Another sure sign spring is officially here, aside from all the rain, is opening day of the Calgary Stampeders official training camp.  Rookie camp started this past week but the rest of the squad straps on the pads for the first time this Sunday, June 3 at McMahon at 9:05 AM and 4:20 PM.

This season marks the beginning of a new era for the red and white with the departure of all-stars Henry Burris and Joffrey Reynolds, thrusting Drew Tate and John Cornish, who seized the reigns last year, into the limelight.

There will be some great battles at this year’s camp and Sunday’s action will be your first opportunity to scout your favourite players and positions.

For more information about the training camp schedule or the team in general, go to the Stampeders official website and training camp information page.

See you down at McMahon!

CALGARY STAMPEDERS OFFICAL WEBSITE

http://www.stampeders.com

CALGARY STAMPEDERS TRAINING CAMP INFORMATION

http://www.stampeders.com/practice_sched

CALGARY STAMPEDERS FACEBOOK PAGE

HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY!

Today is the big centennial celebration for the Calgary Public Library and they are celebrating with parties all across our great city!

CROWFOOT - 8665 Nose Hill Drive NW

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/Media/100th-Anniversary/Crowfoot-Birthday-Flyer!!.pdf

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/Media/Blogs/In%20Your%20Library/Nose-Hill-Library.pdf

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/Media/Blogs/In%20Your%20Library/Bowness-Library.pdf

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/Media/100th-Anniversary/Thorn-Hill-Poster.pdf

http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/Media/100th-Anniversary/Riley-schedule-100th.pdf

Halloween is fast approaching and if you find yourself not feeling quite frightened enough then make sure you check out the last weekend of Scream Fest at Canada Olympic Park

This year’s ‘Killgary’ event promises that “You will be thrilled, chilled and hopefully not killed, but you will scream,” how can you turn down a frightful challenge like that?

Thrill seekers will have an array of activities to choose from at the event with 5 different haunted houses; Terror Under the Big Top, What Lies Beneath, Nuclear Nightmare, Bates Motel & Lucifer’s Labyrinth, as well as games and lots of freaky and fun live entertainment.

Hours of operation are 7 PM - 12 AM all weekend long including Halloween on Monday night and tickets range from $20 - $40 depending on the type of pass purchased.

For more information about how to get your scare on visit the official Scream Fest website.

Happy Haunting!

OFFICIAL SCREAM FEST WEBSITE

Another great NW Calgary concert event is just around the corner as the Sam Roberts Band is set to take the stage at the Jubilee Auditorium on Tuesday, October 25.

Sam and his talented band, guitarist Dave Nugent, guitarist/keyboardist Eric Fares, bassist James Hall and drummer Josh Trager, hit the stage at 8 PM with their unique rootsy guitar-rock sound.  The award-winning Canadian group is touring in support of their latest album Collider.

Tickets for this event range from $29.50-$55.00 and can be purchased through Ticketmaster.  Doors open at 8:00 PM.

JUBILEE AUDITORIUM CONCERT PAGE

http://www.jubileeauditorium.com/Southern/Events/2011-10-25/Sam-Roberts-Band/228344

OFFICIAL SAM ROBERTS BAND WEBSITE

Another great event is happening this weekend as the 2011 Mitsubishi Motors Calgary City Chase goes on Saturday, June 11.  The event starts and finishes at Eau Claire, which is obviously not in the NW, however the chase itself will undoubtedly travel through our quadrant of the city throughout the course of the day.

The City Chase is a unique 4-6 hour urban adventure where 2-person teams will run, walk and use public transit to navigate their way throughout the city, while calling family and friends for help, accessing the Internet, and even employing assistance of total strangers.  Teams must rely on their resourcefulness, determination and quick-thinking as they search for ChasePoints scattered in unknown locations throughout the Calgary. ChasePoints are designed to test teams with a variety of physical, intellectual, adventurous and of course, humorous challenges.

The first team to complete the required ChasePoints and cross the finish line wins the event and earns the right to represent Calgary at the City Chase National Championships in October.

The event is also serves as a massive fund raising campaign supporting Right to Play, an international humanitarian organization that uses sport and play programs to improve health, develop life skills, and foster peace for children and communities in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world.  Last year the series raised over $250,000 and this year the fundraising goal has been set at $300,000.

For all you diehard "garage saler's" out there, mark this Saturday on your calendar and get up early as the Citadel Community Parade of Garage Sales is set to go from 9:00 AM until 3:00 PM.

You may very well need all seven hours to hit all the participating houses as there are over 50 registered individual sales spanning the entire community.  You never know what treasures...and yes, of course trash, you will find which is what makes the whole process enjoyable!

After the garage sale fun is completed, there will be a community spirit event at West Citadel Park on the corner of Citadel Way and Citadel Bluff from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM.  The event features free hot dogs, chips, pop & water, appearances by the Calgary Fire Department and Police Services, a bouncy house and lots of music.

So come out and enjoy the day and the forecast good weather...and if you get here early, I'll giove you first dibs on my custom macramé beer cozies!

For more information and a community map click on the link below to go to the Citadel Community website.

Another Best of NW Calgary Spring opening to announce as Calaway Park is set to kick off their 2011 season on Friday, May 21.  This year will represent a milestone for the park as they enter their 30th year of operation.

I have many fond memories of Calaway Park; from the opening season, to the Gowan concert (yes, I went and it was great), right up to a few seasons ago taking my kids there for the first time and being very impressed with the cleanliness, friendliness and overall operation of the facility.

 Calaway has grown from a small facility in 1981 with just 14 rides and attractions into Western Canada’s largest outdoor family amusement park boasting 34 rides, 23 food locations, 25 skill-testing games and 4 attractions.  This year’s new addition is the scream-producing Mind Blaster ride that will roll, spin and thrill the most adventurous ride enthusiasts.

For all the information about opening weekend, amenities and events as well as day and season pass prices visit the official Calaway Park website by clicking the link below.

Most importantly, have fun and remember; if you’re sitting at the front of the Shoot the Chutes ride - duck at the bottom and soak everyone behind you!

Another great Best of Calgary NW event as Cavalia comes to Canada Olympic Park!

If you haven’t watched the 6 o’clock news, read the paper or driven by C.O.P. in the past few weeks you may be among the small group of people in Calgary who do not know that this groundbreaking production has pitched their tents (literally) and is scheduled to premiere its unique multimedia performance on Wednesday, May 25.

This massive extravaganza features 49 horses representing 10 different breeds, 33 international performers, a 210 foot wide screen providing the backdrop for the projections and special effects  and a 160 foot wide stage all coming together under a 110 foot tall (equivalent to a 10-storey building) white top tent.

 The Calgary run consists of 25 shows running through Sunday, June 19.  For a full show time schedule, ticket prices, ticket purchase and more information about this spectacular production visit the official Cavalia website by clicking the link below.