Calgary’s signature winter celebration puts on its biggest and most diverse lineup to date
Calgary’s iconic winter festival will be back for its 3rd year, running from January 27 to February 12. With live music, light and art installations, theatrical performances, outdoor sport, cultural experiences, and night markets, this is the biggest and most diverse lineup Chinook Blast and its partners have put together for Calgarians to enjoy.
“Chinook Blast showcases the best of winter and our city. Winter is a season that begs participation and we answer the call with warm hearts and a festival in its honour. Starting January 27th, bundle up and take part in this extravaganza of art and music which shines a light on our downtown and our incredible community spirit!”
– Mayor Jyoti Gondek
As previously announced, iconic festivals such as BIG Winter Classic, High Performance Rodeo, Calgary Folk Festival’s Block Heater and Ethnik Festivals will be returning in full force, and adrenaline sport Nitro RallyCross and FIS Snow Rodeo World Cup will join Chinook Blast this year (see attachment for dates). Chinook Blast is truly a collaborative effort and the organizers have been working with X partners to bring more than X unique and engaging winter experiences.
“Chinook Blast is about celebrating the best of what Calgary has to offer… in the winter! This year, we have more partners from all sectors coming on to bring an inclusive, unique winter experience to Calgarians. We’ve also built on past successes and made the programming bigger and better. Everything people loved about Chinook Blast will be back, and they can expect something more.”
– Franca Gualtieri, Executive Director, Chinook Blast, Tourism Calgary
In 2023, Chinook Blast includes:
Free programming at Olympic Plaza, RISE UP Outdoor Community Stage:
- January 27–29
- Put on your long johns and get ready to officially kick off Chinook Blast with live music! We will be holding an energizing concert on opening night, Friday, January 27th, with musicians Sunglaciers, K-Ritz, and The Rondel Roberts Band, presented by BIG Winter Classic, Block Heater and Ethnik Festivals.
- Show your winter skating skills with Sport Calgary! On January 28th and 29th, Sport Calgary returns with its 2nd edition of the weekend sport festival. Enjoy demonstrations of speed skating, synchronized skating and more ice sports.
- Put on your long johns and get ready to officially kick off Chinook Blast with live music! We will be holding an energizing concert on opening night, Friday, January 27th, with musicians Sunglaciers, K-Ritz, and The Rondel Roberts Band, presented by BIG Winter Classic, Block Heater and Ethnik Festivals.
- February 3–5
- Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market brings together a combination of music, dance and culture that strives to create a connection between the Indigenous communities and all communities. On February 3rd from 5–9 PM, experience a collaboration of extremely talented Indigenous artists, including Juno nominated country and classic rock artist Armond Duckchief and his four piece band, five-time Indigenous Music Award winner Drezus, and 2022 Juno Winner for Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year, Fawn Wood. Audiences will also be treated to a Powwow dance performance from Tootoosis Crew a family dance troupe including a Grass Dancer, Jingle Dress Dancer, Women’s Traditional Dancer, Women’s Fancy Shawl Dancers, a Hoop Dancer and a 22 month old Jingle Dress Dancer.
- Arts Commons takes over Olympic Plaza on February 4th and 5th with a weekend of ArtsXpeditions outdoor concerts. Saturday programming kicks off with award-winning artist and certified Dragon’s Den slayer, Bubba B MC, taking you through a day of funky hip hop and R&B acts that will have the whole family moving. Artists include Juno Award winner Splash’N Boots, Tendavillage, The LowDown Brass Band, and two-times Juno Award nominee Tanika Charles. On Sunday, ArtsX co-presents the YYC Music Awards Spotlight Festival for a celebration of Calgary’s most exceptional emerging musicians. ArtsXpedition at Chinook Blast is presented by Servus Credit Union with support from the Government of Canada.
- Mini Shred Park on February 4th and 5 th– Canada Snowboard is bringing a mini “shred park” to Olympic Plaza. Certified coaches will pull kids aged 3–10 around the shred park on a snowboard with handles.
- Arts Commons takes over Olympic Plaza on February 4th and 5th with a weekend of ArtsXpeditions outdoor concerts. Saturday programming kicks off with award-winning artist and certified Dragon’s Den slayer, Bubba B MC, taking you through a day of funky hip hop and R&B acts that will have the whole family moving. Artists include Juno Award winner Splash’N Boots, Tendavillage, The LowDown Brass Band, and two-times Juno Award nominee Tanika Charles. On Sunday, ArtsX co-presents the YYC Music Awards Spotlight Festival for a celebration of Calgary’s most exceptional emerging musicians.
- Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market brings together a combination of music, dance and culture that strives to create a connection between the Indigenous communities and all communities. On February 3rd from 5–9 PM, experience a collaboration of extremely talented Indigenous artists, including Juno nominated country and classic rock artist Armond Duckchief and his four piece band, five-time Indigenous Music Award winner Drezus, and 2022 Juno Winner for Traditional Indigenous Artist of the Year, Fawn Wood. Audiences will also be treated to a Powwow dance performance from Tootoosis Crew a family dance troupe including a Grass Dancer, Jingle Dress Dancer, Women’s Traditional Dancer, Women’s Fancy Shawl Dancers, a Hoop Dancer and a 22 month old Jingle Dress Dancer.
