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Last week, we asked whether you're heading to the Calgary Stampede — and nearly half of you said it's not really your thing. Cost and crowds came up a lot, with several readers noting they used to go regularly but have since moved on. A few said they'd still consider the Grandstand if the kids wanted them along. For those who do go every year, the animal competitions, new foods, and fireworks are the draw.

👀 In today's edition:

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☀️ Today: High 28C, Low 15C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

QUICK POLL

The federal government is investing up to $40 million in the transformation of Calgary's historic Centennial Planetarium — home to Contemporary Calgary — into what will become one of Canada's largest contemporary art galleries.

The funding, announced July 3 through the Build Communities Strong Fund, supports the third and final phase of the Contemporary Calgary Centennial Planetarium Transformation Project. The total budget for this phase is $160 million.

The project will add a new entrance pavilion, an education and gallery wing, expanded event spaces, and a new public art park. The iconic dome will be converted into Canada's first LED Dome dedicated exclusively to contemporary visual artists. Once complete, the building will feature more than 39,000 square feet of gallery and education space, making it the largest non-collecting contemporary art gallery in Western Canada.

The redevelopment also has a significant sustainability component — the project targets net-zero operational performance through geothermal energy and high-performance building systems, with energy consumption expected to drop by up to 41 per cent while usable floor area increases by nearly 57 per cent.

The Centennial Planetarium first opened on July 1, 1967, funded by all levels of government to mark Canada's centennial. It later housed the Calgary Science Centre before becoming home to Contemporary Calgary in 2020.

SPONSORED BY THE CORE SHOPPING CENTRE

Dust off your boots and join the CORE Midway!

Until July 12, 2026, visit the CORE Midway for exciting activations, live entertainment, giveaways, games, interactive experiences, and plenty of Stampede spirit right in the heart of downtown. Saddle up and join the fun on Level 2 of the CORE Shopping Centre.

Click HERE to learn more or visit coreshopping.ca for the full event and entertainment schedule.

Don't forget, you can enjoy free underground parking at the CORE weekdays after 3:00 p.m. and all day on weekends! *

*For the first 3 hours, a $2.00 flat rate applies thereafter. Available during mall hours only.

🌫️ Health experts are warning Albertans to prepare for a smoky summer, with doctors recommending HEPA filters, staying indoors during smoky conditions, and N95 masks if going outside.

🏗️ An op-ed from Calgarians for Thoughtful Growth argues that before Calgary holds another planning hearing on the Calgary Plan, council should demonstrate what it learned from the previous three public hearings.

🛢️ Alberta and Ottawa have submitted a proposal for a new one-million-barrel-per-day oil pipeline to B.C.'s coast to the federal Major Projects Office. Industry experts say significant hurdles remain.

🏖️ Sikome Lake has reopened after a $6 million renovation, with upgraded facilities including new change rooms, a refreshed concession area, and a new water safety centre.

🤠 The Calgary Stampede parade rolled through downtown on July 3 with Olympic medallists Mikaël Kingsbury and Courtney Sarault as parade marshals. The Stampede runs through July 12.

⚔️ Six teenagers have been charged with aggravated assault after a 17-year-old was stabbed and bear sprayed in Auburn Bay in May. The victim has since been released from hospital.

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The Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation has named its 2026 Emerging Artist Award recipients, distributing $110,000 across 11 artists at the early stages of their careers.

Four of the recipients are Calgary-based. Alison DeRegt is a multi-disciplinary theatre and puppetry artist whose practice draws on eco-punk aesthetics and found materials. Jerome "K-Riz" Henry is a hip-hop and R&B artist known for blending soul, jazz, and reggae into what the jury called "musically sophisticated and compelling" work. Tayte Mitchell is the founding CEO and Artistic Director of Ammolite Opera, Calgary's own opera company. And poet Paula Turcotte, whose debut chapbook was a finalist for the bpNichol Chapbook Award, is currently at work on her debut novel.

Also among the recipients is seth cardinal dodginghorse, a Tsuut'ina multidisciplinary artist and musician whose work centres questions of land, family, and displacement — including the impact of the Southwest Calgary Ring Road on his family's ancestral land on Tsuut'ina Nation.

The remaining recipients span the province, working across music, literary arts, visual arts, and theatre. All 11 were selected from 150 applications in a process overseen by The Banff Centre.

Since its inception in 2003, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Awards Foundation has awarded $1,810,000 to 29 Distinguished Artists and 95 Emerging Artists across both its programs.

🍴 Orchard: Chef Jenny Kang brings her experience from Shokunin and Bow Valley Ranch to this Asian Mediterranean restaurant on 10th Avenue SW, blending classic European dishes with an Asian flair in a space designed to feel like a romantic European supper club.

🍴 Village Ice Cream: Calgary's beloved small-batch ice cream shop has six locations across the city, each making super-premium ice cream on-site with creative twists on nostalgic flavours. Founded in 2012, it's as much a neighbourhood gathering place as it is a scoop shop.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

🎟️ Inglewood Night Market: The Inglewood Night Market returns on Friday, July 10, running until September with 140 local artisans, makers, and small businesses, plus live music and a beer garden. Free admission, outdoors, 5 to 10 p.m.

🎟️ Calgary Wind Symphony at Riley Park: The Calgary Wind Symphony is hosting free outdoor concerts at Riley Park on select Sundays through August 23 — bring a lawn chair or blanket and settle in for an afternoon of live music. The next performance is July 12.

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

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We’ll see you back here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, same time, same place!