There is something happening in Okotoks all year long. With a wide variety of special, community, and family-oriented events Okotoks is a great place to live, play and visit.
Visit the Community Event Calendar to find out when these annual events are happening as well as community-organized events!
Each year the Town hosts an afternoon New Year's Eve party for families at the Okotoks Recreation Centre. Activities usually include free swims and skating, gym activities and other entertainment for kids. Families can also enjoy the fireworks that happen each year!
February 24th.
Join us as the town hosts a skating party on the outdoor rink at Lions Park to celebrate winter. Families can bring their skates and enjoy outdoor skating, music and hot chocolate.
May 11th.
Each May the Town of Okotoks and hundreds of volunteers come together to clean up the Sheep River Valley and all community areas and parks around town, as well as take part in the Community Tree Planting. The Community Clean Up is the largest community clean up event of the year and the tree planting is organized to celebrate Arbor Day.
June 2-8
Each June in celebration of Canadian Environment Week and World Environment Day, the Town's Conservation Educators will be out and about in the community offering free events and activities to celebrate our environment and to help you discover new ways to reduce your ecological footprint.
The Parade and Children's Festival has grown into one of the largest annual events in Okotoks. Bring the whole family out for a full day of entertainment and activities at the Town of Okotoks Annual Parade Day, held each year in June. Bands, floats, dancers, horses and fire trucks are all part of the proceedings that wind throughout downtown. The Children Festival is always a hit with families and includes live entertainment and activities.
Learn about the event, the parade route, and discover how to enter a float in the parade.
June 22nd.
Musicians, actors, magicians, jugglers, street performers, dancers, b-boys, singers & entertainers of all ages and acts are spread throughout the streets of downtown Okotoks for this fun street festival. It’s all free - if you like what you hear, show your appreciation for the performances with a loonie, toonie, fiver, or whatever you can afford! Plus, shop at the local downtown stores, as well as at the artisan street market, which will feature vendors spread throughout downtown.
July 20
Be a part of this fun culinary event in July - experience all the delicious food and drink Okotoks has to offer and enjoy tasty treats while listening to live music throughout downtown and at the Okotoks Art Gallery! We close the streets of downtown for this pedestrian-friendly event, which boasts live music, great food, a variety of artists, family fun with crafts and entertainment, boutique shops and an artisan street market.
Aug 24
Each year in late August, family-themed activities take over downtown Okotoks, including the central event - a chili cook off. Come down to taste the chili creations or register a team and compete! Spice up your weekend with chili sampling, children's activities, live music, and an outdoor artisan street market!
September 1 to 30
Each year the Town of Okotoks hosts a number of free cultural activities in September as part of Alberta Culture Days celebrations.
Nov 22 *New Date
Light Up Okotoks is the celebration kick-off to the Christmas season throughout downtown.
The event includes lighting of the community Christmas tree, live entertainment, wagon rides, a sugar shack, ice sculpture demos, cookie decorating, craft sales, late night shopping, fireworks & much more! And don't miss Santa's arrival or having your picture taken with Santa Claus as he hears your Christmas wishes.
Light Up Okotoks is organized annually by the Town of Okotoks. For more information, contact the Community Events Specialist at 403-938-8950.
We are always looking for ways to support local businesses and groups in engaging with festival-goers! If you have an idea for a game, activity or contest that will amp up the fun meter, please reach out to us! We’re happy to support new and exciting ways to make connections during events
We are pleased to announce we are opening up a new way to be a part of the action! New for 2024 is the “Activation Opportunity”; a way for businesses (outside the event zone), sports groups, and not-for-profit organizations to participate in Community Events. Promote your business or group and get your brand in front of thousands of festival attendees by being a part of the action. What better way to engage with a crowd then to draw them in with an activity!
Space is limited for activations and food trucks so registration will happen on a first-come first-serve basis.