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CALGARY’S GUIDE TO GOING OUT

FREE • OCTOBER 2026 • ISSUE #72

WORDFEST HOUSE PUNK SHOWS TUNNEL RAVES CHEAPSKATE’S GUIDE TO HALLOWEEN YU CHEN Q&A

DIG A LITTLE DEEPER

A GLANCE AT CALGARY’S UNDERGROUND SUBCULTURES THINGS TO DO MUSIC AND GIGS ART SCENE FOOD AND DRINKS CAM HAYDEN COMIC

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CONTENTS

Cover Nick Alford plays with Red 40 at Half Rabid House Photo: Marissa Ruggles Publisher Käthe Lemon, klemon@redpointmedia.ca Editor Alicia L’Archevêque, alarcheveque@redpointmedia.ca Editorial Assistant Evelina Pak, epak@redpointmedia.ca

october 1

artIstspeak* Parenthood 7pm $20 all welcome

sAlt & aSh + caNyOn sun 8pm $10 adv all ages

conscious trAnsformatIon coLlEctIve 7pm pwyc

zine workshop 7pm free all ages

Contributing Editors Catrina Bowles, Karin Olafson Designer Kris Twyman Print/Digital Production Manager Mike Matovich

CONTRIBUTORS Hannah Caparino, Sarah Comber, Cam Hayden, Isabelle Hon, Adam Keresztes, Viancy Salubre, Krista Sylvester Client Support Coordinator Alice Meilleur

baNg boom crAsh mccalsin taBerA tovar 8pm $20 all ages

the chaNdelIers 2pm free all ages

cuRio: a kinky talEnt show 7pm $15 18+

Senior Account Executive Jocelyn Erhardt Account Executives Nadine Benoit, Vicki Braaten

CEO and co-owner Roger Jewett President and co-owner Käthe Lemon Vice President Operations Meredith Bailey

+ sErgio carrerA 17 merA reyes 8pm $20 all ages

Creative Director Steve Collins

support of the Government of Alberta and the Government of Canada

What to expect at Calgary’s largest literary festival — and why it matters now, more than ever. XXX PHOTO: DAVID KOTSIBIE

We acknowledge the traditional territories and the value of the traditional and current oral practices of the Blackfoot Confederacy, the Tsuut’ina, the Iyarhe Nakoda Nations, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government of Alberta (Districts 5 and 6), and all people who make their homes in the Treaty 7 region of Southern Alberta.

Discover the house punk shows, tunnel raves, lesser-known films and unconventional drag that are helping shape Calgary’s underground.

4 ACT 1, SCENE 1

What to do, see and hear this month across the city.

8 Q&A

Calgary-based Chinese artist Yu Chen brings together traditional dress, cultural memory and the stories of immigrant artists.

a jazz congRess wIth bowlIne quintet 7pm $15 all ages

queer lust: storytelling 7pm slIding scalE 18+

queer video gAme night 7pm free all welcome

storyslam! 8pm free all ages

We gratefully acknowledge the financial

20 WORDFEST

12 COVER

10 ART SCENE

In partnership with Allied, The GRAND opens a new arts space in the historic Lougheed Building, creating new opportunities for artists and cultural organizations.

22 HALLOW’SCENE

Celebrate Halloween Cheapskate-style with these budget-friendly events and displays.

24 BAR SCENE

Volume #3 of Exploring Your City takes you on a pub crawl through Bowness.

The Scene is a member of the Alberta Magazine Publishers’ Association and abides by its professional standards. redpointmedia.ca 1721 29 Avenue SW, Suite 375, Calgary, AB, T2T 6T7 Published 12 times a year by Redpoint Media Group. © 2026 by Redpoint Media Group. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher.

26 FOOD SCENE

Tired of the same old sandwich? Check out these four low-key spots for your next great one.

28 TRIVIA SCENE

Trivia is an increasingly popular night out. Find out why.

30 CAM HAYDEN COMIC

all hallows dRag

for bison cLaN 30 fundRaisEr 7pm slIding scalE 14+

over the gArden wall + pumpkin carving 10am free all ages dRag is for all ages 2pm $10 all ages open mIc: hallowe’en editIon 7pm free all ages

wednesdAys! open mIc & acoustIc jam 7pm free all ages

congResscoffeeshop.com/events thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

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What to do in October

WORK YOUR WAY THROUGH AN OUTDOOR ESCAPE ROOM, ATTEND A CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL, CATCH A FASHION SHOW AND MORE BY EVELINA PAK more. You can also shop local vendors and enjoy seasonal treats and live music. All event proceeds and donations will go to the Alberta Children’s Hospital Trust Fund.

PRANKS, PARTIES, AND PUMPKINS: A HALLOWEEN HISTORY TOUR

PHOTO: COURTESY CALGARY OPERA

TOSCA

October 16, 18 and 24 | Jubilee | calgaryopera.com “How far would you go to save the person you love?” Tosca answers this big question with a story that unfolds in 1800 Rome, against the political backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars. The wars shape more than just the story’s setting; they directly affect the romantic relationships at its centre. You’ll also hear the Calgary Opera Chorus, Cantaré Children’s Choir and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra perform Puccini’s music in this production. The opera is sung in Italian with projected English captions.

WHERE DARK THINGS DWELL

October (most Thursdays through Sundays) | Heritage Park Main Gate | heritagepark.ca October is the last month to catch Where Dark Things Dwell, an outdoor escape room at Heritage Park — could the timing be any better to kick off spooky season? Guided by live actors, the escape room is an immersive experience inside of a village haunted by dark forces. Follow the clues through shadowed streets to uncover secrets and stop evil from being unleashed. And if you decide to bring a whole village to play (groups of 20 or more), you’ll receive 20 per cent off.

PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES

October 9 | TELUS Spark | sparkscience.ca | 18+ Paranormal activity on TV has taught us to second-guess our own eyes, ears and senses.

TELUS Spark dives into this gap between perception and reality, offering an experience full of curious experiments, paranormal activity and, of course, science. See if you can figure out what’s real and what’s not. And if you need to take a break and cool down your nerves, you can also check out SUE: The T. rex Experience, which is included in your ticket that night.

PUMPKIN FEST

October 10 | Blue Grass Nursery & Garden Centre | bluegrassnursery.com If you don’t tolerate fear (or spooky activities), you can still celebrate the fall in many other ways. One of them is taking a mini road trip just outside of city limits to Blue Grass Nursery & Garden Centre’s Pumpkin Fest. The fest features a variety of activities, such as pumpkin painting, a giant hay maze, horse riding and

October 13, 20, 22, 25 and 27 | Lougheed House | lougheedhouse.com Did you know that Calgarians have been playing pranks and throwing Halloween parties since the late 1800s? It’s quite the longstanding tradition, and if you think you’re smart with your tricks, check out how it was done two centuries ago. On a guided tour of Lougheed House, learn about some of the most memorable pranks and Halloween parties, and try some of the tricks children used in Lougheed House’s early days. Who knows — you just might get inspired by the past.

inventive performance captures the scale of the entire universe.

FASHION SHOW

October 21 | Alliance Française | afcalgary.ca Alliance Française invites you to rediscover some iconic looks from your favourite movies through the runway show Fashion on Screen. Explore the relationship between fashion and film, where costumes can tell stories and sometimes become as iconic as the characters themselves. The event features a fashion talk on the theme, a runway show featuring original looks and a cocktail party where you can connect with designers, models and other fashion lovers.

EVIL DEAD THE MUSICAL

October 13 to November 14 | Martha Cohen Theatre | albertatheatreprojects.com | 16+ Five college students travel to a remote cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway. At this point, we all know the story is heading for trouble. If it sounds familiar, it’s thanks to Sam Raimi’s cult classic film The Evil Dead (1981), which became a big inspiration for the “cabin in the woods” horror trope and different adaptations of the story. This season, watch Evil Dead The Musical, which includes everything we love about the story — blood, jokes and cheesy moments — but in the form of a thrilling theatrical experience.

ONE MAN AVENGERS

October 15 to 18 | Brookfield Residential YMCA in Seton; Shane Home YMCA in Rocky Ridge | ymcacalgary.org On the more family-friendly side of shows, YMCA Calgary brings us Charles Ross’ one-man Marvel marathon. Using just his voice and body, he transforms into all your favourite characters in front of your eyes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk and even Black Widow. Directed by TJ Dawe, this fast and ridiculously

PHOTO: ANDREW LEPPING

LAURA RAMOSO: THE CALM DOWN TOUR

November 1 | Jubilee | lauraramoso.com Kick November off on a happy foot with a comedy show from Laura Ramoso. A German-Italian comedian, she incorporates her cultural background into live sketches that have become a hit on social media. Some of her characters, such as “German Mom,” “Italian Dad” and “Chiara,” are loved and followed by more than three million people. Perhaps you’re already familiar with some of her work, so now’s your time to see it in the flesh.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

HOUDINI’S LEGACY: CALGARY’S MASTERS OF MAGIC

October 23 | The GRAND | thegrandyyc.ca | 14+ It’s not just horror that can be thrilling, astonishing and shocking — what about a little magic? One hundred years ago, also in October, Harry Houdini gave his final show at the Garrick Theatre in Detroit. To mark the centenary of his death, Calgary’s finest magicians will perform famous tricks in his honour, including sleight of hand, various illusions and the legendary water cell escape.

DASH OF DOOM

October 24 | North Glenmore Park | runyyc.ca Dash of Doom is, undoubtedly, one of the most adorable Halloween traditions. It’s also a perfect way to end the race season with your family, paws included. Walk or run through Glenmore Park in either the 5K, 10K or Kids Race. All costumes, both human and pet, are

encouraged, and the best ones take home awards. There’s also lots of fun along the way: get your face painted, try out games and craft activities, and don’t forget to snap pictures at the photo zone.

THE SCENE’S EVENT CALENDAR

KNOW WHERE TO GO

CHECK OUT YOUR GUIDE TO GOING OUT

Ode PHOTO: JULIE ARTACHO

FLUID FEST

October 15 to November 7 | Various locations | springboardperformance.com Celebrate dance and contemporary performance across the city as Fluid Fest returns for its 22nd year. This year’s theme, A Messy Gorgeous Love, explores what happens when we set aside isolation and let

connection and curiosity take over. Feature performances include Rachel Meyer’s “Mama, do we die when we sleep?” and Compagnie Catherine Gaudet’s pop-pagan performance “ODE.” If you’re looking to bust a move too, DJ Dooshima’s curated musical event on October 16 invites folks from all dance backgrounds onto the dance floor.

