🗝️SUNDAY SNEAK PEEK - May 11, 2025

Your key to Calgary's headliners, hot spots, & hidden gems.

Author

Sarah Hovind
May 11, 2025

Hi friends,

Lots of good stuff coming up this week with the Highfield Food & Beverage Fest, OtaFest, and Flavours & Fins Market and 4th street night market and hey maybe mix it up with a Cavalry Game for the weekend.

Last week I went to the grand opening of Mezza (video posted earlier today), and this week I’ve got a sponsored deal with A&W, and I’m heading to the soft opening of a new cocktail bar. The new Stampede foods for 2025 are being announced this week too. So watch for all that on my IG!

HEADLINERS THIS WEEK

A curated list of the best fun events! Get out of your house and do one (or more!) of these fun events happening this week!

Monday 12th

  • 📖 CALGARY READS BIG BOOK SALE: On at the Calgary Curling Club until May 18th, over 200,000 cheap second hand books!

  • 🪄 CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC: On at the Jubilee. This is the 2nd show they added and there’s still lots of seats left!

Tuesday 13th

  • 🍽️ VINE AND DINE: A multi-course meal at Sumaq on 17th ($92) with Culinaire

Wednesday 14th

  • 🍕 PIZZAFACE PAIRINGS: Wine pairings plus PizzaFace pizza at Willow Park Wines. YUM! ($45)

  • 🎸 LIVE MUSIC AT BANQUET BAR: Free live music at Banquet Bar. See The Crickettes on from 7pm-10pm at the University District location

Thursday 15th

  • 🛍️ FLAVOURS & FINDS NIGHT MARKET: This new night market is in Marda Loop and has free entry! (Entry is free, but may be limited to those who register, grab your free ticket via the link!)

Friday 16th

  • ⛩️ OTAFEST: This popular Japanese anime and pop culture festival starts Friday and goes until Sunday on at the Telus Convention Centre downtown

  • 🌼 HIGHFIELD FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETFEST: Friday (5pm-10pm) and Saturday (10am-4pm)

Saturday 17th

  • ⚽ CAVALRY HOME GAME: See them play at Spruce Meadows, game starts at 3:30!

  • 🛍️ 4TH STREET NIGHT MARKET: First 4th street night market of the year! Find it at Central Memorial Park. Free live music!

Sunday 18th

BONUS! EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT CODES

  • 💸 20% OFF VR EXPERIENCE: The Horizon of Khufu: A Journey to Ancient Egypt at Chinook Centre! Get 20% off with code KhufuSARAH20 (extended to May 30, I know this was extended a pile of times, but I think this might actually be the end).

  • 💸 20% OFF NEWSLETTER SOFTWARE: Want to send your own super cool newsletter? I send this using Beehiiv and it makes my life easier. Use my link for a free 30 day trial and 20% your first 3 months.

  • 💸 20% OFF BOWLING AT SPLITSVILLE CREEKSIDE: Use code 20SARAH when booking (discount ends this Sunday May 18).

  • 💸 30% OFF CALGARY FARMYARD: Spring Day Pass automatically discounted at check-out (discount ends this Friday May 16).

  • 💸 80% OFF FRESH PREP: Get up to 80% off Fresh Prep meal making kits (new customers only) Use code INFSOCIABLE80 (this code may be ending soon!).

  • 💸 2 FOR 1 ADMISSION STUDIO BELL: Get two admissions for the price of one with code PHIL2FOR1 online or in person (ends Sept 30, I got this code from Calgary Phil’s newsletter).

  • Want to add a discount code from your business? Send me an email!

HEADS UP! UPCOMING EVENTS

*note, events in this section are sponsored. If you’d like your event added, send me an email.

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Friends! I have news. 📣

Things are going really good for me. Too good in fact. First, YYC Venues is really taking off (lol prob doesn’t look it from the outside, but rest assured, a lot of fantastic stuff is going on behind the scenes). Second, YYC Sociables is popping-off right now too. We’ve had lots of requests to work with us lately and Kelsey and I are managing them all spectacularly (with stellar results for clients too, I am very proud to say!). Third, things are also going well for Baden, (he helps me with a lot of website and event research stuff) as he is off to photograph Eurovision for the next two weeks! I think he told me he’s the official Canadian photographer for the event. 🍁 (you’ll be able to watch the bts on yyc sociables IG stories)

All this taken together: YYC Venue’s early success, YYC Sociables being in demand, and Baden taking off to another continent, mean that Sarah has a lot on her plate over the next 6 weeks. Oh and did I mention things are ramping up for Stampede? 😅

As you know, I do this newsletter alone, so I need to pause it for a touch while I manage the sudden bump in workload from these above mentioned areas. Don’t worry your pretty little head though, I’ll be back (hopefully sooner rather than later). But I just gotta do some stuff first...

Cheers!

Sarah

p.s. plus i gotta find time to work on my mega-macaroni statue… 😉🧀🗽

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⚠Accuracy: I do this newsletter alone and inevitably it will feature a typo or two (or I might have got my details mixed up, I am just a frequently hungover person after all). Furthermore, event details can change at the organizer’s whim, please double check before you head out anywhere. That said, I think this is 99.9% accurate! I try my best!

🫥 Full Transparency:  Sometimes I include events within this newsletter that have paid for sponsored posts on my social media. Some links may be affiliate (very rarely, but sometimes) which means I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Or I may refer to a hosted media event or gifted food.

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