Calgary A Fun Urban Playground
Every February in Calgary is “Exposure” a photography festival when many of the city’s public and private galleries devote their exhibition spaces to photography. So every February I like to create a photo essay from my photography library.
This year’s photo essay is titled “Calgary A Fun Urban Playground.” It features photos of Calgarians, of all ages and backgrounds, enjoying dozens of different activities across the city.
What is an “urban playground” you asK? It is a city that offers a diversity of everyday things to see and do from rafting to yoga, from reading to picnics and other fun off-the-beaten path activities.
Have a look and let me know what are your favourite photos. Or perhaps what is your favourite fun thing to do in your city.
Ladies Picnic in Memorial Park.
The Silver Springs Botanical Garden was created and is maintained by neighbourhood volunteers.
Calgarians love to connect with their rivers.
Calgarians love to read.
Family fun on the rooftop of a downtown parkade that has been turned into park/plaza.
In the summer thousands of people float down both the Bow and Elbow Rivers.
The Calgary Zoo is fun for all ages.
River surfing fun in the Bow River downtown.
Calgarians love to embrace winter.
Calgarians love to paddle even in the winter.
Skating at Olympic Plaza has become a winter tradition.
Calgary is home to 100s of neighbourhood outdoor rinks.
Many communities also have their own hockey rink.
And in the summer, any road will do.
Daycare fun at Grand Trunk Park.
Helicopter Park is a fun place for outdoor yoga.
Church picnic fun.
Chinook Blast is Calgary’s downtown winter street festival.
Summer patio fun on Stephen Avenue Walk.
And you never know when a couple just has to dance.
Calgary is home to both rowing and sailing club on the Glenmore Reservoir located in the middle of the city.
Paddling fun at Harvie Passage on the Bow River.
Too much fun - a beer hall that opens onto the street.
Calgary is home to one of North America’s largest public skate parks located at Cowboys Park on the west end of the Bow River Promenade.
One of the newest additions to Calgary’s urban playground are pump tracks like this one.
Calgarians are innovative when it comes to urban playgrounds like this DIY skate park.
The Bow River is one of the world’s best fly fishing rivers.
And yes some of fishermen love to dress up.
Sometimes you just want to hang out.
Sometimes you just want to sit and chat. The Rotary / Mattamy Greenway is a 131 km multi-user trail that encompasses the city.
Calgarians will sit and chat year-round. Overall Calgary boasts 1,000+ km of pathways and 7,000 parks and green spaces.
The Simmons Building with it cafe is a poplar spot to gather on the eastern edge of the Bow River Promenade.
Calgarians love to run.
Calgarian also love to go for walks.
Calgary is home to a festival almost ever weekend from May to October.
Calgarians love to relax.
You never what you will see on Stephen Avenue Walk. Great urban playgrounds have great main streets.
A winter hockey rink becomes a beach volleyball court in the summer.
Or you can try your hand at lawn bowling…there are several clubs in Calgary.
Combining beer drinking and cycling is too much fun.
Square Dancing fun on Stephen Avenue during Stampede.
How to turn a chair into a piece of playground equipment.
Exploring Calgary’s art galleries and art is definitely part of our urban playground.
Who can resist making a snowman whenever it snows?
Finding quite place to read next to a river is idyllic for some.
Calgary is home to one of North America’s best folk festivals.
More public art fun, this time in the lobby of an office building.
Chinatown fun.
Calgary is one of Canada’s most multi-cultural communities.
Every playground needs a local ice cream shop.
And of course some Calgarians love to flaneur the streets taking strange photographs.