TOSCA FEAR NOTHING • LOSE EVERYTHING

Si P i Polic O s

loo - oili y of j lo y.

CALGARYOPERA.COM thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

The Scene - TOSCA - Ad 1qs - 29Sep2026.indd 1

23.09.2026 12:00 PM

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Onstage in October

FROM SPOOKY ORCHESTRAS TO HEADBANGING METAL AND THROWBACK HITS BY CATRINA BOWLES

THAT PARTY LAST NIGHT VOL. X Kick off the month with the concert to end all concerts, That Party Last Night. The lineup for this show is insane, headlined by Juno-nominated hip-hop artist ARDN with performances from The Blue, Kaeley Jade, Dempsey Bolton, ZENON, Ginger Beef, Polo Sho, Hip Hip Thursday, Nate Lesco and Yasin Elahee & the Fog of Sound. October 10 at the #1 Royal Canadian Legion, onelegionyyc.ca.

FIND MORE TO DO WITH SCENE’S EVENT CALENDAR YOUR GUIDE TO GOING OUT

FAUST Celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of the finest silent movies ever made, Faust, with a screening presented by the Calgary Cinematheque. Not only is the film’s score played live, it's played on the Allen Theatre Organ. Enjoy the goosebumps you get from the unmatched spooky vibes. October 15 to 17 at Studio Bell, studiobell.ca.

MADELEINE ELKINS TRIO Named by the Vancouver Sun as one of the “Top 10 artists to watch in 2026,” Madeleine Elkins comes to Calgary with her signature style that blends jazz, rock and folk. Joining her are musicians featured on her debut album Brighton Train, bassist William Chernoff and drummer Kevin Romain. October 17 at BuckingJam Palace, buckingjampalace.com. PHOTO: JIM LOUVAU

W.A.S.P. American heavy metal band W.A.S.P. brings the 1984 To Headless tour to Calgary, celebrating its first four studio albums all in one extravagant show. Between your headbanging, turn your eyes to the stage for the theatrical elements of the concerts, where images from W.A.S.P.’s iconic album covers come to life. October 22 at The Palace, thepalacetheatre.ca.

PHOTO: DERICK DAILY

DJ SHADOW American DJ and record producer DJ Shadow dropped his debut album Entroducing..... in 1996, which made its way onto Rolling Stone’s 2020 list of 500 greatest albums of all time. This year, he celebrates the 30th anniversary with a tour, including a stop right here in Calgary. Prepare your ears for hip-hop excellence. October 29 at The Palace, thepalacetheatre.ca.

THE MUSIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON AND THE SPECTRE SUITE Get a two-for-one of orchestral brilliance this month from the Calgary Jazz Orchestra. This show kicks off with arrangements of MJ’s biggest hits and musical deep cuts, followed by the premiere of a new composition by Johnny Summers, The Spectre Suite. Inspired by ghostly apparitions and cinematic suspense, The Spectre Suite will get you right into the Halloween spirit — no pun intended. October 25 at the Bella Concert Hall, events.mtroyal.ca.

DILES QUE NO ME MATEN Flying in from Mexico City is Diles Que No Me Maten, a five-piece band whose sound — which

incorporates elements of krautrock, experimental psychedelia, post-punk and spoken word — is unlike anything you’ve ever heard. October 27 at Modern Love, modern-love.ca.

THE BUENA VISTA ORCHESTRA Jam to traditional Cuban rhythms blended with contemporary sound and played by an elite group of musicians with The Buena Vista Orchestra. This group put Cuban music on the map with worldwide tours and global acclaim — you’ll have to see for yourself what all the fuss is about. October 28 at the Bella Concert Hall, events.mtroyal.ca.

DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979 Toronto dance-punk duo celebrate their 25th anniversary this year with the Private Lives tour, which hits Calgary this November. Rock out to the duo's oldies inspired by the Y2K paranoia all the way to the modern hits from their newest album. November 2 at The Palace, thepalacetheatre.ca.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS Iconic alt-rock band The Smashing Pumpkins takes to the ‘Dome as part of the Rats in a Cage tour. The concert features two unique sets,

SEBASTIAN BACH & QUIET RIOT The Grey Eagle’s “Headbangers Haunt” show is kicking it old school with rock legends from the 70s and 80s. Canadian rock icon Sebastian Bach headlines, with support from American heavy metal quartet Quiet Riot. October 30 at the Grey Eagle Event Centre, greyeagleresortandcasino.ca.

one dedicated to the 10-times platinum album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and the second celebrating The Smashing Pumpkins’ nearly four decades rocking the music scene. November 3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome, scotiabanksaddledome.com.

THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN CONCERT Close out the spooky season with the FILMharmonique Orchestra as they play the soundtrack to Tim Burton’s beloved Halloween-meets-Christmas film while you watch on the big screen. November 6 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, jubileeauditorium.com.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

TENAJ WILLIAMS AND KATE BLACKBURN. PHOTO BY EMILY COOPER.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

SEPT 29 — OCT 25, 2026

BOOK & LYRICS BY HOWARD ASHMAN, MUSIC BY ALAN MENKEN

TICKETS: THEATRECALGARY.COM

BASED ON THE FILM BY ROGER CORMAN, SCREENPLAY BY CHARLES GRIFFITH ORIGINALLY PRODUCED BY THE WPA THEATRE (KYLE RENICK, PRODUCING DIRECTOR) ORIGINALLY PRODUCED AT THE ORPHEUM THEATRE, NEW YORK CITY BY THE WPA THEATRE, DAVID GEFFEN, CAMERON MACKINTOSH AND THE SHUBERT ORGANIZATION

MAX BELL THEATRE AT WERKLUND CENTRE

THIS PRODUCTION IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE AL OSTEN & BUDDY VICTOR LEGACY FUND PRESENTED THROUGH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL (MTI). ALL AUTHORIZED PERFORMANCE MATERIALS ARE ALSO SUPPLIED BY MTI.

Q&A

Portraits of Culture

THROUGH PORTRAITURE, YU CHEN BRINGS TOGETHER TRADITIONAL DRESS, CULTURAL MEMORY AND THE STORIES OF IMMIGRANT ARTISTS BY EVELINA PAK

algary-based Chinese artist Yu Chen’s medium of choice is oil painting, wherein she combines Western painting techniques with explorations of her Chinese cultural roots. Drawing from her Han heritage, Chen’s work explores broader themes of identity and tradition, often centred on Hanfu, traditional clothing of the Han people, as a way to share Chinese culture and history. She also organizes workshops and cultural events, including lifedrawing sessions, tea gatherings and floral arrangement. Chen is an artist in residence at the Werklund Centre’s Ledge Gallery, where she has been developing her current series, Portraits of Belonging. Q: How did Hanfu become such an important part of your artwork? A: “I started wearing traditional Chinese Hanfu myself, but people often mistakenly assumed that I was Japanese or Korean. During the Qing dynasty, Hanfu was banned for Han Chinese people. That’s why people today don’t recognize the style. That brought me to the idea of creating art about Hanfu. “As a Han Chinese [person] myself, I think it’s important that we bring our own traditional roots back, to tell people that that’s part of who we are — our culture, history and identity. That’s how I started calling myself a Hanfu promoter.” Q: You studied art in China and the United States. How did those two educational experiences influence your style? A: “It really broadened my views about what I wanted to make in art. Before, I was really into Chinese traditional painting, like ink painting and calligraphy. When I moved to the States, they didn’t have those courses anymore, and I found oil painting. I liked how detailed I could get with it, and then I fell in love with Western master paintings.” Q: There was a period when you stepped away from art. What made you change your mind? A: “About four years ago, I felt a little bit de-

feated because AI had become very advanced. I’m a slow painter, but with AI you can just put in some words and it generates [an image] for you. So back then, I started losing hope in creating art. “Once I started working other jobs, it took up a lot of my time and energy. I didn’t produce anything for about three years. I was really sad and felt empty inside because making art has been something that I’ve been doing my whole life. I felt like I was giving up on art, giving up on myself. I decided to come back to art, tell the story I wanted to tell without overthinking it.”

“As a Han Chinese [person] myself, I think it’s important that we bring our own traditional roots back.” YU CHEN

Q: Some of your earlier works feature Buddhist prayer beads and bracelets. What do these objects mean to you? A: “I made that series a few years ago because my mother is a Buddhist. When I moved here, she gave me some Buddhist prayer beads, hoping they could protect me. Buddhist bracelets are always a very good symbol, which emphasizes health, love and connection. It was like an act of love — the gift I received from my mother.” Q: Could you tell us more about your current project? A: “It’s called Portraits of Belonging. I paint people from different cultures in their traditional outfits. So far, I have done 10 pieces from each country. For this project, I have a few requirements for the model. They should be immigrants, have traditional clothing and be artists in Calgary. “I did an interview with each one of the

PHOTO: KSENIIA KOSHMA

artists. I asked them about their cultural background, their immigrant story and their artistic practice. It was a really fun and very educational journey for me. Every culture has its own beauty, and every person has their own story to tell, and this project can help me to build relationships within the community. “I also wanted to create art that someone hasn’t done before. Painting people in traditional outfits is not very common today. And then this is all about people, which is also a way for me to… I don’t know… beat AI.” Q: Where do you feel your practice is heading now?

A: “I want to continue this project as long as I can and one day be able to paint every country and have a book about my artwork. It could be a really good way for people to learn about each other’s cultures.” This Q&A was created in collaboration with the Werklund Centre. Yu Chen’s work is currently on view at Ledge Gallery until October 8. It will then move to 500 Collective with the Calgary Allied Arts Foundation. See more of her work at yuchenartstudio. com or on Instagram @yuchenartstudio.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

oct 31 – nov 8, 2026

ART SCENE “IT’S JUST A BLANK SLATE RIGHT NOW,

Inside L-Block

WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT IT.” NEIL FLEMING, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GRAND

THE GRAND OPENS UP A NEW CREATIVE SPACE IN THE HISTORIC LOUGHEED BUILDING BY EVELINA PAK

any Calgarians know The GRAND as a downtown arts venue with a reputation for interactive, sometimes quirky shows and a community-driven culture. It has become a home for bold artists and equally bold audiences. This fall, The GRAND is extending that spirit beyond the theatre with a new space where artists can rehearse, create and experiment.

