Calgary - Your Multicultural City
No one can doubt that Calgary has become a multi-cultural city. About 30% of the city’s population speaks a mix of English and non-English languages at home. The top three languages in Calgary out of many are Punjabi, Chinese and Spanish. (FYI, a fifth of Canada’s population speaks one of 200 foreign languages at home.)
Calgary continues to grow rapidly with the city’s population now about 1.2 million. Each year averages an increase of about 30,000 new residents. Immigrant newcomers to Calgary make up about one third of that number. Overall, Alberta’s share of immigrants to Canada is roughly 12 per cent or 30,000 per year.
So, what can you expect from Calgary’s diversity? Below is a list of festivals in Calgary celebrating the richness of the city.
Serbian Fest in Calgary (May)
The energy and number of people supporting this event is great because we are sharing the best that Serbian culture has to offer with our fellow Calgarians.
Greek Festival (June)
So, this festival, too, is about music, dance, wine and food. But it’s also about coming together as friends, having a good time, and saying, “Efharisto” (Thank you) to Calgarians.
Fiestaval Latino Festival (July)
Fiestaval is a 3-day FREE multicultural arts and entertainment festival highlighting the Latin American Culture.
Calgary Turkish Festival (July)
Great food like Turkish Coffee, Baklava, Döner (Donair), Gözleme (Gozleme) - Turkish Crepe. Also, famous Turkish dancing and music.
Chinatown Street Festival (August)
Chinatown Street Festival (CSF) attracted over 70,000 patrons throughout the day in Chinatown. It has been a premiere summer multi-cultural festival, which has a combination of food & merchant booths and entertainment.
Expo Latino (August)
Western Canada's largest latin festival creating experiences of discovery and learning through the celebration of people, music and dance.
Calgary Reggae Festival (August)
Da Calgary Reggae Festival Society spreads the sweet sounds of Reggae music and artists in Calgary and beyond.
CariFest Calgary (August)
Carifest is an annual festival held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada that showcases the arts and culture of the Caribbean. Get your tickets and join in the celebration!
BrazilFest (September)
Experience traditional dancing, food and music in Calgary's downtown just seconds from the Bow River park area.