CULTURE ACTIVITY GUIDE
OKOTOKS CULTURE, HERITAGE & EVENTS
DECEMBER EVENTS!
Photos with the Grinch!
Who needs Santa? Come to the Old Church Theatre and take your holiday photos with the Grinch!
Guests will watch the cartoon How the Grinch Stole Christmas (26 minutes) before heading downstairs for their photos with the Grinch. Children can partake in crafts while waiting for their photo. Please note, guests are responsible for taking their own photos.
Sat Dec 6
Morning 10:30 am Afternoon 1:30 pm
Admission $5/person
Old Church Theatre
Tickets available on showpass.com
Toddler Tuesday: Handprint Ornaments
Ages 2 - 4
Does your toddler like to get messy? Once per month, join us at the Art Gallery for activities you don’t have to clean up! One activity offered per session, while supplies last. This month’s activity is handprint ornaments.
Tue Dec 9
Admission By donation
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio
Christmas with Buzz Brass
Join us for a night of classics that conjure up all the magic of the holiday season! The Canadian Buzz Brass quintet has been travelling the world and captivating classical music lovers since 2002. Whether alone or with guest musicians, Buzz Brass’s highly original performances consistently make a strong impression.
Wed Dec 10 Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
Advance $35 At the door $45
Old Church Theatre
Holiday Fun with Clay
Ages 10+
This hands-on workshop guides participants through the process of making their own holiday-themed figurines! All supplies included. No experience necessary.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Dec 13 1:00 - 4:00 pm COURSE ID 25112 $15
OKOTOKS ART GALLERY
The Promise
Lanhee Cho
In The Promise, Lanhee Cho’s lotus paintings explore the subtle power of the cycles of life. The blooming and fading of the lotus mirrors the seasons of human life: just as the lotus blossoms, bears fruit, and fades, we too pass through stages of beauty and transformation. For Cho, the falling petals are not endings, but rather they are promises that life continues, and that what fades will one day bloom again. Her work speaks to the generational rhythm of existence, where each passing life gives rise to the next, carrying the memory and spirit of those who came before.
Jan 17 - Mar 27
Large Gallery
Opening Reception Jan 17 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Field Studies
Deanne Underwood
Field Studies is a reflection of Deanne Underwood’s lifelong relationship with the prairie landscape. Drawing on childhood experiences of exploring family farms in Saskatchewan, the creation of these needlefelted landscapes is intuitive and memory driven. Each piece is shaped by moments when Underwood felt a deep emotional connection to her surroundings—sensory memories of vast skies and dynamic landscapes. Through vivid colour, texture and nostalgia, she celebrates the endless and ever-changing beauty of the Canadian prairies.
Jan 17 - Mar 27
Small Gallery
Opening Reception Jan 17 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Earthly Delights
Neil McClelland
Reflecting upon the human delight in gardens and drawing upon his own visits to gardens locally and internationally, Neil McClelland’s Earthly Delights depicts plants as imagined characters, each a complex being with its own relationship to the surrounding world and cosmos. Created through a layered process of photography, digitization, painting, and drawing, these works explore the beauty and fragility of our relationship with the natural world. Each plant suggests a unique presence—part human, part cosmic—inviting wonder at the intricate interconnectedness of all living things.
Apr 11 - Jun 26
Large Gallery
Opening Reception Apr 11 1:00 - 3:00 pm
Ruin & Reclamation: Re-iterated
Beany Dootjes
In Ruin & Reclamation: Re-iterated Dootjes re-purposes men’s business attire and other textiles into oversized insects using fine craft techniques traditionally associated with women’s handiwork and domestic spaces. By using refined and tactile materials to create unsettling creatures like lice and bed bugs, the work explores our visceral reactions to insects. The tension between attraction and disgust invites viewers to confront discomfort, drawn in by the detailed and delicate construction of these meticulously crafted creatures.
Apr 11 - Jun 26
Small Gallery
Opening Reception Apr 11 1:00 - 3:00 pm
OKOTOKS MUSEUM & ARCHIVES
A Sense of Community
Clubs and organizations provided a sense of belonging to early residents of Okotoks. This exhibit showcases some of the youth groups, fraternities, women’s organizations and service clubs that helped build our community.
Jan 9 - Aug 29 Second Floor
Our Winter Olympians
This February and March, Canadians will cheer on our nation’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano and Cortina, Italy. This exhibit honours the athletes from Okotoks and the Foothills who represented Canada in past Winter Olympic Games.
