Interact with Calgary’s Best
Written by: Kelsey Woods
Well Calgary, the votes have been tallied, the winners announced and now the fun begins. Introducing The Best of Calgary Interactive Labs. We have paired up some of this year’s winners to collaborate in offering the most unique experiences you can find for th next 4 weeks. And the best part is - they are all located right here in YYC. Participate in this year’s Calgary Marathon as a member of the cheer squad or bike around Calgary with like-minded people and deliciously smoked Hayden Block waiting for you at the end. Choosing to participate in interactive labs like these not only will get you out of the house doing something fun and exciting but you are also supporting and interacting with the best businesses in Calgary.
Check out the overview of labs available below. See one you’re interested in? Click on the event link and sign up - it really is that easy! There are a variety of paid and free events that cover everything from food, art, physical activity, how-to's and everything in between. With limited spaces available, we anticipate most of these events will fill up fast. I mean who wouldn’t want to learn how to build their own Modern Jelly Doughnut?!
THE ESPY MAN MAKEOVER
Mon, May 7, 2018 - Thu, May 31, 2018
Everyone knows that one guy who has a terrible sense of style, whether that means socks and sandals, T-shirt button ups or daily sweatpants - you know who you are. Well today’s your lucky day! espy is giving away a FREE full ‘man makeover’ to one lucky winner who is in need of a style upgrade. All you need to do is nominate the man in your life for this opportunity by submitting his name, a photograph documenting his poor style and a brief statement explaining why you think he deserves this makeover. Whether he is a brother, husband, father, friend, co-worker, you name it - submit it.
WORLD WIDE LIVING LIBRARY DINNER
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
This intimate dinner is hosted in collaboration with EthniCity catering, providing a space for LGBTQ+ newcomers to share personal experiences over authentic food. The World Wide Living Library dinner was chosen to be a part of the Best of Calgary Interactive labs as the Centre for Newcomers is an important component of our city. Connect with your city and join us for a night of delicious, and meaningful, conversation.
THE ITALIAN FEAST
Tuesday, May 22, 2018 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Gordon Ramsay, eat your heart out. Save your appetite for not a three or four, but a FIVE course meal at our very own Charcut. Brody Ashton, the executive chef of Calgary’s Best Steak restaurant, has curated a meal so innovative and even more unique that will be paired with wines to bring out the combination’s delicate undertones. But the fun doesn’t stop here. While you are dining Italian style, you will also be intrigued by table side presentations from the bartender and chef to learn more about the exquisite food and drink presented to you.
DIRTT TOUR + HAPPY HOUR
Thursday, May 24, 2018 @ 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
DIRTT - Doing It Right This Time. Tour DIRTT, voted Calgary’s Best Interior Design company ( who is actually not an interior design company at all ), who is changing how the world builds with advanced technology. Enjoy wine and cheese as you stroll throughout DIRTT headquarters, stopping at several stations to learn more about how this company can achieve any vision for your interior space - faster, cleaner & on a budget. See how DIRTT goes way beyond walls to create your entire interior space, the technology will blow you away.
BUILD YOUR OWN TERRARIUM WITH PLANT SHOP
Thursday, May 24, 2018 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Let your creative side run wild YYC! Get hands on experience and build your own terrarium with Kyle Chow, the owner of Calgary’s Best Flower Shop, Plant. If you’ve never been here, prepare to enter a gardener’s dream: succulents, cacti, bonsai, even carnivorous plants are stocked here. Your ticket price will include a glass container, one succulent and other accessories to make your terrarium unique. Hear from Hop Compost founder Kevin Davies as you’re guided through a DIY workshop with Kyle while snacking on organic fair from Community Natural Foods, voted the Best Place to Buy Organic in YYC.
CMLC COMMUNITY DAY
Friday, May 25, 2018 @ 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Do you have great ideas to help improve your local community? Get inspired at this year’s CMLC Community Day, where you can mix and mingle with other like-minded community leaders who are trying to make Calgary a better place to live. Spend an afternoon at the St. Louis Hotel listening to educated leaders, learning about granting opportunities (AKA free money!) from First Calgary Financial and Calgary Foundation and sampling goodies provided by Community Natural Foods. Visit the event page to learn more about the talented speakers.
FOLK FEST TEASER AT EAST VILLAGE JUNCTION
Friday, May 25, 2018 @ 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Because nobody wants to wait until the end of July for Folk Fest, they have decided to ease our building anticipation for outside folk music with a pop-up stage on May 25th at East Village Junction. A local performing artist from the 2018 roster will be performing a teaser of the musical performances to come only two months down the road. Make sure to bring a blanket and your sunnies, because we’re breaking into summer with this teaser from Calgary’s Best Festival at East Village Junction. And guess what - this event is FREE!
