Chinook Blast is a relatively new celebration of winter in Calgary Alberta, that brings together lights, dance, music, art and sports in core neighbourhoods, around the city.

What is a chinook? A warm, dry, gusty, westerly wind that blows down the Rocky Mountains into the eastern slopes and the western prairies. The chinook, an Indigenous word meaning “snow eater,” is most distinctive and numerous in the winter, when the unseasonable warming it brings differentiates it from the normal cold winter weather. ” - The Canadian Encyclopedia

Chinook Blast has something for every traveler. Some events include: High Performance Rodeo, a 35 year performing arts festival; BIG Winter Classic, a music, art and local beer festival; Block Heater, one of Calgary's fastest growing music festivals; GLOW, a winter lights festival; and Ethnik Festival, a showcase of Afro Canadian and Caribbean heritage and cultural celebration. There will be neighbourhood pop-ups, sporting events like snow volleyball and drag queen and queer cowboy performances.

For full programming details and an exciting calendar of events, visit chinookblast.ca or reach out to Aviva Kohen at Tourism Calgary (avivak@tourismcalgary.com).