Feb 6 - Mar 14 Main Floor
Place Names of the Foothills
This exhibit explores how the towns and villages in the Foothills district got their names. From Dinton and DeWinton to Millarville and Okotoks, learn the people or places behind their names.
Jan 9 - Feb 28 Second Floor
Raising Baby
Homesteading on the prairies was hard for early pioneers. Parenting on the prairies was equally as challenging. Using artifacts, photographs and local stories, this exhibit shares how pioneers raised their young families in the Okotoks area. The beautiful baby carriage, used by Dr. and Mrs. Ardiel, is among the treasured artifacts on display.
Jan 9 - Jun 27 Second Floor
‘Mr. Watson, come here…’
2026 marks the 150th anniversary of when Alexander Graham Bell uttered the words ‘Mr. Watson, come here – I want to see you.’ Bell’s message, made on March 10, 1876, marked the world’s first telephone call. This exhibit also celebrates the 120th anniversary of the telephone’s arrival in Okotoks in 1906. A collection of telephones will be on display including a wall crank phone that you can use.
Mar 3 - Sep 29 First & Second Floors
Sweep! Our Curling History
From January 5 to January 11, 2026, the top 12 men’s and 12 women’s curling teams in Alberta will compete at the Okotoks Recreation Centre to determine who will represent Alberta at the 2026 Montana’s Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts. During the event, the Okotoks Museum is curating an off-site exhibit at the rec centre to celebrate our community’s rich curling history.
Jan 1 - 19 Okotoks Recreation Centre
Little Moccasins
The 2014 documentary film, Little Moccasins, shares the story of St. Joseph’s Residential School, also known as Dunbow Residential School northeast of Okotoks, and honours the children who died and are buried at the school. Also on display are some of the 215 shoes from the 2021 memorial at the Okotoks Municipal Centre. These shoes are preserved to ensure these children – as well as all children who did not make it home from residential schools – are not forgotten.
Ongoing
Second Floor
GUIDED TOURS
Earth Hour Walk
Learn the history of our town and some of the old (and new) ways Okotoks residents practiced environmental sustainability during this free guided walk to celebrate Earth Hour.
Okotoks Museum and Archives Sat Mar 28 8:30 - 9:30 pm FREE
Veterans Wall –Vimy Ridge
Learn about the brave men from the Okotoks district who fought at Vimy Ridge in 1917. Meet at the Salute to our Veterans Wall located on Veterans Way.
Okotoks Museum and Archives Thu Apr 9 11:00 am - 12:00 pm FREE
OLD CHURCH THEATRE
The Great Gatsby Radio Play
Presented by Dewdney Players
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s beloved classic comes to life as a 1940s radio broadcast in this spirited adaptation of The Great Gatsby. An ensemble brings more than two dozen characters from the novel to the stage of the WBFR radio station for a live broadcast, punctuated by 40s-era commercials. A story of triumph and tragedy that reflects the decadence of the Jazz Age and the perils of the American Dream. Still, ain’t we got fun?
The Great Gatsby - A Radio Play, from the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, adapted to the stage by Joe Landry, music by Kevin Connors, presented by special arrangement with Playscripts Inc.
Jan 23, 24, 29, 30, 31, Feb 5, 6, 7
Matinees: Jan 31 & Feb 7
Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
Doors 1:30 pm Show 2:00 pm
Admission General Senior
Advance
At the door
$25
$30
$20
$25
The Wardens
The Wardens don’t just sing about the land, they’re part of it.
The Rocky Mountain-based band’s stories and songs rise from the very land they’ve protected as Canadian national park wardens. With haunting three-part harmonies and chilling tales, the band’s mountain music - blending folk, roots and western styles – reflects Canada’s protected wilderness areas. Celebrating the return of wild buffalo, wrangling grizzly bears, lonely nights on the packtrail and reflecting on an environment in crisis, a performance by The Wardens has been dubbed “the quintessential mountain-culture concert experience.”