A FIRST LOOK

The new space, called L-Block, occupies the third floor of the Lougheed Building (not to be confused with Lougheed House), which is located next to The GRAND. It officially opened its doors on September 10, inviting local artists and cultural organizations to explore the space and imagine what it might become. The name is pretty literal. When creating an email address for the new space, executive director of The GRAND Neil Fleming found that “Lougheed Block” was too lengthy, and opted for the much spiffier “L-Block,” which ended up sticking. “It’s also L-shaped, and it separates us from the Lougheed House,” Fleming says. The building is 114 years old, and it feels like it. The space features wooden doors, narrow staircases with ornate detailing and chandeliers. In contrast to its historic character, four modern elevators carried guests upstairs for the opening-night celebration. Inside, the floor is, in fact, L-shaped. For now, it is somewhat raw and empty. The interior is plain white, lined with long rows of columns. The team plans to keep the layout simple,

PHOTO: EVELINA PAK

using those columns to define future studios. They’re also planning to lay out shared and storage areas. The opening night set-up was low-key, with a DJ, an exhibition by several local artists, pizza and drinks. But the crowd was diverse, bringing together people from across Calgary’s arts scene: performers, writers, musicians, visual artists, arts educators, arts administrators, promoters, and more. Guests were invited to complete a survey answering two main questions: ‘Who are you?’ and ‘What can you see in this space?’ The responses will help shape the space. “We’re gathering the data so that we can prove to funders, to the city and to the province that it’s worth investing in a space like this,” says Fleming.

WHAT L-BLOCK OFFERS

L-Block was created in partnership with Allied Properties REIT, a major Canadian owner and developer of urban space that owns the building and is technically The GRAND’s landlord for the duration of its two-year lease. The current agreement covers the third floor, which will accommodate 15 artist studio pods: 13 measuring 233 square feet (roughly the size

of a one-car garage) and two larger studios measuring between 600 and 700 square feet. By the end of the year, Fleming hopes the space will also contain a rehearsal hall. The rent operates on a Pay What You Can (PWYC) model, with standard and low-income options. Studios are available on a monthly basis, with a three-month minimum, while the rehearsal space can be rented hourly, with a four-hour minimum, or by the day. There are still a few practical limitations to work around. Capacity is capped at 100 people on the floor under the fire code. Another challenge will be balancing different artists’ needs without disrupting one another. Sound could also become an issue during the day, with offices located just one floor below. “We’ll have to figure out pretty quickly how much sound-absorbing stuff we can have in here,” says Fleming. “But we’re open to seeing how things work with any type of artist.” The space will soon face its first major test, as Chromatic Theatre is scheduled to rehearse a musical there this month.

A BLANK SLATE

L-Block’s timeline is a masterclass in multitasking: while getting the space up and running, the

team is also figuring out how it should work. The longer-term vision is to expand the space into a more permanent arts hub: “The idea is that it will eventually get turned into an ongoing operation,” says Fleming. “It’s just a blank slate right now, which is one of the most exciting things about it.” Opening night offered a glimpse of what could fill this emptiness. For a few hours, the bare space was no longer just an empty floor, but a gathering place for artists and guests. The bustle of the crowd and lively conversations brightened the long, dim hall. “People are hungry for the rehearsal spaces,” says Fleming. “If we could level up the access to artistic space in the city, activate the building and have more street traffic… All of that downtown activation — that’s the big dream.” Studio rentals will be available beginning November 15, 2026. For more information, contact lblock@thegrandyyc.ca.

Take a survey to share your vision for the space:

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Celebrating Alberta’s Film and Television Industry The Rosie Awards return for its 52nd year, recognizing the talented Albertans creating on-screen magic.

lberta has a thriving film and television industry. Homegrown talent, including Andrew Phung in Kim’s Convenience, Nathaniel Arcand in Sinners and lead actors Nathan Fillion and Melissa O’Neil in ABC’s The Rookie, are just some of the born-and-raised Albertans you can watch in films and television today. Hosted by the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA), the Alberta Film & Television Awards (The Rosies) serve to spotlight just how much diversity, talent and production come from within our province. On November 7, the Rosie Awards’ 52nd edition will take place at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, gathering industry professionals and local film and television fans for an evening of recognition. “The Rosies are really about celebrating the people who make this industry happen in Alberta. We have an incredible amount of talent in this province, both in front of the camera and behind it, and this is our chance

to recognize the people doing that work and the great projects being made here,” says AMPIA board chair Dylan Pearce. SPOTLIGHT ON HOMEGROWN TALENT Actor, writer and producer Andrew Phung, known for several television roles, including Andrew Pham in Run the Burbs, will bring humour and wit to the evening as the event’s emcee. “I’m a Calgary kid born and raised, and the opportunity to come home and host the Rosies is a career highlight for me. My success over the last decade is because of this place, the experiences I had doing comedy and making films here, and the relationships I built along the way. I want to shine a spotlight on this province and remind Canada why we’re so good at what we do.” says Phung The Rosies receive hundreds of nominations every year, acknowledging the many talented people making film and television happen in Alberta. This year, of the 569

“There’s something special about seeing Alberta stories — and Alberta storytellers — recognized and celebrated.” ANDREW PHUNG ROSIE AWARD HOST

submissions, the jury has narrowed it down to 292 finalists across 50 categories. Notable finalists include the six-episode series In the Pines, which leads the nominations with 17, followed by Crip Trip with 15. The categories span all forms, genres and roles, reflecting just how much Alberta has to offer. STRONGER TOGETHER When working on a film or series, it’s understandable to focus on your own project, and, perhaps, not be aware of other projects happening across the province. It’s easy to be siloed in this industry, explains Kelly Fox, AMPIA executive director. “The Rosies are a way for everybody to get together and learn about what’s happening all around them, meet new talent and make new partnerships,” she says. “It’s important to all be in the same room, network, get ideas from each other, and build relationships. This collaboration is at the heart of a strong provincial film and television sector.”

The Rosies are not only for industry experts — the event is open to the public and encourages everyone to join the celebration. An evening at the Rosies means discovering new media that is made right here and seeing our incredible Alberta stories, talent and locations on screen. “It’s a chance to see the people behind the films and shows being made in our province and celebrate what Alberta’s screen industry is creating,” affirms Pearce. Join the lively evening as Alberta’s best creators, performers, filmmakers and craftspeople step into the spotlight and get their Rosie Award. You might just find your next favourite film or series. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, with fun ways to get involved, including the chance to present an award or have a signature cocktail named in your honour.

For tickets and to learn more about the Rosie Awards, visit ampia.org/2026-rosie-awards

COVER

SUBURBAN MOSH PITS

Sonic Terror Night 1 at Chetlandia PHOTO: @VINYLTRASH

A LOOK AT CALGARY’S HOUSE PUNK SHOW SCENE AND ITS REASON FOR BEING BY ALICIA L’ARCHEVÊQUE

ehind the walls of an unassuming suburban house in Northwest Calgary, the opening night of a punk and grindcore festival dubbed Sonic Terror rages on. Unbeknownst to most passing through the residential neighbourhood on a warm Thursday evening, the makeshift venue emitting a politely muffled stew of crashing drums and bass feedback is actually bursting at its seams with over a hundred tight-knit punks. The crowd inside has gathered to see travelling hardcore bands from across North America — and greet them with a basement-wide mosh pit contained by walls slick with sweat-turned-dew. For those who know where to look and who to ask, Calgary’s house punk show scene is both sporadic and thriving, chock-full of energetic punks with a deep reverence for the DIY ethos that thrives in non-traditional venues. A 1984 documentary titled Another State of Mind visits a historic local punk house known as The Calgary Manor. A young man swings open the door, offering the cameramen a bowl of chilli — a warm hospitality that touring hardcore bands still feel from Calgary’s underground scene. Nowadays, drummer for local fastcore band Red40 and show organizer Neil Robinson schedules shows with bands passing through the city in mind. Robinson was one of the organizers responsible for the Sonic Terror festival, which saw bands from Los Angeles, Portland, New York, Winnipeg and more playing sets on a regular weeknight. “It’s a small world, once you really get into underground music. Either we meet them on the road, or people have

told them about us, or vice versa” says Robinson, explaining how out-of-town bands know where to find house shows in Calgary without traditional promotion methods. Today, Calgary’s “punk houses” are somewhat ephemeral, changing names every few months and often settling in on the cusp of a property’s scheduled, or accidental, destruction. Up until its final show in 2025, Half Rabid House was one of the most popular choices for local house punk shows post-COVID. The name came from half of the house being “rabid” — the basement where chaotic shows were held — while the other half was simply someone’s home. After Half Rabid was sold as a teardown for its lot located near Briar Hill, local punks gave it a warm goodbye. “We had the final show and tore the whole thing out. There was almost no drywall left in the basement by the end of it, all the walls were painted,” says Robinson. “That house got gutted.” “There’s a huge influx of historical houses that are being destroyed for the development of luxury condos,” says Elliott Platt, a former house punk show host (also known by his artist name ElyOtto). “[Some] of these shows are one last hurrah, a way to celebrate the house while consuming it in some way or another.” Another recent cornerstone of the scene was Piss House. The original one succumbed to a house fire around the same time as Half Rabid House was sold, a tragedy caused by a cigarette rolling off of a full ashtray and onto a couch. Piss House 2 popped up to fill the void, but was demolished before any shows could take place. Piss House 3 is now standing near Varsity, and has seen punk bands

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

Chetlandia living room show in 2023 PHOTO: @VINYLTRASH

“It finds the people who really need it. If you’re the kind of person that’s gonna really enjoy [house punk shows], you’re gonna end up in the right places, meet the right people, and find a flyer.” Homegrown performing at Chetlandia in 2026 PHOTO: @VINYLTRASH

from all over, including P.L.F. from Texas and Winnipeg’s Nuclear Man. Nowadays, a house called Chetlandia is one of the most frequented spots for punk and grindcore shows, and was the venue for the first night of Sonic Terror. Some say that having to repurpose a home into a stage is emblematic of the culture rather than an infrastructure kink to be ironed out. “There’s no real way to design for punk rock,” says Cecilia Sereda, a writer for the architectural journal ARCADE. “How it acts as a subculture is informed by the fact that it is remaking these spaces that were not originally designed for it to be there.” Local musician Conor Nagel lived in a punk house called Garbage World (GW) on Edmonton Trail about a decade ago, and he says that a more run-down property can mean more freedom to customize the space and host shows. “[GW] was, structurally, such a terrible fucking house. There were centipedes and spiders and it was not a very nice place to live,” he says. “But with that, you could kind of not care as much — you could tag the walls, you could

