Calgary Entertainment: 6 things to do this weekend
It's warming up this weekend and if you're not headed to the slopes to take advantage of all that snow, you might be looking for a thing or two to get you out of the house.
Organ and piano music, together at last
This Friday, the Royal Canadian College of Organists, Calgary Centre, is showcasing two rockstars of the organ world at the Cathedral Church of the Redeemer downtown.
Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger are Duo Majoya and they're featuring a Canadian repertoire for organ and piano. It includes the Calgary premiere of Longlac Tableaux by Zachary Wadsworth, the former University of Calgary music instructor.
Tickets are free for children 12 and under, $10 for seniors and students and $20 for adults. They're available at the door and online.
Theatre lovers covered
Eating Disorders Awareness Week just wrapped up in Calgary. There was some scale smashing activties along with several awareness events with documentary films and expert panels.
But now there is another fascinating look into the world of anorexia nervosa by way of a play. It's called Mess by Caroline Horton and it's at the Vertigo Theatre.
It's part drama, part comedy, part musical, and about a very real issue.
Mess runs until Saturday night and you can find tickets online.
Bicicles documentary
It's been a monumentally horrible week for drivers out there. Whether you've been stuck on Crowchild Trail, stuck in your parking lot or generally feeling stuck inside, it's been tough.
But for some Calgary bikers, winter is one of their favourite times. Or at least, that's what a new documentary film argues.
It's called Bicicles (that's not a typo) and it's all about the wild and crazy folk right here in Calgary who chose to ride right through the winter months.
The world premier gets underway Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Globe Cinema.
Tickets are $10 at the door and there's more information available online.
Mostly free this weekend
We are smack dab in the middle of Exposure: Alberta's Photography Festival. It runs all this month in gallery spaces all over Calgary and beyond. It's a fantastic excuse to map out a few shows that look interesting and then spend an afternoon wandering for place to place.
If still photography doesn't suit your fancy, there are films, artist talks and more.
For example, on Saturday, Banff nature and wildlife photographer Amar Athwal will be presenting some of his favourite photographic moments of the past year at the Cave and Basin National Historic Site for only $3.90.
Check out the full schedule of events and gallery openings, many of which are free, on the festival's website.
Valentine's Day
For many couples, Valentine's Day is date night but for the science lovers out there, it's also mate night. It's a special event put on by the Calgary Sexual Health Centre. It's a celebration of sexual diversity and naturalist Brian Keating will be sharing stories of animal sex in all its varied forms.
Mate night is Tuesday, Feb. 14 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the top floor of The Bow.
You can find all the ticket information at the centre's website.
Risky science of exploration
It takes a special kind of person to laugh about being stranded on a remote island, running out of oxygen in the Bahamas' blue holes or chasing venomous snakes across Vietnam. Fortunately, deep sea diver and environmental anthropologist Kenny Broad is an extra special kind of person.
As National Geographic's 2011 Explorer of the Year, Broad finds a surprising amount to laugh about as he returns to Calgary with more stories of his triumphs, his tragedies and his just plain weird experiences while watching science evolve to further our knowledge of the world.
You can catch Kenny Broad's presentation at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Feb. 12 and 13.
