| The best night out I had last summer involved a man clipping clothespins to his eyebrows and juggling chainsaws. It was great, and it was, it was free. It was during the Calgary Fringe Festival, when street performers and artists took over a couple blocks of 17 Avenue to entertained passersby.
The booming economy has made it hard to enjoy a good night out in Calgary without dropping a ridiculous amount of money. Even taking a few pints or having a meal can put a dent in your paycheque. However, it’s still possible to spend a night out without dropping more than a few bucks. If you’re particularly savvy, you can do so without spending anything at all.
While many Calgary Fringe Festival street performers ask for (and deserve) a $5 donation, everything that happens outside is free. Body art is a particularly good highlight: artists assemble at night with models and paint directly on their bodies, before showcasing their work to music. (When, where?)
You can also soak up aspects of other summer festivals for free. The Chinatown Street Festival on Saturday, August 18 will feature a parade led by dragon dancers and followed by dancing, opera and live bands. There will also be a photo exhibit, magic shows and games of mah-jong.
And if you don’t have the cash to attend the Calgary Folk Music Festival, you can listen in from the bike path near Eau Claire Market. There’s also a spot on the south bank of the river that offers a view, through the trees, of the festival’s Jumbotrons.
For a taste of the Golden Gate without having to buy a ticket to Frisco, check out the laid-back drum circle in Riley Park after dark on Sundays during the summer months. I’m not sure how it got started, or who (if anyone) really organizes it, but anywhere from three to 20 people gather in the park to play hand drums, chill out and chat. Everyone is welcome – it helps if you have a drum, but an empty ice cream pail and a pair of sticks will do just fine.
Sometimes, the best free nightlife is what you organize yourself. This summer, you may come across people playing manhunt or capture the flag in city parks and streets. If you can round up some friends, it’s easy to do the same. In manhunt, participants start by marking boundaries (usually a number of blocks, though other venues such as a parking garage or a park also work). One person starts the game by chasing and tagging the other players. Once someone is tagged, they join the hunt, as the remaining players hide or run away from the ever-growing horde of people chasing them (www.manhunt-toronto.com has more detailed rules.) In capture the flag, two teams start with hula hoops filled with flags. Each team’s objective is to take all the other teams’ flags and bring them back, all the while trying not to get tagged by the opposing team’s players. While games can include as many as 50 participants (or sometimes more) and last for hours, you can play them with a team of any size. All you need are a few friends, a few flags (or other pieces of cloth) and a sizeable park.
Free nightlife abounds wherever people are adventurous, even in the most expensive cities. Of course, it helps if you know how to juggle chainsaws. |
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