- February 10–12 – Last weekend of Chinook Blast, weekend presented by Dairy Farmers of Canada
- YYC Princess will grace the stage with their singing and theatrical performance on February 11th. Wearing a ballgown is optional, unless your fairy godmother is really insistent. This year, YYC Princess will make two appearances, one at 12:00 pm and another at 2:00 pm!
- Drag on Ice on February 11th. The FIRST in Alberta. Watch the finest Drag Performers strut their stuff… on ice! Enjoy a two hour display of drag entertainment and games as performers serve up some frozen fierceness.
- Block Heater’s Zenon+, Deicha & The VuDudes and Sinzere will be taking the stage the evening of February 11th to turn up the heat with their musical performances.
- After two years of COVID cancellations, The Great Canadian Kilt Skate is back on February 12th. Join them for free hot chocolate and enjoy the bagpipers, Scottish choir and highland dancers.
- YYC Princess will grace the stage with their singing and theatrical performance on February 11th. Wearing a ballgown is optional, unless your fairy godmother is really insistent. This year, YYC Princess will make two appearances, one at 12:00 pm and another at 2:00 pm!
“Being a part of Chinook Blast was quite impactful for our artist collective aGoGo. Chinook Blast’s trust and investment in our troupe provided the means for us to acquire both a Commercial General Liability insurance policy (critical for many hiring organizations) and beautiful new winter costuming that kept our members toasty warm during our daily LED flow performances last year at Glow & Chinook Blast. Perhaps even more valuable is that being a part of Chinook Blast has raised our credibility by allowing us to showcase our work amongst so many impressive artists. We are so grateful.”
– Tracy Marie, aGoGo Artist Collective, past Friends of Chinook Blast recipient
The TD Artists’ Pavilion at Calgary Central Library:
- MakeFashion x Indi City Powwow Runway– An outstanding collaboration between MakeFashion + Indi City, where technology meets traditional regalia as a Grand Entry into the world of Pow Wow. These masterpieces along with other fashion technology pieces will be showcased through a runway event on February 3rd from 4:00 to 6:00 pm
- On Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 to 1:30 pm, starting on January 26th and throughout Chinook Blast, Four Winds YYC and 10 at 10 will be hosting lunchtime performances in celebration of Indigenous culture and Black History Month. Artists will include Ashley Gendron (acoustic), Sheena T Kaine (spoken word/ hip-hop), Lena Daniels (acoustic), Curt Young (flute & acoustic), Ashley Ghostkeeper (acoustic), Toosick (hip-hop) and more.
- Winter City Art Activity – Show us what winter means to you in this hands-on drawing and colouring activity for families! From January 27th to February 12th at Calgary Central Library and other branches including Memorial, Seton, Signal Hill, Crowfoot and Saddletowne.
Night Markets at the City Hall Atrium
- We have expanded the night market from one weekend to three weekends this year. Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market will be kicking it off on the weekend of January 27th to 29th. Asian Heritage Foundation will be bringing the Asian Market back on the weekend of February 3rd–5th, and Market Collective will help everyone celebrate Valentine’s Day by having their market on the weekend of February 10th–12th.
Lantern Parade
- Lantern parade to celebrate the Lunar New Year: Asian Heritage Foundation and One Yellow Rabbit will be putting on a lantern parade on February 3rd at 6:00 pm. People can join in on making their lanterns from 4:30 pm to 6 pm at the City Hall Atrium.
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
- Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame has made its way to the heart of Calgary! Explore some of Canada’s rich sporting history through six interactive digital exhibits, located at the top of the Calgary Tower. The Beyond the Hall exhibition runs from now until February 6th.
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
- Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame has made its way to the heart of Calgary! Explore some of Canada’s rich sporting history through six interactive digital exhibits, located at the top of the Calgary Tower. The Beyond the Hall exhibition runs from now until February 6th.
In addition to the above, Chinook Blast provided funding through the Friends of Chinook Blast Funding Program to 28 local organizations to put on their events as part of Chinook Blast celebrations. We have Indigenous storytelling at Fort Calgary, lunar celebrations with the Chinese Cultural Centre and Korean Social Services Centre, Springboard Performances at ContainR in Sunnyside, and so much more. Calgarians will experience pure winter magic this season.
“Chinook Blast is about fostering new winter experiences and supporting our local artists and businesses so that Calgary can be seen as a vibrant city to visit during the winter season. We are excited that a majority of our programming is put on by local artists, musicians and businesses. In addition, the organizations and artists we are working with are the most diverse we have ever had in the lineup. We want to make Chinook Blast a global event while supporting local.”
– Patti Pon, President and CEO, Calgary Arts Development and Chair of Chinook Blast
Chinook Blast would also like to thank their partners including Arts Commons Presents, The Calgary Central Library, National Music Centre, Platform Calgary, East Village, Contemporary Calgary, Telus Convention Centre and Calgary Downtown Association. Many will have programming for all to enjoy, ensuring festival-goers have lots to explore.
Please visit chinookblast.ca for more information.