Fri Feb 20
Admission General
Advance $35
At the door
$45
Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
One Act Plays Presented by Dewdney Players
One Act Plays hits the stage, invigorated by a successful festival season in 2025 - seeing ‘Three Little Words’ win four major awards; Oustanding Director, Best Original Script, Outstanding Technical Merit and Outstanding Play, netting them a trip to the Provincial One Act Play Festival. As well as ‘I’ve Hit An Iceberg’ taking; ‘Outstanding Performance’ and runner up ‘Outstanding Play’! 2026 Play lineup TBA
Mar 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21
Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
Admission General Senior
Advance $20 $15
At the door
$25 $20
Over the Moon
Canadian Juno nominated roots/swing duo Over The Moon’s Suzanne Levesque and Craig Bignell are awarding multi-instrumentalists/vocalists that met, fell in love, got married and discovered their voices blend so well together that people often tear up upon hearing them sing. Living on a ranch in the foothills of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains, it’s inevitable there will be a strong sense of place- and the rhythms of the land when you start to make music. Their music is a wild ride from 40’s sounding western swing and Appalachian old-time, to cowboy blues. Simple and sweet, all their material has a common thread that speaks of the Canadian west.
Fri Apr 17
Admission General
Advance $35
At the door $45
Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
Yuk Yuk’s
Headliner: Dale Ward
Dale Ward is a touring comedian and professional artist, he has opened for Bill Burr and Tom Segura and he is featured on a Just For Laughs live standup comedy album!
MC: Johnny Pogo
Through his humour, you will find that Johnny can make light out of the darkest situations and can also make dark out of the lightest.
Featuring: Leah Scheitel
Leah Scheitel is a Calgary-based comedian and writer who loves trivia about dead presidents and cats (not necessarily in that order).
Fri Apr 24
Admission General
Advance
At the door
Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
$25
$35
PROGRAMS
FAMILY
Up in the Attic: Preschool Playtime
Ages 1 - 4
Join us ‘up in the attic’ for preschool playtime! Explore our attic playhouse while you and your child/ren are lead in themed, facilitated play by an Early Childhood Educator - from story time to songs, games, and activities. The attic and playhouse remain open following the guided playtime to allow for further independent exploration and play.
Okotoks Museum & Archives
Wed Jan 14 & 28, Feb 11 & 25, Mar 11 & 25, Apr 8 & 22 10:00 am12:00 pm FREE
*We gratefully acknowledge the Okotoks and District Historical Society for their support of this program.
Toddler Tuesday
Ages 2 - 4
Does your toddler like to get messy? Once per month, join us at the Art Gallery for activities you don’t have to clean up! One activity offered per session.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio
Tue Jan 20 Fingerpainting Flowers 10:3011:30 am
Feb 17 Playdough & Slime
Mar 17 Shamrock Suncatcher
Apr 14 Shaving Foam Painting
Drop-in | By donation
Family Pysanka Workshops
Ages 5+
Celebrate Ukrainian art and heritage in this workshop that teaches families how to make Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter Eggs) using a mix of wax, dye, and live flame in a fun and engaging environment with instructor Svitlana Slepykh.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Mar 21 1:30 - 3:30 pm
COURSE ID 25522 $25
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Mar 28 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
COURSE ID 25649 $25
YOUTH & ADULT
Introduction to Acting
Ages 6 - 9
In this workshop led by Theatre Alberta professionals, participants will receive an introduction to theatre acting, including theatre games, creating and performing a scene, and how to create a character.
Old Church Theatre
Sat Apr 18 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
COURSE ID 25651 $40
Introduction to Acting
Ages 10 - 13
In this workshop led by Theatre Alberta professionals, participants will receive an introduction to theatre acting, including theatre games, creating and performing a scene, and how to create a character.
Old Church Theatre
Sat Apr 25 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
COURSE ID 25652 $40
Above workshops are sponsored by Theatre Alberta with funding from The Alberta Foundation for the Arts as part of the ‘Workshops by Request: Hometown Series’.
Back to Basics: Introduction to Artmaking
Ages 11+
Whether you’re brand new to art or reconnecting with your creative side, this is the perfect introduction to artmaking for youth and adults. Local artist Ashley Gaboury helps you build a solid foundation in visual art while exploring a variety of techniques and materials, from sketching and shading to painting with acrylics and watercolours. Classes will focus on drawing fundamentals of line, shape, proportion, and perspective; sketching techniques; introduction to acrylic, watercolour, and mixed media; and colour theory and composition. Most supplies included.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio
Sat Feb 21, 28, Mar 7, 14 10:00 am12:00 pm
COURSE ID 25520 $40
Painting Origami
Ages 8 - 14
In this class led by local artist Shirin Yamolky, participants will learn colour-mixing, light/ shadow contrasts, and blending while they create a beautiful origami painting. Students will also learn to fold paper origami.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Apr 11 1:30 to 3:30 pm
COURSE ID 25521 $25
Exploring Watercolours
with Christine Walker
Ages 16+
Move beyond the basics of watercolour with this class led by Christine Walker. Each week, students will create a new painting while exploring a variety of interesting mediums, techniques, and creative approaches. Participants will experiment with ways to expand their watercolour practice and discover fresh, expressive possibilities within the medium. All materials provided.
