Historic Downtown
Decorating Downtown Walls with Jeff Goring
A local art festival, Medicine Hat Mural Fest.
A local art festival, Medicine Hat Mural Fest.
“It’s cool to see these walls, that otherwise would have never been noticed before, carry a whole new life and meaning.” - Jeff Goring
Medicine Hat Mural Fest started in 2018 when Jeff Goring saw more possibilities for the vandalized brick walls in the city, so he invited artists from across Canada to bring colour and new stories through mural paintings.
The murals now found on every street in Medicine Hat’s Historic Downtown come from local and national artists who’ve painted in France, Mumbai, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, and many other cities and countries around the world.
For the community, this mural festival has become something bigger than paintings on a wall. Local artists have the opportunity to paint beside, learn from, and collaborate with the out-of-town artists who share the same passion and artistic calling, through murals that give visitors and community members hope, inspiration, and a lovely piece of art to admire.
“In life, if you’re interested in large scale paintings, you don’t always have the opportunity to be given a large wall to paint on. To me, this is about showing local artists that they can really do this. Art is an outlet for a lot of people, and it’s a needed outlet,” says Goring. “We always try to add meaningful murals to the downtown. You can change the look and change the atmosphere just by putting up some quality and positive art.”
Explore the Downtown Mural Tour
Because Medicine Hat Mural Fest has grown over the years, Goring now meets with eight other mural festival coordinators every two months to celebrate, collaborate, and communicate about what mural fest look like across the country and how the artistic events are continuing to emerge year after year.
“I love it, because we just want artists to know they can do this — we'll give you all the materials. We'll pay you to do it. We'll cover all your food. Just take your time and create,” says Goring.
Not only does the Medicine Hat Mural Fest supply artists with materials and a canvas, the festival also collected donations during the 2021 holidays and put art packages together for children to have.
Goring is a graffiti artist himself that grew up in the Toronto area, and art has always played a huge role in his life. With graffiti usually having the word ‘illegal’ attached to it, he wanted to start Medicine Hat Mural Fest to allow artists to legally paint murals on buildings, including his son Niko who now has his signature ‘dinos’ painted around the downtown core.
“It’s really great to see where all of these murals pop up. I’ve seen them in photos and commercials, and it means a lot that people are taking the time to go downtown to check them out,” says Goring, who is also known as Sonz1. “It’s cool to see these walls, that otherwise would have never been noticed before, carry a whole new life and meaning.”
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An outdoor music festival in Medicine Hat's historic neighbourhood.
An outdoor event hosted in one of Medicine Hat’s most historic neighbourhoods, PorchFest invites local musicians to perform on front lawns and porches throughout the Southeast Hill.
The quaint neighbourhood is full of century-old homes and beautiful boulevards, where people can walk, bike, e-scoot, or skateboard from home to home to bask in the fresh air and watch the wholesome, live performances.
“PorchFest is designed in its nature to be as accessible, open, and inclusive as possible. It’s a great way for everyone to experience live music outdoors in a way that hasn’t yet been introduced to Medicine Hat. It’s amazing to see the Hill lit up with families, friends, and couples, year after year, smiling and being happy.” - Rob Pape, organizer of PorchFest with his wife, Shannon.
In August 2025, visitors and residents can house-hop from performance to performance throughout the day, with lawn chairs, snacks, water, and their furry friends. The event is donation-based.
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Artists travel from all over the world to perform at Medicine Hat’s almost 30-year-old Jazz festival.
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.
“This festival is entirely about bringing joy and good experiences to people. The energy the festival creates is transformative. You see life in a different way — you appreciate your City, your neighbours, and friends. We’ve really coined the phrase ‘You don’t have to be a jazz fan to be a fan of JazzFest’.” - Lyle Rebbeck, executive artistic director, JazzFest.
The Medicine Hat Jazz Society, then in its seventh year, hosted the first Medicine Hat JazzFest in 1997. 2025’s festival will swing to Medicine Hat from June 17-22, 2025.
medicinehatjazzfest.ca
Join Miywasin Story Tour on September.
Visit areas in Medicine Hat with rich Indigenous history, led by Elders and members of the Miywasin Friendship Centre, with historic photos and stories from people with connections to the areas. Start at the World’s Tallest Saamis Tepee, where directly behind is a birds-eye view of the Saamis Archaeological Site. Explore Saratoga Park, where a Métis community lived until 2012. The final stop is at the Miywasin Friendship Centre for a traditional craft to take home.
Keep your family smiling and experiencing with this list of activities.
Bask underneath the sun and enjoy a game of chess on the World’s Largest Chess Set. Contact mhchess.com to book your game. Bill Taylor is the visionary of the popular space, which has been in Medicine Hat since August 2005.
He also worked with expert woodworker Adam Szulski for several years to design a 21-foot-tall, over 4,000 pound, GIANT King Piece and installed it beside the Chess Set on Nov. 4, 2021.
John’s Butterfly House is located inside Windmill Garden Centre. This tropical paradise has hundreds of butterflies. Relax on the deck and read about the life cycle and habits of the beautiful insects. Stroll the walkway to observe the red-eared turtles and swimming Koi.
