Lilac Festival
On Sunday, May 26, from 10am to 6pm, the 24th Annual 4th Street Lilac Festival is taking place. 4th Street will be a pedestrian thoroughfare, with musical entertainment, vendors, and people watching. The Festival kicks off with a parade starting at 25th Avenue, up 4th Street, ending at 13th Avenue. There are set to be over 500 vendors of artisan crafts, imported collectibles and community organizations. New for 2013 is “Food Truck Lane,” an opportunity for festivalgoers to experience the food truck frenzy for themselves. Notable music to check out on the entertainment lineup includes Treeline at the CITY Stage from 12:45 to 1:30pm and Lucky Sonne at the UP FM Stage at 4:30pm.
Glenbow Launch Party
Saturday May 25 is Glenbow’s seasonal Launch Party celebrating the opening of their latest exhibitions – M.C. Escher: The Mathemagician, and Made in Calgary: The 1970s and The Big Four. The party, sponsored by Wild Rose Brewery, runs from 7pm to 10pm; Myke Atkinson will be DJ’ing, The Soft Option will be playing, and admission is pay-what-you-can at the door. Just prior to the launch party, Kent Monkman will discuss his largest diorama work to date, The Big Four, in Glenbow’s ConocoPhillips Theatre. In Conversation with Mr. Monkman starts at 6pm and the ticket price is $10 for members or $12 for general admission. Call 403.268.4110 to purchase tickets.
Unique Lives & Experiences 2013: Sigourney Weaver
On May 28, at 7:30pm, the actress from New York, who has starred in everything from Gorillas in the Mist to Avatar, and also considers herself a late bloomer having become a mother at 40, will be speaking as part of the Unique Lives & Experiences series. Her message to women is: “There is no one to take care of us, but us!” Join the current star of Political Animals at the Jack Singer Concert Hall and get set to be inspired as the womens lecture series concludes its first season. For more info, click here.
Fairy Tales Film Festival
Celebrate films made by or about the LGBTTQA and Queer communities from May 24 to 26 and May 29 to June 1 at the Plaza Theatre. The festival is in its 15th year and kicks off with an opening gala evening on May 24, with screenings of Margarita and The Go Doc Project starting at 7pm followed by a reception at Wine Bar Kensington/Brasserie. Tickets start at $10 for a film only and $25 scores you entry to the party as well. Festival passes are available to get you into all the screenings, galas and events, and more info can be found here.
Glassport: A Gallery Hop
Check out eight of Calgary’s galleries as they join forces to feature and celebrate the art of glass. The tour takes place Friday, May 24 from 5pm to 10pm, and for $15 you can score a spot on the BassBus to tour the circuit. The BassBus, a uniquely remodeled bus, will be making three stops at each of the downtown and Inglewood galleries on the tour. The tour starts at ACAD, goes onto the Ruberto Ostberg Gallery, Passion for Glass, the Motion Gallery and Artpoint, before the evening ends at Endeavor for their Assembly of Light show. Click here for more information.
Chicago presented by Stage West
The Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse musical, which weaves a tale of fame, fortune and “all that jazz,” is on at Stage West Calgary (727 – 42 Avenue S.E.) through June 23. The Academy Award-winning film is the story of prohibition-era Chicago and has dazzled live audiences and theatres since 1975. Your evening is set with a buffet before the performance; the Saturday evening buffet starts at 6pm followed by the show at 7:45pm. Sunday brunch is also a possibility at 10:30am followed by the 12:15pm show. Call their box office for other show times and more information at 403-243-6642, or click here.
Photo courtesy Glenbow Museum