How are you coping at this time of year? I don’t hate winter, but two solid weeks of -20°C will do anyone’s head in. I’m trying hard not to be a grump, but it’s hard. Winter can be so long and brutal in Canada. I cope with challenging situations best when I have a game plan and lots of fun things to look forward to. With that in mind, I created a list of fun things to do over winter in Calgary. And… Heritage Park has graciously offered one Travels with Baggage reader dinner and a movie. Read on to find out how you can win.
Table of Contents
Winter in Calgary
Ollia Macaron Baking Class
Eve and I are big fans of the Great British Bake Off, and my girl has become an excellent baker. She’s nailed the Victoria Sponge, but her macarons could use a wee bit o’ work. Since I’m no expert, I trotted us off to Ollia for their Macaron 101 Baking Class. Ollia makes the most delicious macrons in Calgary and sinfully rich hot chocolate, too.
Classes are a hoot and you learn step by step how make these magnificent morsels. Participants get to eat many a macaron during the class and you’ll walk away with approximately three dozen macarons. It’s a great date night activity as evidenced by the number of couples in our class. There were also a few kids in attendance and they were surprisingly good! I learned a ton of new techniques, like the importance of using the right almond flour! Ollia sells their own secret blend or you can pick some up on Amazon. This is a class I could see myself doing again. Especially if I need to come up with a gift for a dessert lover. Highly recommended!
Glenbow Dior Exhibit
Did you know Dior has been my favourite designer ever since I read Lace back in 1984? (Why my parents thought that was acceptable reading material for an impressionable young girl, I’ll never know….) Ever since Christian Dior launched his first haute couture collection in 1947, it’s remained a powerhouse global brand oozing elegance and luxury. Whenever I see cinched waists and just below the knee skirts, I think of that 1947 New Look he launched. I’m also reminded I bought way too many bottles of Poison perfume back in high school.
Fantastically, Calgary’s Glenbow Museum is staging an epic exhibition of Dior running until June 2, 2019. This is the first major, international fashion exhibition ever to open in Calgary. You must go! I did and I might just go again! I mean, how else am I going to get a glimpse into one of the world’s greatest couture houses?
Games Night or Dinner and a Movie at Heritage Park
My Seattle friend raves about the game Qwirkle, but I’ve never tried it. There are a lot of games I haven’t tried which is why I love going to games cafes. Better yet are the curated games nights at the Selkirk Grille at Heritage Park. These run once a month – February 28, March 28 and April 25 from 5 to 9pm.
The other thing I really want to try out there is dinner and a movie. There’s two in March and two in April, and the menu is paired with the movie. For $44 per person it’s a steal of a deal for a three course meal. I’m annoyed I wasn’t able to make Roman Holiday or Groundhog Day, but Emma, Harry Potter and Stand By Me are coming up, and I think it’s only right I introduce my daughter to these classics.
YYC Hot Chocolate Fest
The best way to get your hygge on is to get cozy. Drinking sinfully sweet, wickedly warm chocolate beverages seems like a solid way to accomplish this, don’t you think? Even better is choosing a cocoa from a participating vendor in the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest. Profits from these signature hot chocolates goes to Meals on Wheels, meaning bonus charity points for you.
If you have kids it makes for fun weekly adventures. Even if you don’t, it’s worth the calories, trust. Ollia has a fab chocolate chai hot chocolate that comes with a macaron. And Latte Art Love, a new coffee shop in Marda Loop has a cardamon favoured one with salted caramel marshmallows in the shape of a dinosaur. So cute!
We love hot chocolate so much, I bought Eve this book for Christmas.
Broadway Across Canada in Calgary
When I was in New York last month I didn’t catch one Broadway show. Not because I didn’t want to, but because every single show that was recommended to me is coming to Calgary.
Kicking off the 2019-2020 Broadway Across Canada Season is the 20th Anniversary Tour of RENT, a Tony Award®-winning musical. Next in line is WAITRESS, followed by DEAR EVAN HANSEN, winner of six 2017 TONY® Awards including Best Musical. Finishing off the season is WICKED, the untold true story of the Witches of Oz.
The big news is that HAMILTON is coming to Calgary for the 2020/2021 season!!! This is why you want to be a subscriber. They get first dibs on HAMILTON tix when they renew their full subscription for the 2020/2021 season. If you know a HAMILTON fan, this is best book! I also bought it for Eve (when she was in Grade 6!) and it was a huge hit.
Letter Writing Social
I’ve recently rediscovered the lost art of letter writing at socials in my local coffee shop. Once a month, Rite While You Can comes to Good Earth cafes around the Calary. They bring all the supplies – from retro typewriters to the most gorgeous stationary and stamps! It costs $15 and included is a bevvie from the cafe. And it doesn’t have to be coffee either, you can maximize your ticket by getting a glass of wine (and they are large pours!).
I’ve written letters to Dan’s parents, my brother and my favourite aunt. So far only the aunt has responded. Listen people, reciprocity is required if you want to keep the letter tags going!
Win dinner and a movie at Selkirk Grille
Heritage Park is offering up dinner and a movie for two (alcohol not included) at the Selkirk Grille. You can choose which date and movie you’d like to see. To win, comment below with your all time favourite snow-day movie and if you’re doing a TV dinner, what would you serve? Do this before midnight, February 26, 2019.
For me, it’s a toss up between The Sound of Music and Love Actually. I have other favourite movies, but when you’re hunkering down in winter, these are my faves. Loaded nachos is my favourite couch meal, but I wouldn’t say no to bolognese with a massive glass of red wine, either.
