Attend a free festival

It isn’t called the city of festivals without a reason; the people of Calgary are treated to free festivals year-round. The Chinatown Street Festival is one of the better known free festivals and takes place every August for a day only. Rain or shine, this festival takes place between 10 am and 8 pm and offers entertainment, cultural exhibits, sporting events, kids play zone, shops and of course, the taste of Chinatown. Expect to be surrounded by like-minded people as about 40,000 festival goers show up to celebrate the Chinese culture. One of the more unique festivals that takes place in the city is the Pet-A-Palooza, a two-day festival in July celebrating your four-legged furry friends. Among tons of activities, there is the highly amusing running of the bulls race, aka 20 ft bulldog race, that any French or English bulldog can enter. Also, there is the world’s premier canine aquatics competition held at the festival, besides free teeth cleaning, red carpet, live music and plenty of hydration stations for both pets and owners. More music and cultural festivals are offered all throughout the city, especially during the summer season and all come at a cost of zero dollars!