Queer Prom at The Confluence
June 6 | The Confluence | theconfluence.ca
Whether you’re graduating this year or you bid adieu to high school long ago, celebrate grad season with The Confluence’s Queer Prom. Dress up in your dream prom outfit and show up as your authentic self to kick off Pride Month. Dance your heart out to the musical stylings of DJs DetourYYC and NZANE and check out drag performances from King Neptune, Posie Pocket and Winah Dinah.
Calgary art collective Loose Ends joins this year’s prom with a corsage building station and upstairs market featuring local queer creators, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to jazz up your ‘fit.
Queer Prom offers pay-what-you-can tickets at $15, $25 or $50. If you’ve got the money to spare, purchase a “Pay It Forward” ticket to help support the event’s Free Ticket Program. Each year, Queer Prom offers a limited number of free tickets for those facing financial barriers, supported by the flexible pricing and pay-it-forward tickets.
The Gathering
June 6 | Alcove Beltline | eventbrite.com
A brand-new concert event featuring local artists is coming to town, with one main mission: connection. Upon arrival at The Gathering, organizers at the door will give you a sticker to cover up your phone camera. Rather than taking photos to post on social media, you’ll connect with your fellow concertgoers. Bands to catch include (un)decided, SageThaCat, Taelyn, and Beatnik Saints. Between musical performances, be sure to check out the local artist vendors, selling their paintings, clothing, and sculptures. It’s a unique event to check out, and tickets are available for just $17.40.
Hello, Dolly!
June 12 to 27 | Pumphouse Theatre | untoldstoriestheatre.com
A staple of Broadway and the West End, Hello, Dolly! is a familiar name to every musical theatre lover, and now you’ll get to hear the classic tunes in the comparatively cozy Pumphouse Theatre. The musical follows Dolly Gallagher Levi, a matchmaker in New York who tries to find a wife for a single “half-a-millionaire.” It’s funny, it’s romantic, and tickets are only $27.
AärdCon
June 13 | The Scandinavian Centre | aardcon.com
Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts in Calgary rolled a Nat 20 on great events this June with AärdCon, a roleplaying game and fantasy gathering. Check out speakers discussing the benefits of roleplaying games and how to create great monsters, or sit in on workshops exploring FX makeup, mini-figure painting, voice acting, and more. Join TTRPG sessions throughout the day and shop AärdCon’s marketplace for all sorts of wonderful, nerdy goodies. Standard tickets to the con cost $12.06 online, while “High Roller” tickets cost $17.04 and include a set of seven dice at the door.
Calgary Reptile Expo
June 13 and 14 | Genesis Centre | albertareptiles.ca
Snakes, lizards, turtles, oh my! Check out these scaly friends and more at the Calgary Reptile Expo, Canada’s largest not-for-profit reptile expo. Hosted by volunteers from The Alberta Reptile and Amphibian Society, the Calgary Reptile Expo has everything a reptile lover could want. Beyond the geckos and iguanas you may expect, you’ll also find various creepy crawlies, such as tarantulas and scorpions, as well as terrarium-safe plants to decorate animal enclosures. Check out the local artists showcasing at the expo to pick up some reptile or amphibian-themed art and jewelry to proudly display your love of cold-blooded critters. Tickets are $9.99, and kids five and under get in free, so go ahead and bring your niece or nephew.
Punk in the Park: Flea Market
June 17 | Tomkins Park | prfmyyc.com
If you’ve ever felt like you can’t find anything that’s really you at conventional markets around Calgary, then the Punk Rock Flea Market is where you’ll want to be. Check out vendors hocking unconventional art, vinyl records, vintage clothes and various little oddities and collectibles you aren’t likely to find anywhere else. There’s no entry fee to the market, so just bring the cash you want to spend.
The Playbooks
June 19 to 27 | 215 14 Ave. S.W. | thetheatre.com
Calgary’s newest black-box theatre, simply called the theatre, debuts a new play this June: The Playbooks. The script follows the real-life figure Hallie Flanagan, an American theatre producer and director who ran the Federal Theatre Project, established during the Great Depression. Rather than arts funding, it was created as a relief program to help theatre artists survive. The Playbooks captures Flanagan’s little-known efforts and the fight to keep artists employed.
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ONE – A Dance Spectacle
June 20 | Jack Singer Concert Hall | sparqproductions.com
The 15th annual ONE spectacle presents over 250 of Alberta’s greatest dance performers in one jaw-dropping performance. Expect an evening of visually striking performances showing the diversity of dance as an art form. Featuring circus performers, belly dancers, hip-hop, Bollywood, and more, you’ll be treated to an adventure around the world through a variety of cultural dances. Tickets to ONE are $37 for the dress circle and $42 for orchestra and mezzanine seating, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Canadian Transplant Association to support organ and tissue donation awareness.
Shrek 25th Anniversary Screening
June 27 | The GRAND | thegrandyyc.ca
We hate to remind you of the endless march of time, but certified meme legend and hit DreamWorks animated comedy Shrek turns 25 years old this year. Celebrate the occasion at The GRAND for its special 25th-anniversary screening and relive the childhood classic. Uncle Faith’s Pizza is slinging slices in the lobby ahead of the show, so make sure you come hungry. Tickets are just $15, a very reasonable price to pay to remind yourself that the years in fact don’t stop coming.
Mane Attraction: A Horse Girl Drag Show
June 28 | Burn Block Social Club | eventbrite.com
Giddy-up on over to Burn Block Social Club for another edition of The Gay Agenda, a monthly drag show hosted by local drag queen Divina Diefor. Get into the Stampede spirit with Mane Attraction, a show featuring Lola Jett, Anne Xiety and Jerriana. Tickets are $11.98, and bring a few extra bills to tip the performers.
Coven Arts Collective Witching Hour Open Mic
June 29 | Theatre 1308 | covenartscollective.com
New Calgary theatre collective Coven Arts Collective first took to the stage back in January with the Coven Cabaret. Now they’re back with a brand-new open mic series, Witching Hour, where artists of all kinds are welcome to share their craft. Show off your guitar skills, debut that spoken word poem, or share a story you’ve been working on; all art forms are welcome. Tickets to the event are $15 for both performers and the audience. Grab yours to support local, witchy theatre!