If you’re looking for more things to do, consider:
Dining at Calgary’s best Italian restaurant
Tubing at Mt. Norquay
25 Spring adventures in the Canadian Rockies
Make a hygge box!
Disclosure: There are some affiliate links in the post above, but all are products I highly recommend. I won’t put anything on this page that hasn’t been verified or personally vetted.
Love both your movie choices also! A favorite snow-day movie for me would be Notting Hill paired with a bowl of our family Chili recipe, Greek salad and a glass of red to top it off! Would LOVE to Win! LOVE your posts and blog!
Yes please. Sounds AMAZING
My favourite snow day movie is Titanic. Together with pizza makes a perfect dinner and movie nite in!
I love Love Actually – what a great movie! If I was doing a tv dinner, I’d do a rib roast with mashed potatoes and veggies.
So need a night out. I suffer from Chronic insomnia depression and anxiety. This months been tough
Thank you for a chance
My favorite snow-day movie is Forrest Gump and I love to serve ramen for a TV dinner 🙂
Snow day movie would have to be A Little Princess, I love that movie! Wings would be my tv dinner!
I could watch the Age of Adeline on any given occasion! And baked sliders plus wine never fails.
The Sound Of Music is my favourite movie so I would pick it but my kids prefer to watch reruns of The Office! ????
Sardines on buttered rye toast,splashed with worcestershire sauce and a Moosehead or two. while watching “Grumpy old Men “
How to lose a guy in 10 days! Served with nachos!
The Sound of Music with nacho’s or wings!
Loved this post.I have been to the olia class, it was a gift from my family on Christmas. It was amazing and it’s tricky to make macarons. I am fond of writing letters and cards but unfortunately not get the response nowadays as I used to 20 years ago. My favorite snow movie is the Holiday. And favorite movie dinner is lasagna..
Would love to win the prize and go to watch movie with my hubby..
My movie would be A Star is Born. Popcorn with butter snuggled under a blanket.
Hmm my favourite snow day movie would be crazy stupid love! For dinner we’d have burgers and fries as that is serious comfort food , plus popcorn ???? for the movie of course ????
Hmm I’d say crazy stupid love for the movie and a burger and fries for dinner! Ultimate comfort food for me! And popcorn ???? for the movie of course!
My favorite snow day movie would be “Taken” so i’ll sweat in thrill. i’ll serve nachos with cheese and popcorn in different flavors.
Love Actually and my favourite baked spaghetti with meatballs
That sounds like a great thing to eat tonight with the Oscar countdown! Do you add cheese?
Snowy day movie that I’ve watched many many times would be Groundhog Day – and dinner would have to be a giant bowl of buttery popcorn!
It’s the best! I wonder if Groundhog Day ever won an Oscar?
Grease ! My all time favourite movie. Paired with hot wings and a glass of Chardonnay ! Perfect evening
My favorite snow day movie would be the Goonies. And for dinner, always needs to be finger food when I am watching a movie so veggies and dip, nachos that type of stuff. Good luck all
My favorite snow day movie would be Pretty Woman. For dinner it would be Roast Beef and mashed potatoes.
My favorite snow day movies are any epic series (because one movie is never enough) such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, or any combination of Marvel movies! Gotta have lots of popcorn and finger foods, chips with dip, and candy for dinner.
The secret life of Walter Mitty with spicy Thai chicken soup.
My fav snow day movie would be Titanic and I absolutely love making a bunch of appetizers for a night in front of the TV!
Best snow day movie? Emperor’s New Groove. (I have it on VHS!)
Pair that with some homemade pizza and you are set!
Does popcorn with M&m’s mixed in count as dinner? Salt and chocolate are food groups right? Lol
Goodies would be my movie choice but Harry Potter ( any of them) is always a close second.
Thanks for the contest!
Goonies not Goodies….
A great way to spend a snow day with movies is to go classic!! Wizard of Oz is the way to go with chicken fingers!
Dirty Dancing, Armagedon, Titanic and a few others round out my snow day movies. Finger foods and simple snacks are a must and I love to experiment. Helps to make winter go by a little bit quicker
I love watching Pride and Prejudice, and pizza keeps everyone happy!
Princess Bride is a great movie to watch with the whole family on a snow day. Chili and rice are a great comfort food.
For sure my fave snow day indulgence is You’ve Got Mail, accompanied by a big bowl of buttered popcorn and a giant glass of red wine.
We like to watch old movies like Ferris Buellers Day Off and Pretty Woman. We would make any comfort food like a roast beef stew or lasagna with garlic toast!
Love movies days with the family! We will do movie marathons like Indiana Jones or Star Wars or Back to the Future. That with pizza, popcorn & of course a glass of wine makes for a perfect movie day!
Titanic and I would eat a plate full of chicken wings from save on foods. I love that they have a wing bar and I can choose all flats for me and drums for the hubs.
Gladiator and my wife’s homemade shepherds pie
My favorite snow-day movie is The sound of music and I love to serve lasagna for a TV dinner ????.
I love a great comedy like police academy and snack foods like wings and nachos!
My favorite snow-day movie is Grease! I would pair it with a big bowl of cheesy chili with a bun!
Our favorite winter family activities are watching lifted, inspiring stories and disney movies for my kids while having hot pot and the best dessert my daughter always request are ollie’s macaroons… 🙂
My favorite snow day movie is 500 days of summer. I would pair it with vietnamese food.
Favorite snow day movie is definitely Titanic, with Nachos and cheese, Buttered popcorn and a bag of M&M’s, with 4 bottles of water, heating blanket and my Kitty. Oh so relaxing.