Historic Downtown
Live Music in Downtown Medicine Hat
In the historic hub with local eateries, an ultimate live music crawl is found in downtown Medicine Hat.
In the historic hub with local eateries, an ultimate live music crawl is found in downtown Medicine Hat.
A vibrant energy bounces off the colourful hand painted walls when live music fills Casa Amigos Cantina. Local to traveling bands of all genres will take the Cantina stage in the summer, including three from Puerto Vallarta. Drink specials and the dance floor await those who search for live entertainment. Start the evening with the salsa & chips flight, and pair it with the tequila flight. They opened their doors with the goal to be a music hub, and they love how hosting live music invites people downtown to have dinner and stay longer to enjoy the live music.
For bands interested in booking this venue, Casa Amigos Cantina features a portable stage and PA system if needed.
With a patio that seats more than the indoor area, LOCAL Public Eatery throws summer events with live music as the main entertainment. And many people still talk about their events as more summer seasons pass. The LOCAL team says the patio is where the core memories are made in the summer, and live music plays such a big part in that. It elevates the experience of going out. We want people to have a very vivid experience that they remember for many summers to come.
Snug inside a historic site, note: comfort food + drink hosts their Summer Concert Series. Live monthly performances invite guests throughout the year. The traveling, Canadian artists make a stop in Medicine Hat's Historic Downtown to play inside the beautiful brick building. The menu at note: is inspired by local ingredients and homemade comfort food that can be shared. From the Farmers Plate to All Cheese for a Basement, indulge in a few dishes while live music graces the space.
The Yard Patio & Eatery (seasonal)
With an elevated food menu and a hot spot for live music, The Yard Patio & Eatery stays as local as possible with everything they do. Beers and spirits are sourced from Medicine Hat breweries and its distillery. Dishes featured on the menu include ingredients produced near the city. And the outdoor eatery is hosting the Patio Dinner Club once a month until September, where local chefs will prepare a five-course meal under the sunshine.
From live entertainment to open mic nights, this downtown brewery always has something happening in the Taproom. Located inside a historic building in the heart of the city, Travois Ale Works is a micro-brewery serving rotating beer and the classics made by Brewer Brady and a chef-curated menu by Chef Jordan. While joining in on the live entertainment, pair it will a flight, a pint, and a plate full of thoughtfuly prepared food.
| Downtown Medicine Hat is becoming an entertainment district to hop around. And with the new Tipsy Trolley, people can pedal to the next spot.
| If you’re a band interested in performing at one of these venues, owners are available through email or social media.
iIf you're a venue for live music, add your downtown eatery here.
.avif)
Hidden in the hills.
“Cypress Hills is as beautiful as any other place in the world. And the ultra-marathon showcases and introduces people to this hidden oasis we have in our corner.” says Rita Pasiciel.
An ultra-marathon brings racers to the rolling hills, with vast scenery, forested areas, and an array of landscape to view. Hidden Oasis Ultra is a 50-kilometre trek through lodgepole pine and aspen forest throughout Elkwater in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park.
Event organizer Rita Pasiciel has traveled the world and continues to fly to races hosted hundreds of kilometres away. After she moved to Medicine Hat seven years ago, she planned and hosted Hidden Oasis Ultra with a small team of people that launched in 2022.
“Cypress Hills is as beautiful as any other place in the world. And the ultra-marathon showcases and introduces people to this hidden oasis we have in our corner,” says Pasiciel.
Surrounded by flat prairie land, when driving into Elkwater people are suddenly immersed by rolling hills and green forest. It’s a place locals often refer to as “an oasis in the prairies”.
Hidden Oasis is the first ultra race hosted in this small part of the world, where experienced runners from British Columbia to Ontario have run the challenging and nature-filled marathon.
Wooden medals made of local trees and carved locally are given to those who quickly cross the finish line, a more natural, sustainable keepsake sourced from the place that’s home to the experience.
“This race has to be on your list. It’s a fun event, and it happens to be a race at the same time,” says Pasiciel.
Justyna Kolodziej Gavrylov joined Hidden Oasis for the first time in 2023. Impressed by the food stations, amount of washrooms along the 50-kilometre trail, and feeling of being welcomed by organizers, volunteers, and racers, this runner is ready to return.
“You have everything — the open space on Horseshoe Canyon and a nice breeze with sunshine. Then you go into the forested area where it’s shaded. The landscape and scenic change is massively different throughout the whole race,” says Kolodziej Gavrylov, who moved to Medicine Hat in 2021.
She says there’s a wholesome, local energy, with a main focus of coming together, running outdoors, and being in nature. It brings people through all the best spots in Elkwater.
Once the finish line is crossed, food and beverages from Medicine Hat Brewing Company await the racers, during the socializer for them to celebrate their accomplishments throughout the marathon, meet other runners who travel for events just like this, and to carry the day into the evening.
Three Indigenous women sharing inspiration in Medicine Hat and beyond.
Good Sweetgrass Woman, Many Blessings Woman
Brenda Mercer, who’s Dakota Sioux from Standing Buffalo Nation, has been beading for 51 years, since she was eight years old. Her non-Indigenous cousin taught her the daisy stitch, and Mercer was hooked.
The artist always has earrings in her purse, to give to strangers and friends. When giving, she shares a bit about who she is and her story, “I tell them, ‘I made these for you with all my love and good intentions. I’ve had people come up to me a year later saying they wear them with pride and still feel the love.'”
Mercer also hosts Sharing Stories at the Saamis Tepee, where she shares personal stories and Indigenous stories from the past, while she teaches an Indigenous craft to the group. Find more information on page xx
Find Brenda Mercer’s jewelry (White Horse Rider Co.) at the Visitor Information Centre, 330 Gehring Rd. SW.