Leinweber Park is conveniently located beside Gilwell Park, turning the nine-basket disc golf course into an 18-basket course. Lay down a blanket, pack a picnic, bring some more activities, and enjoy the game with a view. Disc Golf baskets are also found in Kiwanis Central Park, Kin Coulee Park, and Medicine Hat College Campus.
This waterpark is full of fun features, like a giant bucket that fills with water and pours over those who stand underneath it. There is a large green space to lay a blanket and bask in the sunshine and have a picnic. This park is located in a family-orientated neighbourhood near the south side of the City close to hotels, restaurants, and shopping.
An 18-hole miniature golf course that’s fun for families of all ages. There’s a clubhouse that offers snacks and a meeting room for birthday parties and special events.
A large, inflatable water park to run on, climb, and bounce off of into the swimming lake at Golden Sheaf Park. Located only 20 minutes outside Medicine Hat, make the stay an overnight experience and book a campsite.
In a 12,000 sq.ft space, families can axe throw, play virtual reality, and swing a round of golf with the simulator, and more in Medicine Hat’s Historic Downtown. Grab a bite to eat at a neighbouring restaurant, then head to Six One Six Entertainment for hours of fun.
Load up your e-token card, and let the playing begin. A large variety of new and retro games, from racing to sports, and claw machines to virtual mazes. Once you’re all played out, collect your prizes to take home.
A winter tradition for many Hatters.
When it was announced Hidden Valley wouldn’t open in late 2021, the Medicine Hat community collectively voiced their concerns on social media, reaching out to leaders, starting and signing petitions and using hashtags to show why it was important that the ski hill stay open.
The park was more to the community than just hills with snow. It was an oasis they looked forward to every winter, where they’d pile on snow gear, pack up the vehicle and drive 45 minutes to a winter wonderland. They’d race down the slopes and feel the rush of the wind and their adrenaline for several minutes, with friends and family members, and when they’d reach the bottom they’d do it all over again.
The Elkwater Ski Club sent letters to MLAs and the Minister of Environment and Parks lobbying to keep the region-wide favoured ski hill open. They created the hashtag #littlehillontheprairie and encouraged locals to share photos using the hashtag. As a result, many families posted their smiling faces on the chairlift, at the top of the hill and carving down the slopes.
“Hidden Valley, as a part of Cypress Hills, hosts a unique ecosystem that is stunning year round. In the winter, visitors are often treated to a winter wonderland with bluebird skies and snow covered pines, even when there is no snow in Medicine Hat," says Morgan Blair, member of Elkwater Ski Club. "You can watch for moose, deer, eagles, hawks and owls that live in the hills, and on the way home, see if you can spot the snowy owl that hunts from the tops of telephone poles along Highway 41 at sunset."
She says it’s prime for the Medicine Hat community to be situated in the prairies with a nearby ski hill that’s less than an hour drive away. One minute, they’re surrounded by breathtaking coulees and relaxed flatland, and the next they are encircled by tall pine trees and invigorating hills in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
Only a 45 minute drive from Canada’s Sunniest City, Hidden Valley Ski Resort encompasses eight hills that range from beginner to advanced skill levels and is now open for the 2022 season.
To say the residents of Medicine Hat were happy when Hidden Valley Ski Resort announced its opening is an understatement, considering the social media responses have been full of excitement and optimism. 2022 will be the start to another thrilling season at Hidden Valley Ski Resort, and another thrilling year for those who plan to spend the majority of the first four months of the year riding the chair lift up and flying down as snow trails behind them.
Find more information about Hidden Valley Ski Resort.
Find the list of places to stay while skiing and snowboarding the slopes at Hidden Valley Ski Resort.
Stay tuned for dates in January 2026.
Live performances inside a Canadian National Historic Site, including a beehive kiln that once fired pottery in the early 1900s.
Tongue on the Post has been a folk festival in Medicine Hat for almost two decades — and the Historic Clay District once produced 1/3 of all clay in Canada in the early 1900s.
A combination of story-telling through history and raw, modern music during a Canadian winter in January.
“Medalta has been a natural home for Tongue on the Post. Both Medalta and the festival are rooted in Medicine Hat, and we’re happy to showcase this crown jewel in the City.” - Rob Pape, executive director of Tongue on the Post Folk Music Festival.
Looking for a winter job? Hidden Valley Ski Resort is hiring!
Hidden Valley Ski Resort is nestled in the Cypress Hills Provincial Park near Elkwater in an alpine environment with stunning vistas overlooking the prairies and just 65 kilometers South West of Medicine Hat. Operated by Alberta Parks, the resort opens in December and remains in operation until March.
Thousands take to the resort every year to ski and snowboard — with all experience levels accommodated. Nearby Elkwater also has many activities to enjoy, from Snow Shoeing, Cross Country Skiing, Ice Skating Trails, Ice fishing, Backyard Luge Track and selected rental equipment are available.
As snow season approaches, check out these job postings:
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