Calgary Culture Days is back for its 12th year, running throughout September with a month's worth of arts and culture events across the city. If you haven't had a chance to check it out yet, there's still time to catch a festival, film screening, art exhibition, dance performance, or workshop — many of them free.

"One of the things that makes Calgary Culture Days so special is the element of serendipity," said Olivia Rocskar, Arts & Cultural Development Coordinator with the City of Calgary. "You might come across an event and leave with a new perspective, a new connection or a deeper appreciation for a community, culture or art form. Those moments of curiosity and connection stay with people long after the event is over."

Mayor Jeromy Farkas framed the initiative as more than just entertainment. "Arts and culture are no longer a nice-to-have. They're a need to have," he said. "They connect us to our history, help tell the stories of Indigenous Peoples and the many communities that have shaped Calgary, and reflect who we are today."

This year's celebration includes four Cultural Ambassadors helping spread the word: Farkas, Evelyne Kemajou of Portail de l'Immigrant Association and Franco Festival Calgary, Marc Stevens of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and artist and designer Kristy North Peigan of the Piikani First Nation. Stevens pointed to the range of ways people can engage with arts in the city, from street performers and murals to concerts and dance classes, saying those experiences are often what makes people fall in love with Calgary beyond just the job that brought them here.

The City is also backing 20 local recipients through its Calgary Culture Days Microgrant program this year, aimed at bringing new and expanded programming to Calgary's downtown throughout the month.

Calgary Culture Days runs through September 30, with a full list of events available at calgary.ca/CultureDays.