Chinook Blast Assets
https://platform.crowdriff.com/m/tourism-calgary/folder/17100/album/179693
About Chinook Blast
Chinook Blast is Calgary’s signature winter celebration that brings together partners from the arts, nonprofit, neighbourhood, tourism, and sports communities to create an inclusive event to showcase the best of our city. Our goal is to build towards a future when citizens and tourists are drawn to Calgary for a truly dynamic winter experience. Chinook Blast will run from January 27–February 12, 2023. Learn more at www.chinookblast.ca
About Calgary Arts Development
As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. They invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by the City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Their programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives, and ad hoc groups in Calgary. For more information, visit: calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
About Tourism Calgary
Tourism Calgary is the official destination marketing and development organization for Calgary’s tourism industry. For more than 50 years, the organization’s primary purpose has been to promote Calgary and the area as the destination of choice for leisure travellers. Tourism Calgary markets Calgary in new and exciting ways, advocates for what’s best for the quality of life of Calgarians and for Calgary’s growing tourism industry, hosts visitors and events that build Calgary’s brand and offer shareable experiences, and activates experiences in ways that attract, connect and inspire. For more information, visit: visitcalgary.com.
About The City of Calgary
As the third largest municipality in Canada, we serve a city that more than 1.5 million people call home, a population that is young, diverse, and growing. An excellent quality of life, with terrific access to nature and cleanliness make Calgary one of the most liveable cities on the planet! We are part of that success story—serving the city we live in and providing a wide range of services, like Water Treatment, Public Transit and Event Services. Learn more at Calgary.ca. We’re working to promote and celebrate all that Calgary offers in the winter through our Winter City Strategy. Chinook Blast is an important new annual event that is helping to achieve our strategy goals—to find ways to create more economic, social and cultural opportunities during Calgary’s winter months. We want to extend Calgary’s festival and event season, find ways to improve safety and accessibility and improve the economy, especially in our downtown core, in winter. Learn more at Calgary.ca/lovewinter
About Calgary Economic Development
Calgary Economic Development is an opportunity-maker, helping to spark and fuel Calgary’s growth. Our job is to connect people with resources that can help them grow their careers or businesses, thrive in new locations or markets, and feel at home in our community. We offer a wealth of information to help everyone succeed and we tirelessly promote Calgary, in Canada and around the world. We’re exhilarated about our role in shaping and sharing Calgary’s story and we’re proud to be part of the energy. For more information, please visit our website at www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com and follow us on Twitter @calgaryeconomic.
Media Contact:
Kaley Beisiegel
e. info@chinookblast.com
E. kaley@birdcreatives.com
p. 780-264-3650
Iconic festivals at Chinook Blast
- High Performance Rodeo kicks off festivities with theatre, music, dance, and multidisciplinary art from local, national and international artists. Back for its 37th year, the High Performance Rodeo is a showcase of the best in contemporary performance. January 16–February 5
- BIG Winter Classic returns for its 7th year, where music, arts and culture collide. Big experiences take over small spaces in Calgary’s Beltline. January 25–29
- Nitro Rallycross NEW THIS YEAR! An adrenaline-charged motorsport event that showcases elite drivers like Travis Pastrana facing off in the world’s most explosive electric race cars at Stampede Park… oh, and it’s on snow and ice. February 4–5
- Snow Rodeo FIS Snowboard Slopestyle and Halfpipe World Cups come to Canada Olympic Park! With the world’s top slopestyle and halfpipe snowboard stars present, it is a week of high-flying action. February 6–12
- Block Heater, one of the city’s fastest-growing music festivals, is back for its 8th iteration with shows for every taste and vibe. Filled with independent artists from our backyard and the globe. February 9–12
- Ethnik Festivals, one of Calgary’s newest arts and cultural festivals, keeps the Chinook Blast spirit alive, as Afro-Canadian and Caribbean communities share their diverse, vibrant cultural traditions. While slightly outside of this year’s festival dates, they will be collaborating on programming in the Chinook Blast hub leading into their main festival, February 24–25
Partner events:
- Rock the Nation at the National Music Centre celebrates over 50 years of Canadian music, featuring songs from the ‘60s to the present day. National Music Centre will host matinee performances of Rock the Nation, a musical revue presented by Annerin Productions, every Saturday and Sunday at Studio Bell from January 28–March 5
- Contemporary Teens at Contemporary Calgary These programs help inspire young people (ages 12–18) through the exploration of contemporary art, connecting them to communal, global, and social issues that affect all of our lives. January 28
- Hackathon at Platform Innovation Centre Participants have the opportunity to create innovative software that captures Calgary as a Winter City destination, network with tech industry insiders, and compete for real rewards. February 3–5
- The Hygge Hut in East Village is a big warm hug in the middle of a long, cold Calgary winter. Grab your crew, a warm beverage and cozy up by the campfire on the weekends. East Village will also be putting on live music, activities and special events on Sundays in C-Square. Ongoing
The East Village Nordic Loop is returning for a third season Enjoy a 1 km cross-country ski loop on the Fort Calgary lands in winter-friendly East Village. Daily 7am–10pm (contingent on snow conditions