CALGARY MARATHON CHEER SQUAD WITH BEAKERHEAD
Sunday, May 27, 2018 @ 9:30 AM 11:00 AM
If you’re not lacing up your runners this May for the Calgary Marathon — join the cheer squad. On May 27, hundreds of Calgarians will be tying up their runners and racing around the city. The races range in length from 5 km to 50 km so trust us, they will need some friendly encouragement to keep those feet moving. Team Beakerhead will be on the sidelines at (venue TBD) from (time TBD) ready to cheer, hoot and holler. Get into the community spirit and spend some time out in the sunshine with us. Go YYC!
BUILD YOUR OWN DOUGHNUT AT MODERN JELLY
Sunday, May 27, 2018 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
We all know that no Canadian can turn down a tasty doughnut, so why wouldn’t you want to build our own?! Attend an exclusive behind the scenes tour of Modern Jelly Doughnut’s smooth operation, followed by a lesson on how to make your own delicate, sweet treats. Coconut, chocolate, cinnamon, lemon - whatever flavor gets you going, Calgary’s Best Doughnut Shop will help you create it so it can then be deliciously demolished. Yummy in our tummies!
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE GLENBOW
Monday, May 28, 2018 @ 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Calling all art lovers, history buffs and seekers of beauty. Explore the largest art collection west of Toronto, including many little-known works rarely seen by the public. Follow the development of the west through the watercolours and drawings of early surveyors and explorers. Explore the Glenbow’s impressive collection of prints and drawings, including early Inuit prints, the bold Modernist works of Sybil Andrews and the delicate grace of W. J. Phillips’ woodcuts. Marvel at the signature works by the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, Charlie Russell, and enjoy the whimsical humour of Saskatchewan artists Joe Fafard and Vic Cicansky. Along the way, discover the President’s Choice – a rarely seen collection of paintings by American illustrator J.F. Kernan.
CALCUTTA CRICKET CLUB COMMUNITY TABLE
Monday, May 28, 2018 @ 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Come eat family style at Calgary’s Best New Restaurant! The Calcutta Cricket Club is opening their doors for an alfresco dining experience with group tables and big platters for all. Weather permitting, their wonderful patio will host a cocktail reception to start with welcome drinks from their spectacular cocktail menu. Following this, a set dinner of CCC classics and a few new creations will be served family style with something deliciously sweet to finish. Best New Restaurant is a very competitive category so get down here to see what all the fuss is about – we promise you will leave full, impressed and completely satisfied with their innovative concoctions. Another round? We think so.
BYOB WITH REDBLOOM SALONS
Monday, May 28, 2018 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Messy hair, we care! RedBloom Salons has been voted Calgary’s Best Place for both Men’s and Women’s Hair since 2012, so it’s safe to say their opinion matters. This BYO Blowdryer workshop is intended to empower women with one of their most valuable tools, their blow dryers. This interactive workshop will provide valuable tricks of the trade to help you style your own hair like a pro in the comfort of your own home. All proceeds will be donated to WINS (Women In Need Society) so grab your best gal, friend, sister or just your blowdryer and hit this workshop solo, because good hair is life.
THE 403 SERIES WITH THE CALGARY CHAMBER
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 @ 5:00 PM 7:00 PM
Want employees to LOVE their job? Everyone wants to work with a good company, but they also want to enjoy the atmosphere. You may have heard of the saying, "culture eats strategy for breakfast," but now the question remains: how can you leverage culture to grow your company and brand? Join the Calgary Chamber for the second installment of its 403 series as they explore the effect of culture on company success, employee retention, and workplace satisfaction. Learning their keys to success while sipping on a nice cold beer might just lead to resumes flying through your door!
THREE-COURSE TAPAS MEAL & WINE PAIRINGS AT VIN ROOM
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 @ 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Vin Room – more like win room. On May 29th, we are hooking you up with an absolute killer deal - $40/person for a three-course tapas meal and three wine pairings. Can we hear a what what?! Each tapas meal has been created with care and has been paired with a distinct wine to bring out delicate undertones and hints of this and that. There’s a reason Vin Room won Calgary’s Best Wine List.
Visit the link below to make a reservation for the Vin Room Mission location for May 29th!
