The 2nd Annual Chinook Blast winter fest is back, this time bigger and better

YYC, here’s one to warm up your hearts and chase away those winter blues. The festival of fun, art, culture, ice and all things nice is about to hit town. After its immense success last year, the Chinook Blast, powered by Shaw winter festival is making a grand return this year. And from what we’ve seen and heard so far, it’s going to be just as fab as (or maybe even more) last year.

Starting February 4, you will see the downtown neighbourhoods decked up in outrageously gorg light displays and art installations, witness live performances and concerts and fall in love with this beautiful city all over again.

Like last year, there’s going to be a plethora of in-person and virtual creative and sporting activations. While the installations and displays stay on all through Feb 4 to Feb 27, other festivities will happen over the weekends from Friday through Sunday.

Also, like last year, most of these festivities are going to be free. So, you can have all these amazing winter experiences without giving your wallets a death scare.

All the events happening at The Hub will be totally free. To brush up your memory, The Hub is quite literally the hub of all creativity and inspo that’ll run from Municipal Plaza to Olympic Plaza all the way west through Stephen Ave and down 3rd St. This is where you can accumulate a year’s worth of Insta posts. Yes, that’s how ‘gram-worthy the whole set-up’s going to be.

Digital Displays, RISE UP-powered performances at the community stage, Asian Night Market, sporting activations including the many versions of ice skating- there’s a lot to keep us hooked to The Hub.

What we’re looking forward to the most are the concerts by Block Heater, GLOW and Ethnik Festival that’ll take place at the Olympic Plaza. 

As if this wasn’t enough, other downtown neigbourhoods will also be creating their versions of the Chinook Blast experience as part of the Community Pop-ups. Expect winter activities, food trucks, pop-up performances and of course, the customary art and light displays.

With so much to offer, it’s no wonder that this mother of all winter fests has created all this buzz and excitement. Here, check out all the events Chinook Blast is bringing to us this winter.

Oh, and FYI, all the events are outdoors, meaning you can comfortably attend them while maintaining a safe, 6 feet social distance.