About Chinook Blast

Chinook Blast is Calgary’s winter festival celebration that brings together partners from the arts, nonprofit, neighbourhood, tourism, and sports communities to create an inclusive event that showcases the best of our city.

How We Began

From the Gust of an Idea to Chinook Blast

Our vision is to create a heart-warming, must-visit, annual winter festival celebration in Calgary that advances existing cultural and sports offerings and fosters new winter experiences. We’re proud that Chinook Blast can bring some warmth to our winter city for all to enjoy!

The Formation

In November 2019, the gust of an idea formed to create a major initiative that would bring Calgarians together in the midst of winter. By spring 2020, that gust had grown into Chinook Blast, an event created where:

Community spirit and pride would be fostered
The downtown core would be energized
The arts community would be celebrated
And tourism would grow

Our 10 founding partners brought to Chinook Blast to life to take place in January and February, showcasing the best of Calgary’s art, music, theatre, sport, and recreation.

At its core, Chinook Blast was created to be an inclusive winter initiative that positioned our city as a vibrant place to live and visit.

What is a Chinook?

“A warm, dry, gusty, westerly wind that blows down the Rocky Mountains into the mountains’ eastern slopes and the western prairies. The chinook, an Indigenous word meaning “snow eater,” is most distinctive and numerous in the winter, when the unseasonable warming it brings differentiates it from the normal cold winter weather.”

— The Canadian Encyclopedia

The Prevailing Wind

Just as a chinook transforms a cold winter day, Chinook Blast has transformed the way Calgarians experience the season. With the unwavering support of our incredible partners and community, the festival has grown, welcoming over 100,000 attendees annually since 2020. We’re bringing people outside to celebrate art, culture, sport, and the unique warmth of a Calgary winter.

The Future

Chinook Blast is here to stay. With a new home in Eau Claire Plaza, we look forward to welcoming Calgarians and visitors from around the world to the city we call home — celebrating the energy, creativity, and community spirit that makes Calgary’s winter something truly special. The wind is at our backs, and the best is still ahead.