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throw parties whenever. [Living there] was probably the most liberating thing that I ever did,” he says. The guitarist and second vocalist of a local experimental emo-violence band called Chalkeater says that there’s something cozy about playing a house show. “It feels more like a party and less like I’m here for work,” says Lola (A.K.A Babayaga). “It’s more familiar, more friendly.” Another reason that houses are especially well suited for punk performances is that shoulder-to-shoulder pits and energetic two-stepping tend to make owners of licensed music venues sweat a little. “It’s really hard to find places that’ll let [hardcore punk bands] play,” says punk and former house show host Lauren Stein. “Many venues don’t want you to mosh because they don’t want anything broken or for anyone to get hurt.” Stein and Platt long hosted shows at their home in Ramsay, which they cheekily dubbed “The Ritz.” In 2024, The Ritz held a show called “Punks versus Computers” where both punk bands and electronic artists played in succes-

NEIL ROBINSON, ORGANIZER

sion to a delighted crowd at maximum capacity. “[House shows] can be so much more high energy,” says Robinson. “It’s kind of cool to be able to fully put those things on yourself and play by our own rules.” While he isn’t able to host shows at his place, Robinson still welcomes in the community-oriented spirit that surrounds the actual shows: “Our house has pretty open doors; there’s always people here. We’re out here working hard, making flyers, jamming.” While some underground subcultures are simply lesser known because of their niche target audience, house punk shows are somewhat purposefully buried. “It keeps the roots of punk and hardcore and grind almost sacred,” says local punk Jules. “It keeps the scene more authentic, and more protected in that regard.” That kind of protection often includes vetting the politics of those frequenting the scene. “Punk means you’re standing up for what’s right and standing up for people that are vulnerable, for people that don’t have a voice,” says Jules.

These DIY shows aren’t advertised publicly, so finding them relies almost exclusively on asking a punk. Yet, gatekept access to these shows is a concern swiftly dismissed by those keeping the scene alive. “I think if you care about the music enough, you’re gonna care more about the quality of the people that come than the quantity,” says Platt. “If you want to become part of the punk scene, you have to make friends with punks, and then you won’t have a problem with inaccessibility.” So where do you start? Local punks point to a few avenues for meeting likeminded folks and getting involved: attending punk shows happening at traditional venues, being a part of tangential communities like skateboarding or visual art, or volunteering with organizations like Good Neighbour or Street Cats YYC. “It finds the people who really need it,” says Robinson. “If you’re the kind of person that’s gonna really enjoy [house punk shows], you’re gonna end up in the right places, meet the right people, and find a flyer.”

COVER

Music at the End of the Tunnel

BENEATH CALGARY’S STREETS, A GROWING UNDERGROUND RAVE SCENE IS CARVING OUT ITS OWN SPACE FOR MUSIC, COMMUNITY AND A DIFFERENT KIND OF NIGHTLIFE

BY VIANCY SALUBRE

artygoers tiptoe through fields of long prairie grass and jump over fences, using a flashlight to guide them through the dark. They scurry through tunnels and step into the warmth of a packed, dancing crowd. The outside chill fades. Techno music swells and laser lights bounce off the graffitied walls of the cement underpass turned into Calgary’s coolest nightclub. For those like Levi Stoddard, DJ and cofounder of Rotterdam-based record label Night Format, these tunnel raves are a nod to an earlier underground dance culture. Stoddard began raving in the mid-90s, an era of unvarnished warehouse venues with pioneering techno sounds flooding in from overseas. These renegade parties were unique: find a space, haul in a sound system and build the party yourself. With this guerrilla mentality, Stoddard began coordinating these parties in Calgary through his company Fat Beats Inc. “We used to throw raves here in Calgary. We would go out and do renegades when we couldn't find a location, so that whole concept comes from back in the day,” says Stoddard. “There was a tunnel just right by the Max Bell [station] that we threw parties in and could do them for free.” In November 2024, Stoddard joined UnderRealm, an event organizing company and music collective. It was through his involvement with UnderRealm that he met fellow DJ and future business partner, Brendan Blakeman. Stoddard and Blakeman then started their own record label together, Night Format. Since then, the duo have put on four raves in a handful of Calgary underpasses, populating the tunnels with hundreds of attendees at every single event. While renegade parties aren't an entirely new phenomenon, the spirit and savvy do-ityourself nature of organizing them remains important to the operation. Opting for more unconventional venues offers UnderRealm the

Underrealm PHOTO: LEVI STODDARD

“THE TUNNELS ARE THE MOST UNDERGROUND YOU CAN GET WITHOUT BEING IN A BASEMENT,” LEVI STODDARD, DJ

ability to coordinate events on their own terms. “The tunnels are the most underground you can get without being in a basement,” says Stoddard. Without typical resources offered by traditional venues, a deliberate amount of planning goes into event management. From scouting

spaces to renting equipment and generators, the whole atmosphere of the function is considered, despite how guerrilla the raves generally appear. The safety of its party-goers is the first priority. UnderRealm hires its own security and is ardent about cleaning before and after using the spaces.

“We clean out the random bricks, garbage, and spray paint cans. We clean all that up, we throw our event, and then we clean it all up again. Hopefully, returning it to a better state than what we had,” says Stoddard. However, larger external factors continue to create barriers for event organizers to host events like the tunnel parties. The Extended Dance Event Bylaw regulates rave events, requiring a license and compliance with noise, security and medical controls. The bylaw requirements, implemented in the early 2000s, make the cost of event hosting unsustainable and price out many grassroots organizers. Despite the costs, the overarching ethos for UnderRealm acts primarily to serve its community. “We've gone into debt for the company. It's the love of the game,” says Stoddard. “It's building the community, and we want to bring [over] these DJs from overseas that we're inspired by.” UnderRealm hopes to bring international acts to a local audience, with connections through their music collective and record label bridging gaps to promoters all over the country and across Europe. Tunnel raves have become a welcome platform for techno and EDM fans alike to engage with the music, and many Calgarians want to get in on the action too. While the earliest events circulated through an invite-only chat of roughly 250 people, the word has since spread. Now, hundreds of people attend, and one tunnel party drew an estimated 700 people. For Stoddard, these headcounts do little to define the underground — or even the tunnels. “Underground is not music, it’s the community,” he says. His definition is a community that takes care of itself, polices itself and expects the people within it to give something back. “We are not a tunnel rave company,” says Stoddard. “We are just trying to make sure that [music] is coming here so that everybody can enjoy what's coming up.” For information on upcoming events, check out @the.underrealm on Instagram.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

Esker Foundation

Until 20 December

Brendan Fernandes Other Moves

Arthur Jafa Love is the Message, the Message is Death

Bárbara Wagner & Benjamin de Burca Swinguerra PROJECT SPACE

Johnathan Onyschuk Old Growth Until 25 October A gallery visitor interacts with Brendan Fernandes, When You Are On the Dance Floor, What Song Makes You Feel Free? 2018/2026. Photo by: Elyse Bouvier.

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Hung Dance (Taiwan) | November 26, 2026

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WHERE TO CATCH UNDERGROUND FILMS IN CALGARY — AND WHY YOU SHOULD BOTHER

BEYOND THE BLOCKBUSTER

COVER BY ALICIA L’ARCHEVÊQUE

n the age of streaming services, algorithmic recommendations and revered Top 100 lists, unearthing truly underground films poses a challenge. Films that are indie, archival or created from the margins can be tougher to get your hands on due to licensing rules, digitization costs and limited access to marketing resources. “Content that's a little bit more off the beaten path doesn't always have a traditional release strategy or a method in which audiences are going to be able to find it,” says Brenda Lieberman, the festival director for the Calgary Underground Film Festival (CUFF). “It takes a while for films to surface after they've done a festival circuit. Lots of films we show don't have distributors, especially in Canada or North America.” In cases like these, there’s merit in turning to a trusted curatorial voice to provide human-driven recommendations for those hidden, quality films. CUFF is a certified powerhouse of alternative cinema in Calgary, having screened convention-defying films since 2003 across categories like feature, documentary, animation and shorts. Beyond their late April festival, CUFF hosts an adjacent documentary film festival called CUFF.docs in November and “Off the CUFF” screenings throughout the year. “We pull together a team that spends a ton of time researching and getting to know the film, the filmmakers, the content, and what would be really interesting for our audience to be exposed to,” says Lieberman. Electric Cinema Club is a new collective that shares in this mission, operating out of Sweet Loretta to create an intimate cinema experience in a non-traditional setting. The organizers Celina Vides and Adam DieselPower, both festival programmers for CIFF, play lesser known independent films in the bar and provide context on the work before the screening. Contemporary Calgary puts on a monthly film series called Perspective, which asks how independent cinema can be used to dismantle dominant narratives and colonial violence. A handful of other screening organizations in Calgary are also making sure that flicks lurking below the mainstream have their moment on a big, shared screen.

FILMS BY MARGINALIZED FILMMAKERS

Sometimes, underground film is buried because it tells stories from the margins, and must push back against systemic barriers to be widely seen.

Calgary Cinematheque PHOTO: SEBASTIAN BUZZALINO

“Film has been a way for marginalized communities to actually do art and be able to put it out to the world.” CELINA VIDES, ELECTRIC CINEMA CLUB

“Film has been a way for marginalized communities to actually do art and be able to put it out to the world,” says Vides, “It is a tool of expression for when the mainstream hasn't allowed those voices to clearly speak.” Founded by Morgan Cairns and later passed on to CUFF’s box office coordinator Katie Wackett, A League of Their Own is a monthly screening at the Globe Cinema that showcases films directed by women and gender-diverse filmmakers. For the past six years, they’ve championed greater gender equity in the films gracing Calgary’s theatres and have made space for some boundary pushing programming — in 2023, a screening and Q&A even dug into six short porn films by Erika Lust, a Swedish filmmaker who creates ethically produced and inclusive pornography. “The types of voices that show up again and again in our programming are perspectives from people on the margins, people who are queer, racialized or equity-seeking in some way,” says Wackett. “There's a sense of undergroundness to that.” Under Wackett’s direction, the screenings have rotated their curators to keep fresh perspectives coming in. Earlier this summer, this curation model

introduced the Globe to The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open (2019), an indie film created by local filmmaker Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, who grew up on the Blood Reserve an hour outside of Calgary. For more film programming spotlighting works by marginalized artists, identity-specific film festivals run throughout the year in Calgary. To name just a few, Oki Corral Film Festival presents Indigenous programming in February, Fairy Tales Queer Art & Film Festival spotlights queer voices in May and the FascinAsian Film Festival explores stories from Asian diasporas in the spring.

