calgary Sandstone School Bus Tour. Calgary is infamously known as the sand stone city, and this three-hour guided historic bus tour will take you back in time, for a behind-the-scenes look into the city’s iconic and exquisite sandstone schools. The tour will delve into the fascinating history of the construction, use, and re-use of Calgary’s historic inner-city schools. For more information contact info@calgaryheritage.org.
For music lovers, the CPO will be performing Afghanistan: Requiem for a Generation at the Jack Singer Concert Hall as part of War & Peace: A Music Festival for Our Time.
In commemoration of the end of Canada’s combat mission in Afghanistan, the CPO has embarked on the largest commission in its history – a Requiem written to capture the profound loss, heartbreak and hope experienced in the struggle for peace. This distinctly Canadian event incorporates war art with historical and contemporary military imagery and serves as a monument to the sacrifices made by our Canadian servicemen and women.
If you are looking for something a little more risqué, The Garter Girls Burly-Q Revue (a performance collective based in Calgary) will be taking the stage at the Arrata Opera Centre. Employing a range of storytelling tactics from bawdy humour to raw introspection, watch this original and wildly entertaining take on the burlesque art form. The show will be featuring Vancouver’s burlesque royalty, Burgundy Brixx and The Purrrfessor.
Sunday is a full day of indulgence. First, head to the Upper Big Four Building (Stampede Park) for the 12th Annual Taboo Naughty But Nice Show. Featuring everything from your heart’s desires to inconceivable delights, The Taboo Naughty but Nice Sex Show will provide an upscale adult playground. Enjoy entertainment, provocative and educational seminars, unique shopping with over 65 exhibitors, fashion shows and LIVE demonstrations. It’s all about enhancing lifestyles, encouraging romance, personal betterment and all things taboo.
Ready for a cocktail? Join cocktail enthusiasts at Vine Arts Wine and Spirits (1310 1 St SW) to watch some of Calgary’s best bartenders compete to create the official Vine Arts Winter Cocktails. Enjoy delicious cocktails, small bites and more as you watch six bartenders representing some of the top restaurants and cocktail spots in the city (including Milk Tiger Lounge, Brix & Morsel, Ox & Angela) do battle. Sample the creations and cast your vote to crown the winner. Just be sure to purchase your tickets in advance.
If a show is what you are after, catch a ‘pay what you can’ preview performance of Gruesome Playground Injuries at Vertigo Theatre. Featuring some of the city’s top actors, this is an accidental love story by Rajiv Joseph, exploring a tender, twisted friendship between an injury-prone boy and a depressive girl who collide in a nurse’s office when they were eight, then continue to be strangely drawn closer together over 30 years through a weird sequence of injuries and accidents. Not able to make it Sunday evening? The show runs from November 10 to 24.
Photo courtesy Analog Cafe