For its 2026 Chinook Blast festival programming, Calgary Opera will offer a full afternoon of performance and play indoors with Serious Family Fun as its primary Chinook Blast experience and a smaller activation that provides audiences a taste of Calgary Opera’s work at the Chinook Blast Hub.

Serious Family Fun is an open house designed for children and families who are curious about opera and ready to interact with opera artists in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The opera house doors are open, and all are invited! Calgary Opera is thrilled to welcome listeners of all ages to drop in and play, sing, move, and dance together with our Serious Family Fun: Little Red Riding Hood event.

The afternoon’s main experience is a performance of Seymour Barab’s Little Red Riding Hood, a classic tale with a few twists brought to life through a delightful and charming children’s opera. The event will begin with a short pre-show interactive movement demonstration, facilitated by professional artists. This participatory demonstration will discuss the art of movement on the stage and show how artists create and incorporate dance into a children’s opera. Following the performance and q&a, a second movement demonstration will be done, this time focusing on stage combat, and have an interactive session leaping off the idea “What if the Little Red had known self defense?”

February 13 at 6–7 PM – Chinook Blast Hub (Eau Claire Plaza)

February 14 at 1–3 PM – Mamdani Opera Centre (1315 7 St SW)