ARCHIVAL AND CRITICAL

With seemingly bottomless catalogues available on streaming platforms, The Calgary Cinematheque brings to light films vetted for their artistic and cultural merit, yet buried under algorithmic noise. “Unless you’re searching for them, you won’t find them,” says executive director Spencer Estabrooks about The Calgary Cinematheque’s film selection. The Cinematheque primarily presents curated film series, with recent themes including cinema of resistance,

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contemporary world cinema and the 1920s surrealist art movement. A recent gem screened at The Cinematheque was Chess of the Wind (1976), an Iranian film that was suppressed by the government and lost for 35 years until the children of its director discovered copies at a flea market and re-released it. “We don't just play works for entertainment,” says Estabrooks. “We play works so when people walk out of the theater, they talk to each other about what they saw.” You might be thinking: ‘Film is a digital medium, so I could probably find some pretty niche stuff on my laptop, all by myself.’ Sure — but when it comes to finding a title not readily available on streaming platforms nor featured on institutional lists, an intentional curatorial voice goes a long way. “In the era of streaming or even AI, I think it's more important than ever to have humans directing taste and shining spotlights,” says Wackett. Plus, it’s a lot more exciting to unearth underground film in the collective effervescence of an independent theatre or bar than by the cool glow of your handheld device.

UNDERGROUND FILM SCREENINGS THIS MONTH THE LAST LAUGH (1924)

October 8 | The Globe Cinema Brought to the screen by The Calgary Cinematheque, The Last Laugh is a provocative German silent art film about an elderly doorman who gets canned.

CRAWLERS (2026)

October 10 | The Globe Cinema Crawlers is a new indie horror film with a very squirmy premise: deadly spiders invade an apartment building, sending it into a mandated quarantine and trapping its residents inside. You have Off the CUFF to thank for your goosebumps!

BEAUTY AND THE DOGS (2017)

October 18 | Dome Theatre This month, Contemporary Calgary’s Perspective film series presents Beauty and the Dogs, which tells the story of a young Tunisian woman as she navigates a broken system after being assaulted by police officers.

MIRROR MIRROR (1990)

October 21 | The Globe Cinema Presented by A League of Their Own, this indie horror film follows a teenage girl who receives powers through a bloody, ancient mirror under demonic control. The Last Laugh

PRESENTS

NOVEMBER 12-14 CALGARY’S MUSIC INDUSTRY & CONFERENCE FESTIVAL

THURSDAY @ HIGHLINE FRIDAY @ RANCHMANS & HELIOPOLIS SATURDAY @ BLOX ART CENTRE CONFERENCE AND SHOW DETAILS WWW.MUSICCALGARY.CA

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COVER

PRETTY GIRLS, MONSTERS

AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN FROM OLD-SCHOOL GLAMOUR TO BOUNDARY-PUSHING PERFORMANCES, CALGARY’S CURRENT DRAG SCENE IS REDEFINING WHAT IT MEANS TO TAKE THE STAGE BY VIANCY SALUBRE

“ I F YO U T H I N K YO U K N OW W H AT D R AG I S , YO U K N OW N OT H I N G .” DOGIICHOW

Dogiichow at The Cabaret Company’s Odd Ball PHOTO: SHANNON JOHNSTON

lmost 30 years ago, finding a drag show in Calgary meant knowing which gay bar to walk into. Now, on any given week, you might find queens tucked inside a pub, lip-syncing over brunch, covered head-to-toe in latex, or sharing an open stage with a magician. Drag has escaped the confines of the gay bar and fallen into the mainstream culture’s embrace. “There's drag everywhere, my love. In most major centres, they're right across the board,” says long-time local drag performer, Carly York Jones. Few people have watched that transformation for as long as Carly York Jones, who, when not on stage, goes by Craig Taylor, the creator and owner of drag performance company Carly’s Angels. Arriving in Calgary in 1997, already fresh-faced in drag, she quickly found a home performing at the now-defunct gay bars Metro BoyzTown and Plush. Many of Calgary’s former nightlife venues had gay bars like Detour/Arena, Metro BoyzTown and Rek Room, all of which hosted drag shows and performances. However, it was largely set apart from the rest of Calgary’s club scene. “There was quite a large [drag] scene actually,” says Taylor. “It was popular, but it was also underground in the aspect of being in the gay bars only.” In 2000, Taylor started Carly's Angels. The show first took the stage in November under the decidedly inaugural title Dine and Bedazzled with Carly and Friends. Fast forward 26 years and three ownership changes, and Carly's Angels continues its 27th season in the same physical space, now The Attic Bar & Stage. “Thanks to [RuPaul’s] Drag Race, there's no reason for drag to be underground anymore,” says Taylor. “It's not really sort of private anymore. Lots and lots of places in town that are not necessarily established as gay bars allow us to do pop-up shows in their spots.” Outside of the city’s gay bars, the stage has travelled farther out, as drag brunches, pop-ups and shows have spilt into venues across Calgary. However, much of the definition of who and what constitutes drag has become more abstract. While the Carly’s Angels weekly Saturday night dinner shows host a static cast of queens, its Sunday brunch show line-up is ever-changing. The Deviled Legs brunch show happens once a month at The Attic, showcasing a wide range of performers of different aesthetics, gender-binaries and age groups. The same goes for Dickens’ weekly Tuesday night drag

competition. At They Got Talent, a contemporary line-up of drag performers can present their persona for the first time or experiment with the art form. Dogiichow, a Two-Spirit performer and current co-host, found their way into Calgary drag through that same stage several years ago. They entered as a contestant and stuck around, finding friends and community before eventually graduating to hosting the show themselves. Calling They Got Talent simply a drag show, however, undersells the range of its performers. Drag and burlesque may make up most of the roster, but the event has also hosted clowns, magicians, stand-up comics and tap dancers. Contestants can bring virtually whatever creation they have been cooking up, with the night's top two performers eventually competing in a lip-sync battle. Dogiichow’s own drag fits comfortably within that “anything goes” philosophy. They describe it as “femininity to a monstrous extent,” mixing more traditional drag with burlesque and horror. For a recent performance, they constructed a body horror look dripping in latex, tentacles and teeth — a collision between beauty and disgust that would be difficult to squeeze into the conventional image of a queen in a gown performing a pop number. “Drag is essentially the performance art of gender,” says Dogiichow. “What gender means to every single person is going to be different.” Carly’s Angels creator, whose self-described aesthetic remains decidedly “pretty girl,” arrives at much the same conclusion. “You've got to be more open to the word ‘drag.’ It's an art form versus just dressing as a girl anymore,” says Taylor. Calgary’s got a new appetite for this transcendent new era of drag. When Dogiichow first entered They Got Talent, some weeks drew only five contestants. Today, the show caps its roster at 15, generally hosting around 13 performers each week, with many of its seats filled. It makes Calgary's current drag scene almost an inversion of the one Taylor entered almost 30 years ago. Sure, there are fewer dedicated gay bars these days, yet drag is seemingly everywhere. Today, a Tuesday-night show might hold a seasoned queen, a performer’s first-ever number and maybe even a clown for good measure. If that still sounds like a pretty narrow idea of what drag is, that’s kind of the point. As Dogiichow says, “If you think you know what drag is, you know nothing.”

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

SUN/MON November 1 & 2, 2026 Jack Singer Concert Hall, Werklund Centre

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LITERARY SCENE

WHY WORDFEST MATTERS

MORE THAN A LITERARY FESTIVAL, WORDFEST EMPLOYS CREATIVITY, INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION AND IN-PERSON CONNECTION TO PUSH BACK AGAINST AI AND POLARIZATION

BY SARAH COMBER

fter 31 years in Calgary, it’s safe to say that Wordfest — an organization dedicated to celebrating books, authors, ideas and community — has carved out a corner of culture for itself in the city. And now, perhaps more than ever, we need Wordfest. Running year-round programming as of 2018, the organization hosts roughly 80 shows a year alongside its Imaginarium Festival, which takes place October 13 to 18. Shows span all different genres and go beyond your typical literary festival programming — indeed, the use of the word “shows” suggests events that entertain, inspire and engage. Those who know what makes The Imaginarium so unique book their tickets early. And those who have yet to try a Wordfest event may find in it a breath of fresh air in a world where AI is rapidly replacing human connection during already increasingly polarized times. “At a time when so many things are pulling us apart, it's really vital for Calgarians to have an opportunity year-round to come together to talk about big ideas, to be part of the larger conversation going on nationally and internationally, and to leave full of human-powered delight,” says Shelley Youngblut, CEO & Creative Ringleader at Wordfest. “And that's what, surprisingly, a book or author-focused show can do right now.” Indeed, Youngblut’s thoughts are echoed by Ashley Casas, a local bookstagrammer and longtime Wordfest volunteer and attendee. “Wordfest matters because [the organization] uplifts diverse voices, marginalized authors and authors you would have never known about,” says Casas. “But the interesting thing about Wordfest that differentiates it from other [literary festivals] is the connection piece. It's more than the show. It's more than meeting the author. It's about connecting readers to the authors, authors to the readers, and readers to each other.” Casas first ventured into the world of

Shelley Youngblut PHOTO: HEATHER SAITZ

Wordfest in 2023, shortly after starting her bookstagram account @readingwiththechoob, and now leads the Bookstagrammer in Residence (BIR) program. She adds that Wordfest brings people together beyond the Imaginarium Festival — one example is the Reading in the Wild event (in partnership with the Calgary Public Library), where Calgarians are invited to read together in Central Memorial Park. “There's something for everyone,” explains Casas. “That's why people should attend. We're living in a loneliness epidemic, and Wordfest is one of those strong communities that I think anyone could be a part of.” Youngblut notes that in addition to the community Wordfest fosters, its programming helps elevate the city as a literary destination.

