region | rocky mountains
Rocky Mountains Events
Jasper Dark Sky Festival
Jun 9 Gran Fondo Jasper This mountain bike event is the only gran fondo in North America to be held completely within a national park system . Bike riders can choose from three courses , from the Piccolo Fondo ( 65 km ) to the intense Gran Fondo ( 165 km ) for advanced riders . Jasper National Park , 1-855-515-0693 , granfondo-jasper . ca
Aug 4 - 6 Canmore Folk Music Festival Alberta ’ s longest running folk music festival is a family friendly event . This year folk legend Buffy Sainte-Marie is headlining the festival . There will be more than 30 performers , including Carlos Del Junco and The Blues Mongrels , Coco Love Alcorn , Ruthie Foster , Joey Landreth Trio and more . Other events include a free downtown concert on Friday evening , a kids ’ area with arts and crafts , puppets and a climbing wall . Centennial Park , Canmore , 403-678-2524 , canmorefolkfestival . com
Aug 8 - 11 Jasper Heritage Rodeo Since 1926 , the Jasper Heritage Rodeo has been celebrating cowboy culture with seven professional events each night , a pony parade and a pancake breakfast . Jasper National Park , jasperheritagerodeo . com
Sep 1 - 2 Canmore Highland Games Get a taste of the Scottish Highlands in Canmore ! Events include piping and drumming , highland dancing , a tug-of-war competition , beer gardens , a Scotch tasting and more . Children will love the kid ’ s tent and the sheep dogs . This event takes place rain or shine ! Canmore , 403-678-9454 , canmorehighlandgames . ca
Oct 12 - 21 Jasper Dark Sky Festival Jasper has one of the world ’ s largest dark sky preserves . A tribute to twinkling stars , Northern Lights and astronomy , this festival has many free events including photography workshops , guided stargazing tours and keynote speakers . Bill Nye was a guest one year ! Jasper , jasperdarksky . travel
Oct 27 - Nov 4 Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival This annual festival over nine days is packed with films , books , photography , speakers and workshops from inspirational adventurers , authors , photographers and filmmakers from around the globe . Banff , banffcentre . ca
Nov 22 - 25 Banff Christmas Market A one-of-a-kind shopping experience with handcrafted gifts for everyone on your list ! Live entertainment , caroling and warm beverages complement the market . Banff , banffchristmasmarket . com
ARTS & CULTURE
The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2018 ! The creativity hub provides opportunities for artists across disciplines to learn and create . It ’ s also a popular location for concerts , festivals , visual arts exhibits and more . Enjoy live music in the Shaw Amphitheatre in the summer ; some guests in 2018 include renowned musicians Xavier Rudd ( June 16 ), Blue Rodeo ( July 6 ), and A Tribe Called Red ( July 29 ). 107 Tunnel Mountain Dr , Banff , 403-762-6100 , banffcentre . ca
The Whyte Museum was founded by local artists Peter and Catharine Whyte to provide a place for people to appreciate Banff ’ s arts and culture . Check out one of their drop-in tours of the galleries offered June through August , many of which are included with museum admission . 111 Bear Street , Banff , 403-762-2291 , www . whyte . org
The Ammonite Factory offers interpretive tours where you learn about the history and geology of the ammolite gemstone . See the workbench where all of the polishing , cutting and placing of gems in the jewelry takes place — you may see one of their artisans hard at work ! 1350 Railway Avenue , Canmore , 403-678-1786 , www . ammonite-factory . com
The Jasper Planetarium offers a year-round stargazing experience to celebrate Jasper ’ s status as one of the largest dark sky preserves in the world . View a virtual guided tour in the dome theatre with a live astronomy guide . Visit their website for seasonal locations . Jasper , 780-931-3275 , jasperplanetarium . com
PHOTOGRAPHS : ( TOP ) JEFF BARTLETT , COURTESY TOURISM JASPER ; ( BOTTOM ) COURTESY BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
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