Albertans sure know how to fill the summer months. Every year, there are so many great activities — from Edmonton’s Heritage Festival to Calgary’s BBQ on the Bow — that it can be difficult to decide exactly where you want to go. So let us give you a hand with that.
Originally featured in Westworld Magazine’s “35 Things to Do in Alberta this Summer“, here are some of our favourites.
Go Summer Sledding
Winsport Canada Olympic Park, Calgary
The snow may be long gone, but Albertans can still enjoy high-adrenalin winter sports in the summer. Skyline Luge, the newest attraction at Canada Olympic Park, takes thrill seekers down the world’s longest downhill luge track (1,800 metres). Lean back, extend your feet and steer down a winding path in a wheeled cart. If that’s not fast enough for your liking, try bobsledding. You’ll reach speeds of up to 100 km/h as you whip through 14 turns in about 60 seconds.
AMA members save 50% on one youth ticket at Winsport Canada Olympic Park.
Rub Shoulders with Local Artists
Patio Series at Latitude 53, Edmonton
This summer, Latitude 53 invites members and guests to return to downtown Edmonton’s best-loved patio. All summer long, this artist-run gallery opens up the patio to celebrate local art over cocktails, appetizers and live music. Wander the gallery’s three exhibition spaces and be sure to strike up a conversation with a stranger – the events draw the who’s who of Edmonton’s art scene.
See the Remote Rockies on Horseback
Trail Riders of the Canadian Rockies, Banff
Shut down that smartphone and saddle up for a six-day historic horseback ride in Banff National Park. You’ll get back to nature amid the mountain peaks and sparkling streams, just like non-profit riding club TRCR has been doing every summer since 1923. You’ll visit glacial lakes, explore mountain passes, and eat with the rest of your travelling companions at the end of each day. And at the end of the day, gather ‘round the campfire for evening entertainment: songs, jokes, storytelling, and cowboy poetry.
AMA members save on activities in Jasper and Banff.
Gratify Your Need for Speed
Get ready for rip-roaring, fuel-guzzling good times. This raceway near Edmonton International Airport is home to a quarter-mile drag strip, a clay oval track, a full pro motocross track, a 2.7-kilometre road course and a mini-sprint cart track. Among other adrenalin-spikers, the raceway hosts open drag racing; Hot August Night, Canada’s largest jet car event; Monster Jam, featuring cranked-up trucks doing tricks; and Nite Thunder, where a variety of car classes compete, ripping around the oval and reaching speeds of over 200 km/h. Racing season runs through October.
AMA members save 20% on admission on all events.
Whoop-it-Up, Cowboy Style
Whoop-Up Days, Lethbridge August 19-23
Whoop-Up Days is the largest event in Southern Alberta, with a kickoff breakfast and parade, midway, CPRA rodeo, tradeshows, and five days of concerts and entertainment. Dust off that old Stetson and get ready for one of Alberta’s most popular festivals.
And look for the AMA Easyriders — on-site to provide you with safe transportation around the festival grounds.
Take Your Fork to the Farm
Alberta Open Farm Days, August 23-24
Alberta Open Farm Days is our province-wide open house. This ultimate foodie weekend showcases the province’s agriculture industry and agri-tourism, with farms and ranches across the province opening their doors to Albertans. Pet and feed a baby bison in Mayerthorpe; pick huckleberries in Pincher Creek, or indulge in any of 40-plus other hands-on experiences.
See a complete listing of host farms and events.
Share the Fun and Win
What has your favourite Alberta destination been this summer? Tweet your photos to @AMACommunity using the hashtag #RoadTripWin for your chance to win weekly prizes, and our grand prize of a Jasper weekend getaway. Find out more.