Calgary's annual winter festival, Chinook Blast, has kicked off with a diverse range of family-friendly events lasting until Feb. 19. With over 200 programs organized by about 70 partner organizations, the festival aims to showcase the best of the city through light and art installations, live music, theatrical performances, outdoor sports, and more. The event attracted significant crowds during its opening weekend, with organizers hoping to surpass the $13.48 million economic impact generated in 2023 and draw even more visitors this year.
Despite some weather-related cancellations like the 'Chinook Slide' curling event, the festival continues to offer a packed schedule including indoor pop-up markets, galleries, outdoor light displays, and unique activities such as skating with Heritage Park townsfolk in historic attire on Family Day. The festival has also managed to attract iconic summer events like Global Fest and Jazz Fest YYC to participate, further enriching the winter programming and bringing an array of live music performances to downtown Calgary. Additionally, February will see the hosting of six major sporting events, contributing to what organizers describe as the most significantly programmed February in Calgary to date.