PHOTO WALK AND WORKSHOP WITH NEIL ZELLER
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 @ 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Join Neil Zeller, a three-time recipient of the Best Photographer Award in Calgary, in a city-walk searching for beauty in all the right places. He will lead the walking tour through Calgary’s Best Neighbourhood, Inglewood. In the small group setting, Neil will help you nail your own perfect shot while you explore the trendy neighbourhood. The guided tour will start and end at The Deane House - meet outside at 6:30pm and it will wind down with refreshments after at 8:30pm. Shoot the city with one of Calgary’s finest photographers and then shoot the sh*t with him over a damn fine beer.
THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM
Wednesday, May 30, 2018 @ 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
We’ve seen the decline of newspaper sales and an increase in online news - so what’s next? Attend an intimate talk with some of Calgary’s most established journalists at Village Brewery, the winner of this year’s Best Brewery award, as they discuss the future of journalism in all forms. Welcoming representatives from The Sprawl, Avenue (Calgary's Best Magazine), YYScene and Macleans (featuring Best Journalist Jason Markusoff), this talk is no doubt going head first into debating technology, generation gaps and the growing stigma around journalism. Hear industry pros examine the current and future landscape of the written word and, yes, with cold beer in hand.
Featured panelists include:
- Jeremy Klaszus, The Sprawl
- Jaelyn Molyneux, Avenue
- Mike Bell, YYScene
- Jason Markusoff, Macleans (moderator)
DREAM BIG. GET THERE (DELICIOUSLY) FASTER.
Thursday, May 31, 2018 @ 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
The team at First Calgary Financial has put together a fun program to share goal-setting insights, tools and tips to get YOU to your next big dream faster. Enjoy specially curated cocktails, delicious bites and an innovative financial planning workshop with the team at First Calgary. These two hours will fly by over financial tips, tricks and tasty treats, and you're welcome to linger on for live music later in the evening. The start on a journey to your dreams should always start with libations and amazing food, right?!
THE BASH!
Friday, June 1, 2018 @ 5:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Join us at Calgary's best party - where we celebrate Calgary's best. This is not an awards show, it's a celebration – a time to connect and toast to our city and to the 2018 winners. There will be drinks, snacks and great conversation about all that is great in YYC. Connect with the movers, makers and shakers as we celebrate the best food, talent, music and entertainment in our city. The doors open at 4:30pm for the winners only happy hour. The event opens to the public at 5:30pm. See you there!
THE EAST IS RISING – A CMLC GUIDED TOUR OF EAST VILLAGE
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 10:00 AM 11:30 AM
Calgary is full of funky neighborhoods and trendy areas but Calgary’s east side really has its own vibe. Join the walking tour of EV streets to get the truest sense of it: historic buildings murals, boutique stores, innovative public spaces and artistic graffiti. This guided tour includes a coffee from Phil & Sebastian and a scoop of ice cream from Village Ice Cream compliments of CMLC as well as a guided stroll through with one of the East Village Ambassadors.
BIKE RIDE FOR BRISKET
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 11:00 AM 1:00 PM
Sun's out, bikes out! Walk, ride or drive your bike down to Bow Cycle, the Best Bike Shop in the city, on June 2nd for a tune up before you hit the pavement for a cruise with the gang. Bow Cycle’s expert staff can answer any and all of your questions before hittin’ the road and touring you through the city. Final stop? Calgary’s Best Barbecue of course – Hayden Block Smoke & Whiskey in Kensington.
PAINT & PINOT WITH MANDY STOBO
Saturday, June 2, 2018 @ 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Try your hand at painting with one of Calgary’s finest artists Mandy Stobo, a three-time recipient of the Best Visual Artist Award in Calgary. Guided by Mandy, you’re given a blank canvas, a paint brush and a wackload of colors to combine as you please. Two hours later, you have your own, one-of-a-kind custom watercolor portrait to take home with you. The workshop is hosted at Vin Room, voted Calgary’s Best Wine List. $20 of your ticket price will go towards a purchase from the menu to fuel your creativity for the afternoon.
DETOX & REPLENISH RIDE
Sunday, June 3, 2018 @ 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
We invite you to join a deadly combo: Calgary’s Best Place to Workout + Calgary’s Best Place to Buy Organic Food. YYC Cycle will run a 45-minute spin class with flashing lights and funky music, designed to challenge you, motivate you and make you SWEAT! Following this hot session, enjoy snacks from Community Natural Foods during a 30-minute talk about nutrition and how to replenish your body after an intense workout and detoxifying sweat. And the best part is, all proceeds of your $10 ticket are donated to charity so you can feel good all around about this sweet, sweaty workout.
There you have it YYC - The Best of Calgary 2018 Interactive Labs! Sign up for any/all of them before they fill up, because we anticipate they will! Come out to see what Calgary's best has to offer - we promise it won't disappoint.
Kelsey Woods is a Content Writer for Best of Calgary