Fun Calgary date ideas: plan a great date in the city

Looking for fun or romantic Calgary date ideas? Start right here. We’ve combed through the city and picked the best of the best, designed to help you have a great date in Calgary, snow or shine, summer or winter! From inviting date-night bars to stunning outdoor adventures, find your next favourite Calgary date idea here.

Our top Calgary date ideas: pick your new favourite!

Whether you’re into coffee, tasty food, festivals, or adventures, we’ve picked an idea to suit you. Read on to discover the Calgary date idea that will make your next date night great – then scroll to the bottom to see all our ideas on a handy, shareable map!

• Looking for more? Try our CTrain date map, complete with 45 great Calgary date ideas

1. Have coffee at Kawa

Our recent survey showed that a casual coffee is the ideal first date for many of our members and that must be especially true in Calgary, where cafes like Kawa make any date a treat. Home to fabulous coffee and amazing matcha lattes, great craft beer, and live jazz in the evenings, Kawa is the kind of warm, inviting place where a date can go on and on.

2. Have food at Paper Street

When you want a relaxed date, with a great atmosphere and even greater food, give Paper Street a try. This new face on Stephen Ave is offering up the ideal mix of laid-back Calgary charm and internationally-influenced, street-food style eats – the perfect combo for a delicious date night (after all, who couldn’t fall in love over a buttermilk fried chicken waffle cone?).

3. Find your next favourite date-night bar

Meeting for a drink is a classic date idea and, in Calgary, you’re simply spoiled for choice. Perhaps you’re craving the upmarket elegance of cocktails and wine tasting, maybe you prefer the group-date raucousness of public sing-a-longs, or you may just want to make the most of long summer evenings and head to a patio: whatever the case, we’ve picked a date night bar to suit you:

4. See some stand-up comedy

We’ve previously discussed the fact that laughing together is vital for love: so why not set up a date at a comedy night? As well as the comedy clubs like Yuk Yuk’s and The Comedy Cave, you can find great stand up almost any night of the week at various venues around town – like the Monday Comedy Night at Broken City (an evening that’s never the same twice running!).

5. Get a little spooky

It may sound a little tourist-cheesy, but taking a Calgary ghost tour together can make for a really fun date night. Not only are the tours a great way to get a fun take on some of the history of Calgary, they’re entertaining too – the guides with their lanterns can make it feel like you are seeing a show. And, if it all gets too spooky, your date is on hand to cuddle up to!

6. Get a little scientific

The second (and sometimes third) Thursday of every month is Adults Only Night at Telus Spark. This means that you get to experience all their great, interactive exhibitions – with booze. Each month has a different theme too; meaning new things to do, eat, and experience every time you go. There’s even a music and dance floor – it’s very date-night friendly!

7. Take a weekend break and embrace the beauty of Alberta

One of the most wonderful things about life in Calgary is just how easy it is to access stunning scenery: the lakes, mountains and plains here are the kind of thing people cross oceans to see. That’s why we’ve added our top five weekend breaks near Calgary to this list – while not strictly Calgary date ideas, they are Alberta must-dos, and perfect for a romantic weekend mini-break:

8. Take in a festival together

C’mon, you knew we had to include this! After all, attending a festival together is one of the quintessential Calgary date ideas. Cuddle up for the winter-date-nights magic at Zoolights, dance together at Calgary Folk Fest, and, of course, make a date for Stampede (where true love = heading to the Midway and treating your date to something bacon-wrapped and deep-fried).

9. In summer: make the most of the sunshine

Warm weather means it’s time for outdoor, summer date ideas in Calgary: head to Prince’s Island Park to catch a Shakespeare by the Bow performance, take a kayaking lesson via the University of Calgary’s Outdoor Centre, or simply soak up the sun with a picnic at Sandy Beach.

10. In winter: make the most of (or hide from) the snow

Winter date ideas in Calgary come in two forms: those that embrace the cold – or those that hide from it! For the former, go for skating and hot chocolate at Olympic Plaza or act like a kid again and go tobogganing in Confederation Park. For the latter, hole up somewhere warm and cozy like Boxcar Board Game Cafe: ideal for dates who like friendly rivalry and great coffee.

Ready to try one of our Calgary date ideas? You can find the locations on this map. Still looking for that single person to share the city with? Let us help. Start by registering today.

About the author: Sophie Watson

See more articles written by Sophie Watson