How to find food festivals in Calgary?
Every summer, Calgary turns into a true gastronomic mecca, hosting culinary festivals of various sizes and themes every week. From the large-scale Taste of Calgary, featuring over 90 restaurants, to intimate wine evenings, seasonal farmers' markets, and experimental Stampede dishes, the city offers countless opportunities to try new flavors and get to know the local culinary culture. Here is a detailed guide on how to find and visit the city's best food events.
Best online resources for finding food festivals
The first step in finding food events is to find reliable sources of information. Calgary Locale publishes one of the most comprehensive databases of events in the city, including reviews of each festival with prices, locations, and highlights. Their Friday newsletter sends out a weekend cheat sheet with selected events to help you plan ahead.
Visit Calgary is the city's official tourism portal and features a complete festival calendar with filters by event type. The “Food & Drink Festivals” section covers both large annual events and one-time culinary events.
For those who enjoy interactivity, Eventbrite offers the largest selection of tickets for culinary events with the option to set reminders for new events. Using the “Food & Drink” or “Food festivals” filters, you can easily find events by date, price, and location.
To Do Canada aggregates information on dozens of food festivals across Alberta, including detailed program descriptions and practical information on accessibility.
Meetup is becoming increasingly popular for finding less formal culinary gatherings and tastings. Groups such as “YYC Great Plates” regularly organize group trips to new restaurants and festivals.
Top culinary festivals of the year
Taste of Calgary — the largest summer food festival
Taste of Calgary remains the flagship event of the city's culinary scene, attracting over 25,000 visitors each year. In 2025, the festival will take place from July 31 to August 4 at Lot 6 in the city center. Over 90 local restaurants, food trucks, breweries, and distilleries will represent more than 300 dishes from around the world.
The uniqueness of the festival lies in its “Taste Tickets” system — admission is free, but each taste costs between 2 and 7 tickets at $1 each. This allows you to try as many dishes as possible at a reasonable price. According to organizer Jennifer Rempel, “you can truly eat internationally at Taste of Calgary — from Korean cuisine to fresh oysters and lobster rolls.”
In 2025, the festival expanded its territory, adding a green area near the river trail, allowing visitors to picnic and take a break from the heat of the asphalt.
Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival — a premium fall event
The Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival has been Alberta's largest and most beloved food event since 1998. In 2025, the festival will take place on October 17-18 at the BMO Centre at Stampede Park.
The festival brings together over 20,000 guests to taste world-class wines, craft beverages, and dishes from Calgary's best chefs. In 2024, there were over 200 booths featuring selections from 26 countries, including 200+ wines, 150+ beers, 180+ spirits, and over 40 types of tequila. Special attention is given to non-alcoholic alternatives for the “sober curious” audience.
YYC Food & Drink Experience — the most premium culinary festival
YYC Food & Drink Experience takes place over 17 days in March (March 14-30, 2025) and includes over 90 restaurants in the city. This is the most elegant format — instead of fair booths, restaurants offer special prix fixe menus at affordable prices: $25–35 for a three-course lunch, $35–45 for dinner, and $65–75 for a gourmet five-course dinner.
The festival also includes exclusive culinary events — private wine dinners, pop-up restaurant transformations, and collaborations with renowned chefs, winemakers, and bartenders.
Winefest — an intimate wine experience
Winefest is traditionally held in March at the BMO Centre and focuses exclusively on wine. Tickets for $110+ include unlimited tastings of hundreds of wines from the world's most famous wine regions, as well as a selection of gourmet snacks and a souvenir glass.
Themed culinary festivals
Taste of Asia — an Asian culinary journey
Taste of Asia 2025 will take place on August 22-24, organized by the Calgary Chinese Chamber of Commerce. The festival promises a “culinary adventure” featuring authentic street food, traditional favorites, and modern interpretations of classic recipes from across Asia.
Brewery & the Beast — a premium experience with local ingredients
Brewery & the Beast will take place on August 24, 2025, at The Confluence and is billed as “Calgary's most famous food and drink festival.” Over 60 restaurants from Calgary and Banff will prepare exclusive dishes from responsibly sourced local ingredients over an open fire.
The festival supports local communities, raising over $175,000 for culinary scholarships, mental health programs, and food security in Alberta and British Columbia over the years. Tickets for 2025 are already sold out, so sign up for the newsletter to stay informed about 2026.
