By Joel Dryden
With Christmas and New Year’s in the books, you might feel ready to stay indoors and hibernate a while. But with a number of great festivals on the way (not to mention those New Year’s resolutions to keep on top of), there’s no reason to stay indoors this January. Here’s the best of our city this month. [Photo courtesy of Michael Grondin/Shot for BIG Winter Classic]
Meat-lovers, rejoice! Belle Southern Kitchen and Bar has opened its doors in Mission, filling 4th Street with the glorious smells of smoked brisket and Applewood-smoked ribs. Located in the former home of The Mission, the renovated space boasts a vintage look with white walls and an eclectic art style.
Located in Calgary’s always-lively Beltline neighbourhood, Donna Mac was named after co-owner Amy Turner’s grandmother. Open since Nov. 13, the restaurant puts a focus on seasonal ingredients with an ever-evolving menu dreamt up by former Proof chef Justin Longpre.
Order up a Sidecar or a Manhattan at The Wednesday Room, a sophisticated new Stephen Avenue lounge that will transport you back to the 1960s. The warm retro décor (dreamt up by McKinley Burkart) is evocative of, as the minds behind the lounge put it, “your uncle’s eclectic basement.” It doesn’t hurt that the food is great too – chef Derek Wilkins (formerly of Rouge and Workshop Kitchen and Culture) serves up share plates and sandwiches designed to perfectly complement that retro cocktail.
The first big music festival of 2018, the BIG Winter Classic is back, bringing with it a full slate of rock, indie and punk music to break you out of your winter slump. This year, check out metal favourites Red Fang, pop punk veterans Less Than Jake and Canadian punk rockers Metz.
Since its inception in 1987, High Performance Rodeo has drawn international talent to Calgary for this multidisciplinary annual festival, which presents dance, theatre and various other art forms across multiple venues. This year, the festival runs Jan. 3 to 28, which means you have the whole month to check out a variety of shows. Check out the full lineup here.
Other festivals this month include the Banff Mountain Film Festival, Prana Yoga Festival and the Winter CARnival – for more information, check out Seema Dhawan’s Smart Tip.
Of course, January is synonymous with new things – a new year, new goals, new resolutions. But how can you approach 2018 with a fresh outlook and goals that you’ll stick with? Jonathan Lawrence is here with this Smart Tip suggesting ways to adopt a New Year’s resolution and stick to it.
Even though Christmas is in the books, there’s no reason not to take a trip up to the nearby mountain parks this January. Banff and Canmore are beautiful this time of year, and there’s no better way to see the parks than by slipping on a pair of snowshoes or even by going on an adventure by dogsled. Let Sarah Sussman be your guide to the mountain parks this winter.
One of the best way to get rid of cabin fever this winter is to fill up on comfort food (and drink) at a local dining event. Whether you’re checking out new restaurants like Donna Mac or taking part in a foodie festival, there are plenty of events scheduled to keep your belly full this winter – Giselle Wedemire is here with a rundown of 7 food and drink events in January.
What better way to kick off 2018 than by getting out and experiencing the best of our city this month? Festival season in Calgary never slows down, even during the winter months – so get out there and have some fun!
