The 2025 Festival of Animated Objects kicks off this Tuesday, and boy, oh, boy, is it a party. This festival marries the timeless practice of mask and puppet arts with contemporary spaces, themes and ideas; in other words, it’s about way more than just puppets! Check out Fearsssome by Kaja Irwin at cSpace Tuesday through Thursday, Arctic Tall Tales on Friday at Vertigo, and the legendary Dolly Wiggler Cabaret over the weekend. And be sure to grab our latest issue of The Scene magazine on stands now for a deeper dive into the festival, including interviews with founder Xstine Cook and Kaja Irwin herself! The full festival schedule is available over at puppetfestival.ca.
Kick the week off before that with some hip-hop at Dickens. Hot off the release of their latest album, Love (the) Ominous World, rap duo Blu & Exile take the stage with support from Spark Houston tonight. Doors open at 7, and tickets are available over at dickensyyc.com.
If you’d rather chill with a beer and answer some trivia questions, head over to Citizen Brewing tonight. Talespin Trivia hosts general knowledge trivia for teams of up to 6, with food and drink specials all night long! If you haven’t tried the Citizen Burger yet, take it from me: it’s a banger. Sign your team up over right now at citizenbrewingcompany.com!
Busker Bob hosts an Acoustic Jam and Open Mic on Wednesday at Congress Coffee Company. Whether you’ve got some new songs to try out or just want to enjoy some local up-and-comers, this FREE event is perfect… and it happens every second Wednesday of the month! Everything starts at 7 p.m.; more details are at congresscoffeeshop.com.
Looking for a new karaoke night? Gus Rendell hosts Youtube Kareoke every Thursday now over at Pinbar, starting at 9 pm! Entry is free, pints are six bucks, and Bastion Burger is slinging some of the best smashburgers in town. Head over and try your pipes out on some new tunes!
The Grazers Dining Series is back at the Calgary Zoo this Friday. Expect farm-to-table food, great company, amazing flavours crafted by the zoo culinary team, paired with alcohol selections, and a special guest speaker. Just be sure to book a babysitter, as this event is 18+! Tickets available over at calgaryzoo.com.
Head to the Millican Ogden Community Association for the Calgary Comic Book Show this Saturday afternoon. Described as a “pure” comic book show, you can browse 20+ vendors and grab some new trade paperbacks. It’s free, and it starts at 10 am! More details are over at calgarycomicbooks.com.
Later that same night, the 10th Annual Holi Hungama – Festival of Colours takes over Magnolia Banquet Hall at 7 pm! This high-energy event brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate the Indian spirit of Holi – a festival of love, unity, and joy. All are welcome, and tickets are available over at sparqproductions.com.
Wrap the weekend up with Sundays with The Broadview Trio. This jazz trio mixes old and new sounds together to create something exciting. Head over to Betty Lou’s at 7 pm to enjoy a nightcap the entire week, and prepare for some St. Patrick’s Day madness next week.
For more events and things to do around the city, grab our March issue of The Scene on stands now.