“At a time when so many things are pulling us apart, it’s really vital for Calgarians to have an opportunity year-round to come together to talk about big ideas, to be part of the larger conversation going on nationally and internationally, and to leave full of human-powered delight.” SHELLEY YOUNGBLUT, WORDFEST’S CEO & CREATIVE RINGLEADER

“[Wordfest] brings people from all over the world to Calgary to share their best ideas, to share stories, to bring us together as human beings,” she says. “The fact that Wordfest is renowned nationally and internationally is just another feather in Calgary's cap, and I think

Calgarians both want that, recognize that, and celebrate that.” Creative power couple Kris Demeanor and Deborah Willis are going into their third year presenting at the Imaginarium Festival as a unit for their eponymous variety show — an event

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

that brings together seemingly disparate artists and authors while finding common threads between them. The married singer/songwriter and novelist (who met thanks to Wordfest) agree that the organization is an integral part of Calgary’s culture. “There's something really different about having cultural or political or literary conversations in person rather than online,” says Willis. “[Wordfest] is bringing in larger audiences, and people are showing up in real life to talk about serious subject matter. It's a way to understand

and process a really challenging and changing world that I think is valuable in this internet/ social media time.” For instance, Rollie Pemberton (also known as the rapper Cadence Weapon), will discuss his book Ways of Listening to share how algorithms, archetypes, and AI have changed our listening habits. Meanwhile, sisters Jillian and Lauren Tamaki’s show What a Pair! dives into the theme of censorship. Lauren’s book Seen and Unseen shines a light on the history, heartbreak and injustice of the 1940s

Japanese-American incarceration, and Jillian’s YA graphic novel This One Summer is one of the most banned books in North America. Demeanor agrees: “There is a hunger for it. You can really see the energy in a room when everyone's together, getting excited about an idea and a reading. There are a lot of people who love reading and have used it as a way to get

Local Shows to Watch This Imaginarium Festival

eyond the year-round programming — which includes hosting renowned writers such as Liane Moriarty, Colson Whitehead and R.F. Kuang this past September alone — this month’s Imaginarium Fest will highlight more than 50 authors over the course of 41 shows. Read on to discover local and out-oftown artists and authors worth keeping an eye on.

A BLOODY GOOD HORROR CABARET

OCTOBER 15 Featuring the bone-chilling insights of Karma Brown, Kim Fu, Vikki VanSickle, Daniel Zomparelli and the talents of Timothonius and Jane Madeleine, there is a particularly special reason Calgarians should register ASAP to attend this event — the cabaret also includes the voice of Dania Idriss, a local author who published her first book Tales of the Mountains and the Sea earlier this year. “I’ve attended Wordfest every single year since I was 15, and I’m a big Wordfest nerd. Being a presenter there feels like I made it,” says Idriss. “It’s just such a strange feeling, though. It’s definitely a dream-come-true moment.” Idriss explains that her book, which she started writing 10 years ago, started as part of her master’s thesis, which looked at folklore in the Middle East — specifically around the Levantine region. Indeed, Idriss is presently a doctoral student at the University of Calgary.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

“Having an in-person festival like this, in some ways it’s a middle finger to artificial intelligence and to social media.”

“[My thesis] combined with family stories became this short story project that ended up being my collection. It’s pretty closely tied to my own family. Oral stories and some research that I did on folklore turned into this little collection of gothic tales.” Idriss will be joining horror and gothic powerhouses during the cabaret for a discussion certain to bring fresh perspectives to an increasingly popular genre.

A TOAST TO THE CLASSICS LUNCH EXPERIENCE

OCTOBER 16 Horror isn’t the only genre making a resurgence. Between The Odyssey and The Bell Jar circulating on social media (the former in large part thanks to Christopher Nolan’s take on the epic poem) classics are making a comeback. There’s no better place to discuss that revival than at the Imaginarium Festival. Featuring the bright minds of Karma Brown, Patricia Finn, Tayari Jones, Jennifer Lambert, Catherine Leroux, Canisia Lubrin, Liz Nugent, Carol Off, Ruth Ozeki, and Stephanie Sinclair, buckle up for discourse surrounding these authors’ favourite classic titles, facilitated by Shelley Youngblut. “There might be a book that isn’t contemporary, but you’re reading it now as if it were,” says Youngblut. “So what we’ve done is we’ve taken advantage of all these brilliant minds that are here, and they’re each going to propose a classic book and why you should read it.”

exposed to a lot of different interesting work.” Coined as Canada’s “liveliest” literary festival, this human-driven event — and by extension, organization — may also be a bit of a rebel, too. “Having an in-person festival like this, in some ways it's a middle finger to artificial intelligence and to social media,” says Demeanor.

KRIS DEMEANOR PHOTO: DAVID KOTSIBIE

THE KRIS DEMEANOR & DEBORAH WILLIS VARIETY SHOW

OCTOBER 17 The dynamic duo return for the third year to present the 2026 rendition of The Kris Demeanor and Deborah Willis Variety Show. Starring Arizona O’Neill (Opioids & Organs), Rollie Pemberton (Ways of Listening), Larissa Pham (Discipline) and Kawai Strong Washburn (The Names of the New World), this show is a recurring fan favourite, coloured by the couples’ natural wit and chemistry. “It’s an unusual show because… it really is a variety show. Often there’ll be a poet and a novelist and someone who’s a visual artist. The show is meant to have a really unexpected guest list,” says Willis. Demeanor adds: “There are going to be recurring themes within works that seem quite disparate. We don’t really need to shoot and horn the conversation in any particular way.”

A CELEBRATION OF TRANS STORYTELLING

OCTOBER 18 Celebrating the voices and perspectives of Gwen Aube (Missed Connections with Tall Girls), Casey Plett (On Community), Vivek Shraya (The Hystericals), Kai Cheng Thom (The ShapeShifter’s Guide to Gym Class), and local artist and graphic novelist Kat Simmers (Lily), this unapologetically queer show hosted by Pam Rocker is not to be missed. After all, trans stories and joy are essential to trans liberation. “At a time when trans people are being vilified and we’re watching books being banned because they may have an LGBTQ+ or trans character in them, or be written by someone from those communities, we are doing a celebration of trans storytelling,” says Youngblut. For more info and to view the full Imaginarium Fest schedule, visit wordfest.com.

HALLOWEEN SCENE

Cheapskate’s Guide to Halloween HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THE SEASON WITHOUT FRIGHTENING YOUR BANK ACCOUNT BY KRISTA SYLVESTER

alloween season is supposed to be scary, but your credit-card statement doesn’t have to be. Between elaborate costumes, overpriced haunted houses and parties with outright spooky cover charges, it can be far too easy to blow your paycheque while celebrating the occasion. But don’t fret: Calgary has plenty of budgetfriendly ways to get into the season of the witch. Here’s how to squeeze the most out of Halloween without ghosting your credit card company after.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON GOING OUT…

As much as we pledge to “save money and stay in,” sometimes that can be easier said than done when the last-minute FOMO creeps in. One of the best strategies is to look beyond the big day. The city’s Halloween calendar is packed all month, which means you can enjoy smaller community events over several weekends instead of blowing your entire budget on just one night.

FRIGHTS & DELIGHTS: HALLOWEEN AT THE CONFLUENCE This event features free entry and free museum admission, meaning you can save your budget

entirely for the market vendors, tarot card readings, or seasonal treats. Check out adults-only night on October 30 and the family-friendly day on October 31.

MR. SCHNAPP'S 80S HORROR TRIVIA & DRESS-UP CONTEST On October 28, enjoy free horror trivia, a costume contest and a night at a pub for the low cost of free admission. Step into the glory of 80s horror for a trivia night packed with slashers and cult classics like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Shining and Child’s Play.

NANTA SCARY-OKE FUNDRAISING EVENT On October 24, enjoy karaoke, a costume contest, games and raffle prizes for just $10 at Nanta Karaoke and Bar. In loving memory of Nadia, who loved to sing her heart out, all funds will go towards the Nadia's Hope Foundation.

CHRISTIFER DUXBURY DANCE COLLECTIVE HALLOWEEN SOCIAL DANCE For a different type of dancing, check out the CDDC Halloween Social Dance on October 30. This ballroom and country dance studio is offering a night of Halloween-themed ballroom, latin, country and swing dancing for just $15.

Gargoyle House PHOTO: T2 VISUALS

Both beginner and experienced social dancers are invited to enjoy a Halloween-only playlist created for the night.

THE BLACK PARADE HALLOWEEN EMO NIGHT On October 16, head to Dickens to enjoy Halloween costumes, emo music and dancing starting from just $13. This year, the event is celebrating 20 years of The Black Parade by spinning classic emo anthems all night.

ROCK N' ROLL DRAG BRUNCH AT THE TROP: HALLOWEEN EDITION For those who want to enjoy Halloween in the daylight, The Trop has you covered with its Halloween edition of Rock n' Roll Drag Brunch on October 17. For just $19, enjoy some themed local drag performances hosted by Karla Marx.

Harry Potter Halloween YYC PHOTO: RANDY ALLCOCK, THE VILLAGE STUDIO

Displays worth the free admission THE “GARGOYLE HOUSE” IN PUMP HILL This home, known for its gargoyles, attracts thousands of visitors throughout October. Located at 507 96 Ave S.W., this house features extensive walk-through displays, life-sized spooky figures and jump scares.

THE HARRY POTTERTHEMED HOUSES IN OAKRIDGE These two side-by-side homes have been celebrating Halloween Harry Potter-style since the pandemic with floating broomsticks, dozens of fake owls and a giant homemade Whomping Willow. Known as The Wizarding World, this duo is located at 2820 and 2824 Oakwood Drive S.W.

DEADLY ALBERTA TRUE CRIME TOUR

THE FRIGHT CRAWL HALLOWEEN PUB CRAWL

For a fright that’s uncomfortably close to home, this dark history outdoor tour explores true crimes from across our very own province. Learn about historical mass murders and executions, and even ponder unsolved cases during this $20 tour. Attendee discretion is advised, and this month’s tour dates include October 11, 18 and 25.

If you're already planning to go out, this is the best bang for your buck, with one $23 wristband getting you into five bars without cover on October 29. Fright Crawl features a host leading the way and up to 800 people in costume partying at GRETA Bar YYC, Bottlescrew Bill's Pub, Velvet Room, Rumur and GULBAR.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

BAR SCENE

Exploring Your City, Volume #3 THE SCENE TAKES YOU ON A PUB CRAWL THROUGH BOWNESS

STOP #2

43 Ave NW 4

65 S t NW

34 Ave NW

ness

Bow Rd N W

AIL

Volume #3 digs into a longstanding northwest neighbourhood that hugs the south side of the Bow River. Bowness owes a lot of its charm to many of the eclectic inhabitants who have called the community home for their entire lives. The community is a real synthesis of Calgary culture with its mix of 100-year-old homes, brand new infill mini-mansions, parks, and a lively strip of unique businesses on Bowness Road. You really never know what you might come across in Bowness on any given day… but we’re about to find out.

