Celebrating Heritage Day in Southern Alberta!

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Holiday, Parenting, Summertime Fun

Happy August long weekend, everybody! That’s right: it’s a long weekend! August long always seems to sneak up on everyone, and if you ask around, most folks are generally a little unclear as to what we’re celebrating, recognizing, or commemorating this weekend in the first place – and that goes right across the country! In some places, it’s Civic Holiday. Everyone to the west of us is celebrating British Columbia Day, while those out east are leaning into Saskatchewan Day, Terry Fox Day, New Brunswick Day, and Natal Day. 

Here in Alberta, we call this coming Monday “Heritage Day,” which is as good a reason as any to get out there this weekend and enjoy the extra day off with family, friends, and loved ones. There’s no shortage of fun, kid-friendly events taking place around Southern Alberta this long weekend – and to help you plan things out, we’ve gathered some of our favourites right here for you:

  • Enjoy two events in one at the Tour de Bowness Street Festival. Head down to Main Street Bowness on August 5 from 11am-4pm to experience the sights and sounds of the Bowness Street Festival, including live music, delicious local food, family-friendly fun, and all sorts of unique artisans and vendors. Be sure not to miss the Tour de Bowness while you’re down there – Alberta’s largest amateur cycling event features riders hitting speeds of up to 70 km/hr and is definitely something worth checking out!
  • No better place to spend Heritage Day than at Heritage Park. Bring your little ones to celebrate the spirit of Heritage Day by exploring the very real roots of our Canadian culture and history live and in-the-flesh at Heritage Park. Travel around the park stamping your Passport to History and even show off your own heritage by dressing in your country’s traditional cultural clothing. Sounds like a fun way to celebrate the day!
  • Bring the whole herd out to the Strathmore Stampede Heritage Days. If you’ve already got the itch for more cowboy hats, rodeo, and boot-stompin’ fun, head out to Strathmore this long weekend for the Strathmore Stampede Heritage Days, running August 2-5. Between magician Christopher Cool, the RCMP Musical Ride, and all the other kid-friendly goings-on, your whole family’s sure to have a rootin’ tootin’ good time. Yahoo!
  • Have a tail-wagging good time at the Summer Classic Dog Show. Load your little ones into the car and head out to Spruce Meadows for day full of doggos at the Alberta Kennel Club’s Summer Classic Dog Show. Learn all about puppers, pet as many floofers as you can handle, and watch all those very good boys (and girls!) run exciting agility courses and more. Plus, kids under 12 get in free! 

These fun family events are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the fun and exciting happenings taking place around Calgary and Southern Alberta this Heritage Day weekend. Whatever you end up doing this August long, be sure you take some of that extra time off and spend it with those loved ones near and dear to you – after all, if family isn’t at the center of our heritage as Canadians, we don’t know what is! Happy August long weekend, from our family at Pumpkin’s to yours!