Old Church Theatre
Thu Jan 8, 15, 22, 29 10:00 am12:00 pm
COURSE ID 25654 $120
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio
Wed Feb 4, 11, 18, 25 7:00 - 9:00 pm
COURSE ID 25655 $120
Introduction to Vytynanka: Ukrainian Paper Cutting
Ages 9 - 15
Vytynanka is a traditional Ukrainian art form of paper cutting, where intricate designs are cut from paper using scissors or knives. Designs often feature symmetrical, lace-like patterns or silhouettes of nature or animals. In this course, students will create their very own Vytynanka with a design based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Feb 7 10:00 am2:00 pm
COURSE ID 25658 $40
Pocket Guardians: Felted Worry Doll
Ages 10+
In this two-evening workshop, learn the art of needle felting while creating your own Pocket Guardian — a small, comforting companion to keep or gift. Using soft wool, natural fibres, and a touch of creativity, you’ll bring to life a little doll that can hold your intentions, ease worries, or simply brighten your day. No experience is needed — just curiosity and imagination! Suitable for ages 10 and up, if children are comfortable using sharp needles. All supplies provided.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Thu Mar 12 & 19 6:30 to 8:30 pm
COURSE ID 25653 $65
Adult Pysanka Workshops
Ages 15+
Join Svitlana Slepykh in a hands-on workshop using a mix of wax, dye, and live flame to create unique pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs). Pysanky is not just a craft; it’s a celebration of cultural heritage and creativity passed down through generations. Each egg tells a story, with patterns and motifs reflecting the maker’s wishes and beliefs.
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Mar 21 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
COURSE ID 25648 $25
Okotoks Art Gallery Studio Sat Mar 28 1:30 - 3:30 pm
COURSE ID 25650 $25
EVENTS
*If REQUIRED
A musical tribute to Elton John at VRC!
with Rob Skeet as Cyril Tenjohn and featuring the Honky Cats
The Old Church Theatre is heading to the Viking Rental Centre for this special presentation!
This Vegas-style show has been selling out venues for over 6 years. Join Rob and the band as they take you on a 50+ year musical journey of Elton John’s greatest hits as well as some deep tracks you may not have heard. All the glasses, all the costumes, ALL the feathers! Rob’s voice, energy and storytelling will transcend you back in time to experience Elton at the height of his career.
Viking Rentals Centre
Fri Feb 27 Doors 7:00 pm Show 7:30 pm
Admission $40
Acoustic Nights
The Okotoks Arts Council and the Town of Okotoks invite you to another season of Acoustic Nights at the Old Church Theatre. Bring your musical instrument for a night of music and comradery. Acoustic Nights offer a safe place to learn and play and sing and enjoy. Open to all ages and levels of ability
Old Church Theatre
Jan 21 Feb 4
Mar 11
Tue
Mar 25 April 1
April 15
Doors open at 6:30 pm 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Free
BOOKING EVENT SPACES
VIKING RENTALS CENTRE EVENTS HALL
OLD CHURCH THEATRE
Located at 204 Community Way, this modern, adaptable venue features a large divisible hall, three breakout rooms, a full commercial kitchen, and plenty of parking. Ideal for trade shows, banquets, and community events.
Set in the beautifully restored 1905 Methodist Church, this 150-seat theatre is perfect for performances, weddings, meetings, and private events. Flexible rental options and technical support are available.
Our rental options go beyond recreation! Looking for a large, unique space for your event? The Viking Rentals Centre also includes two full-sized arenas, and there are three additional areas around town all suitable for trade shows, graduations, festivals and large-scale events. For outdoor venues like the Olde Towne Plaza, contact outdoorbookings@okotoks.ca.
@HeritageOkotoks
@okotoks_culture
Art Gallery
53 North Railway Street
403.938.3204 culture@okotoks.ca
Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, Mondays and holidays Closed
Museum & Archives
49 North Railway Street
403.938.8969 culture@okotoks.ca
Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, Mondays and holidays Closed
Church Theatre
3 Elma Street East 403.938.3204 culture@okotoks.ca