WAY

EE TR

B OW N E S S

A HIGH

SARC

o you ever drive around Calgary, see a non-descript local pub with a dimly lit neon sign and wonder what’s behind those doors? You’ve lived in the city your whole life and somehow have never stepped foot in these neighbourhood fixtures that have been around for decades. Well, look no further than our deep dives into areas of the city that don’t get as much shine! Our crack team puts feet on the pavement of less-trafficked areas to find the hidden gems lurking just beneath the surface of Calgary’s urban sprawl. This is intended as a walking tour. DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE!

CANAD

Home Rd NW

TRANS

BY ADAM KERESZTES

t NW

1 Bowr idge NW Dr 2 NW

61 St

rt Rd

5 63 S

Bowfo

AVENUE 16 KITCHEN & BAR

BOWNESS

Bowness Rd NW

77 St NW

83 St

STOP #1

bathroom fireplace.

8220 Bowridge Crescent N.W. Just a stone’s throw across from the Olympic Center’s parking lots you will find the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel. After walking through the lobby and a few winding hallways, you’ll find Avenue 16 Kitchen & Bar, a fairly standard hotel restaurant and bar with tourist-level prices. The most interesting thing about this place is the glass-doored private dining room that you pass by as soon as you enter — just in case you’d like to host a special occasion dinner with a small group while also being the center of attention like an animal in the zoo. Despite wearing the face of a much fancier establishment, they have Bud Light Lime on the menu. But manage your excitement, as it seems like a popular option and could be out of stock upon your visit. Time to finish your beer and head down a pretty sketchy hill to the main drag of Bowness. HIGHLIGHTS: Dining cage and Bud Light Lime (maybe).

BAR ONE

117 Bowridge Drive N.W. Nestled inside of a Denny’s in the informally named Olympic Center, you’ll find Bar One. You might have to literally walk through the Denny’s kitchen and past the diner waitress Flo calling you “hun” to get to this establishment. A small bar and a few tables fill a small room with the feel of a Moxies from 20 years ago. The menu and beer selection scream generic faux-upscale pub fare, though the bar is a nice place to grab an ice cold beer from their mainstream selection. If you have too many brews one night and you’re hankering for some breakfast food, you can always scoot over to the attached Denny’s for a late-night Moons Over My Hammy. Before you move on, make sure to visit the bathrooms for a strange surprise: a cozy fireplace adorned with western artwork. The perfect showcase of a cozy-meets-trashy Stampede aesthetic. HIGHLIGHTS: Cold beer, next-door Denny’s,

The Landing at the Bowness Community Association PHOTO: ALICIA L’ARCHEVÊQUE

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

STOP #5 LEOPOLD’S TAVERN

6512 Bowness Road N.W. Soon you will come up to the main drag of Bowness lined with a few businesses — sadly, bars like Hexters and Mikey’s Juke Joint are no longer around. In their place, the main watering hole has become a location of the Regina-based pub chain, Leopold’s Tavern. A lot of effort goes into each of these locations to make it look like a longstanding relic of the past. Walls covered with polaroids, stickers, old pictures, and memorabilia. It’s an aesthetic that makes the bar seem unassuming and inviting for people of all ages. A staple at Leopold’s is the Leo’s Fizz, their own house-brewed seltzer that is always on tap with monthly rotating flavours. If the grape flavour is available, don’t hesitate to make that your first drink! HIGHLIGHTS: Leo’s Fizz (grape), mozzarella sticks and atmosphere.

STOP #6 BREWSMITH BREWING COMPANY

Brewsmith Brewing Company PHOTO: DONOVAN KELLY

STOP #3

STOP #4

BOWNESS PUB

THE LANDING AT THE BOWNESS COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

7930 Bowness Road N.W. Walking through the older parts of Bowness really is a treat. Unique houses with strange lawn decorations and window stylings hint at the interesting people who might live inside. Right on Bowness Road sits a few mini-mall clusters on a large plot of land, and near the delicious Sweet Home Bakery and the old Bownesian Grocer you’ll find Bowness Pub. A charming and friendly dive bar if there ever was one! Inside, a few VLTs and a pool table are available for use and there are always some drink, shot, and food specials on. It’s dark, the walls adorned with an array of posters, the drinks are cold, and the nachos are huge (and delicious). A great place to grab some appetizers, cheers some frosty brews, down a Burt Reynolds shot, and then mozy along Bowness Road. HIGHLIGHTS: Pool, food and drink specials and VLTs.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

7904 43 Ave N.W. Head just around the back of the Bowness Pub and you’ll find the Bowness Community Association. Duck inside and head right upstairs to find The Landing, a small bar overlooking the NHL size hockey rink below. Here parents gather to grab a drink or eat a little snack while watching their little ones rip howitzers from the blue line. The options are a single rotating tap of local beer or their own branded “The Landing Lager.” Since sports are the main focus here, a pitcher seems apt to share with your team. Take your pint to the window overlooking the skating surface and marvel at the excellent talent of the Bowness community hockey players. HIGHLIGHTS: Hockey and beer pitchers.

6311 Bowness Road N.W. Further up the main strip of Bowness Road is a fairly new spot called Brewsmith Brewing Company. A decent-sized brewpub with ample seating and a nice little patio spot. Though a recent addition, it’s already a busy hotspot in the neighbourhood! Their brew selection includes some of their own unique concoctions like the

Bownesian Rhapsody: Chicka Cherry Cola Sour and an Or-e-yo Chocolate Cookie Creme Brulee Cheesecake Stout. They also offer some cocktails and mocktails for the non-beer drinkers and sober folks respectively. The small food menu offers some great snack options including the Seattle Dog topped with cream cheese and candied jalapenos and the locally made favourite, Deng’s Dumplings. Located along the Bowness Road’s bike lane and offering ample bike parking, this is a great stop no matter what your mode of transportation is for the day. HIGHLIGHTS: Unique brews, inspired food menu and a nice patio.

STOP #7: PAZZER’S PUB

5032 16 Ave N.W. For the final stop of the day, head towards the #1 Trans Canada Highway and you’ll find Pazzer’s Pub, Calgary’s ONLY Saskatchewan-focused bar. Someone’s gotta do it! Pazzer’s is a mainstay of the area, having been around for nearly two decades. It’s a friendly spot with reasonably priced beer, and their food menu features a lot of Ukrainian twists to traditional pub dishes, a nod to the province’s rich Ukrainian history. Somewhat close quarters make it easy to chat with your neighbours while you watch the next Roughriders game. Grab a pint, throw a couple bucks into the VLTs, and marvel at a great day touring a good chunk of the watering holes in the Bowness area. HIGHLIGHT: Food and drink specials and a Roughriders fan club.

Pazzer’s Pub PHOTO: STEPHEN YAN

FOOD SCENE

THE HIDDEN SANDWICH SOCIETY CHECK OUT THESE FOUR TUCKED AWAY SPOTS FOR YOUR NEXT GREAT SANDWICH

BY ISABELLE HON

PHOTO: MYMY VIETNAMESE SUBMARINES

Tired of the same old sandwich? Calgary’s got options, and some of the best handheld bites are hiding in plain sight. From Vietnamese Bánh Mì and Okinawan Spam onigiri to French baguettes and Korean-inspired picnic sandwiches, these four low-key spots are worth adding to your lunch rotation.

PHOTO: KENT WONG

PHOTO: FRANÇOIS MION

PHOTO: PIKNIC SANDWICH CAFÉ

MYMY VIETNAMESE SUBMARINES

NAHA CAFE

BONJOUR SANDWICH SHOP

PIKNIC SANDWICH CAFÉ

Blink and you’ll miss it. Located on 16th Avenue, directly across from SAIT, this tiny Bánh Mì shop is one of those neighbourhood spots that regulars keep coming back to. The bread is the real star here. We’re talking a shatteringly thin crust that gives way to a soft, cloud-like interior. It’s the kind of baguette that ruins other baguettes for you. If it’s your first time, start with the Beef Satè Sub. Juicy, tender beef marinated in aromatic lemongrass-spiced sate sauce gets piled onto the baguette with pickled carrots, cucumbers, jalapeños, and house mayo. It’s savoury, a little sweet, a little spicy, and extremely easy to inhale. For the classic route, go for the Cold Cut Sub; assorted deli meats and house pâté with the same pickled lineup, plus cilantro and signature mayo. It’s messy in the best way, with layers of texture and flavour in every bite. And here’s a little insider tip: look past the sandwiches. MyMy also carries Vietnamese snacks like Mixed Rice Paper and Vietnamese Rice Cake. These kinds of snacks are easy to find in Vietnam, but less common in Calgary. They’re the perfect excuse to add something extra to your order. 1012 16 Ave N.W., mymyvietnamesesub.ca

Tucked inside Dragon City Mall in Chinatown, Naha Cafe opened this summer with an Okinawa-inspired menu of coffee, snacks, and sweets. But the food is only half the fun. Once your pick-up buzzer goes off, head toward the back and wait. The furry paw of an Okinawan shisa, the traditional guardian lion, reaches through a little opening and hands you your order. It’s unexpected, charming, and the kind of moment you’ll want to film for your friends. The Spam onigiri deserves your attention too. We’re talking a thick slice of Spam, panseared until the edges are golden and crisp, layered with a generous piece of soft tamagoyaki and a house-made sauce. Wrapped in sushi rice and finished with a band of snappy nori, it hits that salty-sweet balance that makes Spam onigiri so easy to love. Naha has also teamed up with Calgary dessert favourite Shokupan & Cream, turning Japanese milk bread into freshly fried treats. Crisp outside, fluffy inside, and filled with cool vanilla cream, they come in flavours like Matcha Strawberry and Hojicha Banana Crème Brûlée. There’s even a shelf of Japanese and Okinawan souvenirs, so you can leave with a full stomach and a tiny keepsake. 119, 328 Centre Street S., @nahacafeyyc