Feast on Fourth — a budget-friendly culinary festival
Feast on Fourth takes place twice a year (in April and September) along bustling 4th Street. The festival's motto, “spend small, taste all,” is embodied in the opportunity to sample a variety of cuisines for only $10. In 2025, it is scheduled for September 24-26.
Restaurants offer special deals, from donair egg rolls at Blowers & Grafton to Guinness Potato Tot Poutine at Joyce on 4th.
Seasonal festivals and markets
Calgary Stampede — culinary madness at the Midway
The Calgary Stampede (July 4-13, 2025) is famous not only for its rodeo, but also for the most extravagant food in Canada. Over 70 food vendors offer both traditional favorites and daring new creations.
In 2025, new additions include Spam-pede bao (bao with canned pork, shrimp, and pineapple), mopane worm poutine, Doritos fried pizza, and Skittles hot dogs. Festival organizers spend months creating dishes that can't be found anywhere else but at the Stampede.
Winter food festivals
Calgary doesn't stop experimenting with food in winter. Chinook Blast (January 27–February 12) includes night markets at City Hall over three weekends. Four Winds Indigenous Showcase & Market, Asian Market, and Market Collective offer food and drinks in a warm atmosphere.
The Snow Eater Festival in February in Inglewood combines music, dancing, and hot drinks from Cold Garden Beverage Company, including mulled wine, hot chocolate, and their signature Cakeface beer.
Festival D'Hiver – Franco Winterfest (February 28–March 1) adds a French-Canadian flavor with maple syrup on snow and a traditional brunch.
Farmers' markets as a culinary event
Calgary's farmers' markets have become full-fledged culinary destinations. Calgary Farmers' Market South is open year-round (Thursday–Sunday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.) and brings together 75+ vendors with a food court featuring 20 restaurants. Here you can not only buy groceries, but also enjoy a crepe for breakfast or a glass of wine while shopping.
Calgary Farmers' Market West is open Wednesday-Sunday and features 60+ vendors in a 54,000-square-foot space with a children's play area.
Seasonal markets include the Farmers & Makers Market at cSpace Marda Loop (Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., May-October) with over 50 vendors, live music, and food trucks, as well as the Hillhurst Sunnyside Farmers' Market (Wednesdays, 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., year-round).
Strategies for finding events
Subscribe to newsletters and social media
The most effective way to not miss out on interesting events is to subscribe to themed newsletters. Calgary Locale sends out a Friday “Weekend Game-Plan” with a selection of weekend events. Family Fun Calgary specializes in family events, including food festivals.
Using mobile apps
Eventbrite has a powerful mobile app with customizable push notifications for new food events. Set filters for “Food & Drink” and “Calgary” and select dates that interest you.
Story City is a free interactive app that creates culinary routes around the city and tells stories about the best places to eat.
Check municipal resources
The official Calgary.ca website has a “Downtown Summer Festivals” section with regularly updated information about events in the city center. The city's Farm Stand Program covers more than 30 locations throughout the city where you can buy fresh produce and chat with farmers.
Planning your festival visit
Seasonality and weather conditions
The busiest season for food festivals in Calgary runs from May to September. July and August are the warmest months with daytime temperatures around 23-24°C, ideal for street food. Spring and fall festivals are often held indoors (BMO Centre, Calgary Central Library).
Budget planning
Free events include most farmers' markets, some street festivals (Feast on Fourth, Calgary Stampede pancake breakfasts), and municipal events. Average cost for a premium festival: $50-110 for the Rocky Mountain Wine & Food Festival, $25-75 for the YYC Food & Drink Experience menu.
Transportation and logistics
Most major festivals are held in the city center with good public transportation access. On days of major events, CTrain offers an Event Day Pass for $8. Free shuttles are available to Stampede Park and some remote locations.
Conclusion
Calgary offers an incredible variety of food festivals throughout the year, from the large-scale Taste of Calgary with 300+ dishes to intimate wine tastings, from experimental Stampede novelties to authentic ethnic festivals. The key to a successful visit is using the right online resources (Calgary Locale, Visit Calgary, Eventbrite), planning ahead, and being open to trying new flavors. Regardless of your budget or culinary preferences, everyone will find something interesting in the city's gastronomic calendar.