Find annual festivals and events in Medicine Hat this summer.
Winter Festival
January 20-26, 2025
Hosted every year at Medalta in the Historic Clay District in late January, Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival hosts local and Canadian musicians inside the monumental National Historic Site. The Beehive Kilns are a venue during Tongue on the Post, which were once used to fire clay in the early 1900s.
Summer Festivals
Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival
Over a dozen eye-catching hot air balloons lift off from a new location at each scheduled time at this third annual family event. Both Friday and Saturday evenings feature a flight and balloon glow — where half of the hot air balloons are inflated, illuminated, and tethered to the ground so people can see them up close after sunset, while the other half lift off before sunset. All day Saturday will be a free community day in Medicine Hat’s Historic Downtown, which will include a market, food trucks, and family-focused activities.
A family-friendly event hosted in Kin Coulee Park. Spectrum Sunshine Festival features local artists, musicians, cultural performances, and food trucks for a weekend. Along with this, there will be games, wrestling events, jump castles and more for young families.
An Indigenous gathering where people will learn to play a musical instrument, make a capote, dance a jig, weave a sash, and become immersed in Métis culture — all while surrounded by the rolling hills in beautiful Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Registration is required to attend.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
Every year, a Powwow demonstration is hosted and Teepees are set up at Kin Park in Medicine Hat. Indigenous dancers who live in and visit Medicine Hat demonstrate dances from Jingle Dress Dance, to Ladies Traditional Dance, the Chicken Dance, and more, ending the gathering with a Round Dance that includes everyone. You can also find Indigenous artisans, face painting, and food trucks.
Exquisite symphonies are performed at The Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre, on-stage in the beautiful, acoustic theatre, on the rooftop terrace, and in the dimmed lobby. There are also outdoor performances hosted on the lush, front lawn, next door to Alberta’s oldest brick residence, Ewart-Duggan House. An exclusive evening presents a Latin band inside the Medicine Hat Regional Airport Hangar. Dancing guests and the live band are backlit with a sunset and airplanes. A sight to see and experience first-hand.
Every year on July 1, generations of skateboarders from across Canada gather at the Inland Skateboard Park and Kinsmen Skate Plaza to compete at the Canada Skateboard sanctioned event. From the early morning hours to the late evening minutes, skateboarders showcase their skills, tricks, and speed. Surrounding the Inland Skate Park and Kinsmen Skate Plaza will be live performances that celebrate the many cultures in Medicine Hat, food trucks, beer gardens, bouncy castles, a local market, and a huge product toss in between categories. To accommodate audience members, shaded bleachers are built for a clear, up-close view of the competitors.
George Canyon, Brett Kissel, and other musicians are set to take stage at Quonset Days. Friends and families are invited to enjoy live music, food trucks, beer gardens, and classic Quonset Days food, like the “Quonset Dog” in a very Southeast Alberta prairie setting. Quonset Days is located just outside of Medicine Hat, and all profits are donated towards ALS Society of Alberta.
Medicine Hat Stampede & Exhibition
A family-friendly, four-day event that originated in 1887. It’s a celebration of western culture and heritage with exciting rodeos, a pop-up amusement park, and a range of ticket-entry and free entertainment. Thousands of people enjoy their summer days and are entertained for as long as their hearts desire. View the night shows
Mountain bike thrilling trails in Elkwater, Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park during Battle Creek Showdown. Filled with locals in the early years, the mountain bike festival quickly grew with racers from across Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan. There’s live music and food trucks in the evening. And for those who camp, the Visitor Centre, Elkwater Lake, and playgrounds are all nearby to continue on the action.
Porchfest is a free-to-attend festival and invites local artists and musicians to perform live music on the Southeast Hill, a historic neighbourhood with beautiful boulevards and front porches. Every year, a wandering crowd strolls from house to house and watches local performers underneath the sunshine. People of all ages bring their dogs, put on their sunscreen and sun hats, and set up their foldable chairs to sit outside and listen to live music. Enjoy the festival on foot or on bike.
