Halloween in Calgary is getting a street-party upgrade. The Carnival of Curiosities is taking over 17th Avenue SW and Tomkins Park for a two-day, all-ages Halloween carnival — and it won't cost you a cent to join in.
The weekend kicks off on the Friday night with the Monster's Ball, an outdoor dance party running from 8 to 11 p.m. Expect a live DJ plus roaming performers, aerialists and spooky illusions from B!G ART and Le Cirque de la Nuit. Costumes are encouraged rather than required, but this is the night to go big with your outfit.
Saturday is the fuller day, running from 3 to 11 p.m. In the afternoon, Tomkins Park turns into a classic carnival with games like the Clown Toss, Smack-a-Stack and basketball, while TriXtan Entertainment's Halloween characters wander the crowd. From 3 to 5 p.m., more than 40 businesses along 17th Avenue hand out trick-or-treat loot — and yes, it's dog-friendly, so your pup can join the haul. Then at 7 p.m. the park shifts into Carnival After Dark, with the aerialists and roaming performers back until 11 p.m.
Getting there is straightforward. The hub is Tomkins Park at 820 17th Ave. SW. Street parking exists nearby but fills up fast on event weekends, so driving means arriving early. Transit is arguably the better call — several bus stops along 17th Avenue and 8th Street SW are a short walk from the park, and Calgary Transit's trip planner will give you current routes.
No registration, no tickets, no RSVP. You just show up. The main thing to plan around is the weather: it's an outdoor event in late October in Alberta, so layer up and wear shoes you can stand and stroll in for a few hours. For travellers, it's a nice excuse to be in Calgary in autumn — a free night of circus acts and a daytime trick-or-treat crawl along one of the city's busiest retail strips, with plenty of restaurants and bars around if you want to make an evening of it.
Full details via Curiocity.