Tucked into a residential pocket of Marda Loop, Bonjour Sandwich Shop’s tiny, understated storefront blends quietly into its surroundings. Inside, French owner François Mion is recreating the eats he grew up with. After moving to Calgary, he couldn’t find the European-style sandwiches he’d grown accustomed to, so he decided to make them himself. The menu brings together French and Italian influences, with French-style sandwiches served on baguettes and Italian options on crisp Tuscan-style flatbread. The bread is reason enough to visit. The crust is thin and brittle, while the inside has just enough chew to hold a serious amount of filling. This is not a sandwich that falls apart on you. For a first visit, try the Bonjour 2.0. It comes on a French baguette with cultured butter, Paris ham, torched Raclette cheese, caramelized onions, gherkins, cracked black pepper, and lettuce. Sharp, salty, and the offering people come back for. Le Classic is the more traditional French choice: a French baguette layered with cultured butter, French saucisson and tangy gherkins. Simple, hearty and satisfying. And if you don’t eat meat, the Build Your Own options include vegan and vegetarian sandwiches that let you load up on your choice of fillings, with generous portions for the price. 101, 1909 34 Ave S.W., @bonjoursandwich.yyc

Located near the University of Calgary, Piknic Sandwich Café has become a favourite among students and nearby residents. Having started off as a pick-up and catering service available in markets across the city, Piknic opened their sandwich café in Brentwood a year later. These takeaway roots serve their packed lunch theme well. The whole concept is picnic-inspired: colourful, generously stuffed sandwiches built for grab-and-go. Korean flavours show up in the Seoulful Bulgogi and BBQ Beef Galbi, which bring familiar sweet-and-savoury barbecue flavours into handheld form. The Spicy Crabby Catch is the one people order on repeat. Imitation crab is layered with crisp lettuce, tomato, red cabbage, cheddar, and a Dijon mayo kick. It’s bright, messy, and way more fun than a café sandwich needs to be. To round out their picnic fare, Piknic offers a large drink menu that you won’t want to skip out on. The Strawberry Matcha Latte, Banana Cream Cold Brew and layered Pistachio Cream Latte add a sweet, creamy finish to the meal, making the whole thing feel like a tiny afternoon escape. 255 Brentwood Place N.W., @my_piknic

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

CJSW October Charts Direct from your radio pals at 90.9 FM, here is a snapshot of the current artists & albums topping the charts at CJSW. Tune in, turn it up and enjoy. 1.

The Sour Patch Men** - 4/4 Waltzes (Self-Released) Jonathan Personne* - Répertoire (Bonsound) 3. Wine Lips* - TV Dinner (Self-Released) 4. L’Rain - fata morgana (Mexican Summer) 5. Jon Mckiel* - Gold Horatio (You’ve Changed Records) 6. Empanada Ilegales* - LABORATORIO TROPICAL (We Are Time) Mark Takeshi McGregor* - Jocelyn Morlock: Artemis Sleeps (Redshift Records) 8. Fiver* - Fiver Trois Presents Cleaning House (Fiver Trois Presents Cleaning House) 9. bit depth - maybe in august (trickyStoop) 10. Raymond Roussel* - No One Asked Us Yet (Halocline Trance) 11. The Womack Sisters - The Womack Sisters (Daptone Records) No Joy - Big Life, Big Leaf (Hand Drawn Dracula) 13. Pandemik9** - Torment Nexus (Self-Released) 14. Martha Zed** - Martha Zed (Self-Released) 15. Sweeping Promises - You Say I Romanticize (Sub-Pop) 16. Kiwi Jr* - Blowin’ UP (K Records) Ada Lea* - the end is a wave (Next Door Records) 18. Knitting* - Souvenir (Mint Records) 19. Rue** - Nation (756243 Records DK) Mike D - Thank You (Capitol) Shearwater - The New World (Self-Released) Interpol - This Mirror Weighs a Ton (Partisan) Shapeshifter* - Shapeshifter (Lit Soc Records) Echoes Of...* - Last Days (Aakuluk Music) Phoebe Bridgers - Lost Weekend (Dead Oceans) Mitch Belot** - The Ballad Of Davey Jones (Self-Released) Weak Hands* - We Can’t! (Self-Released) La Securite* - Bingo! (Mothland) Kue Varo** - How Everything Feels and Other Lies (Small Fry Music) 30. Ty Segall - Chrome (Drag City Records)

BEST.

FIRST DATES EVER.

* Canadian ** Local (Calgary area)

Happen at the best bars. Find a Best Bar None venue. BestBarNone.ca

TRIVIA SCENE

TRIVIA TIPS FOR NEWCOMERS Johnson and Grumpelt each shared some tips for how to be successful in a trivia competition.

FIND A CREW A good sized crew consists of five to six people who bring their own ideas to the table. “The more different brains you have on your team, the more likely you’ll succeed,” said Johnson. “I’ve seen those teams succeed the most because they have different

Railyard Brewing Trivia Champions League Final

experiences [and] different knowledge

Inside Calgary’s Recent Trivia Boom

PHOTO: ZANE SWEENEY

THE INS AND OUTS OF CALGARY’S TRIVIA COMMUNITY

BY HANNAH CAPARINO

arked by competition, passion and camaraderie, Calgary’s trivia scene has expanded as local bars and pubs partner with trivia companies city-wide. One of the most important parts of trivia nights is that phones aren’t allowed. Without them, folks are encouraged to talk, share ideas, and connect in person.

TALESPIN TRIVIA One of Calgary’s most renowned trivia companies, Talespin Trivia operates across four locations: Citizen Brewing Company, Two Pillars Brewery, Dickens Pub and The Establishment Brewing Company. Founded in 2017 by Alan Johnson, the company has started its own trivia nights and has since been building a community around the game. “I’m the owner and creator and creative personnel behind Talespin Trivia,” said Johnson, “I basically create, write, produce [and] prepare everything for all the trivia nights that I host throughout Calgary.” Johnson primarily hosts general knowledge

trivia, which draws in most trivia-goers. Other themes range from films and television shows to anything pop culture related. Johnson likes to sprinkle in additional clues to the answers with carefully curated playlists, answers hidden within the questions and more. Developing trust from the community by asking for feedback allows Johnson to put on his best shows for everyone to enjoy. “I feel like I built a pretty good following now that I’m pretty proud of,” said Johnson. “I like seeing a lot of the same people at all my trivia nights because that, to me, tells me I’m doing something right.” To find more event information on Talespin Trivia, check out @yyctrivia on Instagram.

PEOPLE OVER PHONES INCORPORATED People Over Phones Incorporated, also known as POP Inc., recently made its way to Calgary with a team made up of seasoned writers and hosts who've worked in the industry for years. “I’ve been writing and hosting trivia for over 10 years,” said Brady Grumpelt, co-owner of Pop Inc. “This last year, I started a new company with a few people [...] and we’re currently working with about 10 locations around Calgary

and about 50 across the country.” Some locations that POP Inc. works out of include Madisons Restaurant & Bar, The Hose & Hound Neighbourhood Pub, Offside Pub & Eatery, and Last Best Brewing & Distilling. Similar to Johnson, Grumpelt believes trivia has a large social aspect that brings friends together. “Our role was really to help give people a reason to go back out and get together with friends. I’m a big believer in people having a third place to go to, so that they’re not just at home,” said Grumpelt. Past events have included trivia themed around The Office, Disney, Jurassic Park and even Taylor Swift. The primary reason that trivia is so beloved by many is that at the heart of these nights is the desire for folks to explore their own city and try something new. “It’s all local people that just want to put on some fun, entertaining nights,” said Grumpelt. “Every time you go out to a trivia night, you’re always supporting local groups. Whether it be the writers and the hosts of the trivia, or the bar that you’re going to. It’s always supporting local.” For details on upcoming events, check @peopleoverphonesinc on Instagram or visit peopleoverphones.com.

bases.”

GIVE IT A TRY Grumpelt emphasizes newcomers should just take a chance, approach the night with an open mind, and take the time to enjoy themselves. Come in not expecting to win, but to have fun. “I encourage everybody to go out there and try it out!” said Grumpelt.

PAY ATTENTION For returning trivia goers, success is achieved through practice, reading, and learning how different hosts format their own questions. Every company formats things differently, so always listen to the host and collaborate with others to get the best result.

WEEKLY TRIVIA

WISEGUY TRIVIA typically holds weekly trivia nights at multiple venues including Jamesons Pub, The Lennox Irish Pub and more. For avid trivia-goers, Wiseguy Trivia provides a large variety of themed nights across Calgary. The Wiseguy Trivia website has a list of frequented venues, but the most up-to-date information can be found on their Instagram page @wiseguytriviayyc. THE TRIVIA BOYS' Lee and Nick can be found at Blowers & Grafton on 4th every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. The boys can often be seen hosting a wild night filled with prizes, challenges, and games beyond trivia. To participate, book a reservation on the Blowers & Grafton website blowersgrafton.com/mission.

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

THE SCENE’S EVENT CALENDAR

THERE’S SO MUCH GOING ON

UPCOMING EVENTS

STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON

Mudmen Get ready for a blast of bagpipes and Celtic-infused rock as Mudmen hit the stage at Studio Bell. TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON.

Find the what, when, and where at thescenecalgary.com

The Barra MacNeils YOUR GUIDE TO GOING OUT

An East Coast Christmas Experience the spirit of a Cape Breton Christmas. TICKETS AT STUDIOBELL.CA/WHATS-ON.

EXHIBITIONS ON NOW

STUDIOBELL.CA/FEATURE-EXHIBITIONS

2 0 2 6 C A N A D I A N M U S I C H A L L O F FA M E

Celebrating the global pop icon’s sound, style, and fearless reinvention.

A tribute to the international pop-punk icons.

Honouring the late jazz great’s impact.

STUDIO BELL, HOME OF THE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE OPERATING PARTNERS:

Recognizing Indigenous trailblazers in music.

@NMC_CANADA

STUDIOBELL.CA

CAM HAYDEN

thescenecalgary.com | 10 | 2026

DREAMS OF BOLLYWOOD Immerse yourself in the sensational sounds of South Asian cinema as Veils of Bollywood Dance Company and conductor Daniel Black join the Orchestra for an unforgettable experience.

17 October 2026 / 7:30PM Jack Singer Concert Hall tickets at calgaryphil.com

wordfest presents

IMAGINAIRIUM 60 STARS. 41 EXPERIENCES. 6 DAYS.

OCT. 13-18, 2026 TICKETS AT WORDFEST.COM