If you had a chance to attend Chinook Blast in 2021, you got a taste of what the festival has to offer. Back by popular demand in 2022, Chinook blast will be setting up shop around Calgary for their 4-week winter festival celebration.
Beginning February 4th, the festival will be heating up our city with a celebration of community, culture, and civic pride. The best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport and recreation will be on display.
The Hub
During the 4-week festival, Chinook Blast offers The Hub, which features free festivities in Calgary’s city centre. This includes three unique areas of art installations, pop-up performances, a community stage, an artist pavilion and more.
From digital displays at the Central Library to a light and art installation at Olympic Plaza, there is sure to be an activation for you. To view all The Hub events, visit the chinook blast website, here.
In addition to The Hub and new to this year’s festival, Chinook Blast is partnering with a few local events, which nestle themselves within the 4-week festival.
Glow
Glow is an annual light festival that takes place in the heart of Calgary’s downtown core. During the second and third weekend of February, downtown Calgary is transformed into a warm, dynamic world of light.
Glowfest artists use light as a medium to create immersive, family-friendly activations, performances, and art installations. You can bring the whole family down to explore the light display which is paired with food trucks and fire pits.
Block Heater
Block Heater– a subset of the Calgary Folk Music Festival– kicks off February 17th for a weekend of blues and indie music.
It will jumpstart the festival in Inglewood and the East Village, with performances at Festival Hall, King Eddy and Ironwood Stage and Grill on Thursday, February 17th. On the weekend, programming moves to the Arts Commons’ Max Bell Theatre, Martha Cohen Theatre and the Jack Singer Concert Hall. On Saturday evening they partner with both Chinook Blast and Glow to present artists in a free outdoor tent at Olympic Plaza.
Ethnik Festival
The last week of February, The Ethnik Festival kicks off in celebration of Black History (Excellence) Month. Members of the Afro-Canadian/ Caribbean communities come together to celebrate diversity, inclusivity and share their vibrant cultural traditions with other communities from across Canada. The event will be hosted at Macleod Hall at the Telus Convention Centre, with performances from dozens of artists.
While we settle into the depths of winter, the Chinook Blast festival is an excellent reminder of how vibrant and incredible the city of Calgary is. With free activations and paid performances, enough is going on to keep you and the family busy over February.
Winter Warm-Up DJ Series
In celebration of Chinook Blast, we are very excited to announce that Poolside by Hotel Arts will be hosting a 4-week Winter Warm-Up DJ Series. Running each Friday of Chinook Blast, we welcome you to join us from 6-9 PM for dinner and drinks while DJ Mikey Da Roza plays live on our pool deck. The event will be first-come-first-serve for non-hotel guests.
Dates: Feb 4, 11, 18 & 25 6 – 9 PM
REP is in effect.
Make A Weekend Out Of It
While you are out experiencing and celebrating the festival, we welcome you to call Hotel Arts home for the night. Our staycation package along with Chinook Blast is the perfect way to take a break from reality and explore your city as a tourist. We will be offering all hotel guests complimentary hot chocolate each weekend of Chinook Blast in the hotel lobby from 1-5 PM.
Well Calgary, that’s a wrap. Visit Chinook Blast’s website to stay updated on all the latest programming included in Chinook Blast in 2022.
Feature Image: Chinook Blast