Métis woman JoLynn Parenteau writes about Indigenous people, places, language, and traditions, in a column with the Medicine Hat News. After two years of writing, Parenteau feels it’s time to encapsulate each article in a book: an anthology to preserve the true stories of historic and modern-day Indigenous life.
“Those connections to culture really are soul-uplifting for all of us, and it’s so important through all heritages,” says Parenteau. “Everyone is so multi-faceted. There’s never one single layer to a person. That’s what I enjoy discovering about people.”
Along with writing, Paranteau has been invited to speak at events across Canada acknowledging Indigenous homelessness, and in 2022 she launched the 90-minute financial budgeting course “Métis Money Moves”. Since then it has grown to a 10-hour, four class instruction.
Whether she is writing, speaking, or teaching, Parenteau has set her sights on helping people, through story-telling from her experience and stories shared by others.
White Bear Woman
Josie Saddleback, who’s Nehiyah Cree, was drawn to a beautiful jingle dress full of reds, turquoises, oranges, and yellows, with pockets that could hold her medicine and crystals. When the dress fit like a glove, she knew jingle dancing found her.
“I feel very grounded and proud of who I am when I dance. Once I hear the downbeat of the drum, the song takes over me. I feel close to my ancestors. I’m carrying their spirits with me, their presence, and I’m keeping their memories and cultural teachings alive, and making them proud.”
The jingle dancer and jewelry artist started Saddleback Stones in 2020, after already beading for two years. She drives the prairie roads in the summer and stays in the city to attend markets and share her handmade rings, earrings, necklaces, and candles. Saddleback also beads the edges of wide-brim hats and along false eyelashes, to have the beads emulate eyeliner.
Follow @SaddlebackStones to find the artist at an upcoming market.
Visit during an annual Medicine Hat festival or event this summer.
Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival
May 21-24, 2026
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.
May 29-31, 2026
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.
June 6, 2026
In Echo Dale Regional Park, racers bike five downhill lines, and then the evening brings live music, bonfires, and bustling campsites. There are 10 designated campsites in the park, but a field is completely available for bikers to set up camp and celebrate mountain biking until the stars come out.
June 6, 2026
Indulge in tacos, margaritas, and pina coladas at Medalta in the Historic Clay District. From 2-10p.m., restaurant owners from Medicine Hat and Southern Alberta will be serving up their style of tacos. Visit the booths and food trucks to find delicious food, dance with the live DJ, and stay after 8p.m. for more dancing, drinks, and a lively evening.
June 4-7, 2026
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.
Alternative Waves Music Festival
June 12-13, 2026
Alternative Waves Music Festival hosts metal, punk, and rock bands on one of Medicine Hat’s most historic streets, across the street from the historic CP Railway Station. The Mainliner Pub has indoor and outdoor stages where up to 200 musicians perform throughout the weekend.
June 17, 2026
Bike Medicine Hat invites people to pump their tires, clip their helmets, and meet at Kin Coulee Park to bike the scenic pathways. The free event is accessible for all types of bicycles, from e-bikes, to road, recumbent, tandem, and mountain. Participants can choose a five, 10, or 20 kilometre trail to bike for the evening, and afterwards food trucks greet friends and family for a bite to eat.
June 16-21, 2026
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 show presents a band inside Medicine Hat's National Historic Site, Medalta in the Historic Clay District. Dancing guests and the live band are backlit with century-old brick.
National Indigenous Peoples Day
June 21, 2026
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.
June 30, 2026
The Connection, in partnership with Medicine Hat Skateboard Associations’s Canada Day, hosts the Glow up the Globe festival that features family crafts and activities, cultural food truck alley, and an evening Glow up the Globe Dance Party, with glow sticks, a live DJ, and dancers. The festival invites many people to lead a cultural dance on stage, from line dancing, to caribbean dancing. And over 8,000 friends and families of all ages attended the lively event.
July 1, 2025
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.
July 1, 2026
Take in cultural performances, Western Canada's largest skateboarding competition Beat the Heat, an artisan market, family activities, and more.
July 4, 2026
A large waterway in a prairie city calls for an event like the Great Big Paddle. The South Saskatchewan River invites the relaxed and friendly float to begin in Echo Dale Regional Park, where giant cliffs and red rock lead the way. After a few hours of stunning scenery, Strathcona Island Park pulls the group in to finish the float. The event is free and open for anyone to join. Rentals are available through Outdoor Xcape Rentals.
July 17-18, 2026
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.
July 3-5, 2026
Showcasing Indigenous culture and Western heritage through Open Rodeo, Indian Relay Racing, Ranch Scramble, Powwow Demonstrations, Buffalo Riding Cowboy, cultural craft workshops, artisan market, live music, and so much more, the inclusive family-focused event provides an experience that inspires people to honour and celebrate Indigenous, Albertan, and Canadian heritage.
Medicine Hat Stampede & Exhibition
July 22-25, 2026
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.
August 22, 2026
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.
August 2026
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.
Miywasin Days: Celebrating Indigenous Culture
September 19-20, 2026
The Miywasin Demonstration Powwow is a vibrant and inclusive celebration, where Elders, youth, and community members come together to share and preserve cultural traditions. It is a gathering that highlights the strength, resilience, and beauty of Indigenous identity, while welcoming all people to learn, witness, and participate in the spirit of reconciliation.
Take in Canada’s Largest Amateur Skateboard Competition at Beat the Heat.
Since 2007, the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association (MHSA) hosts Beat the Heat 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. The MHSA society creates thrilling and unexpected categories and stunts, like lining up kegs to see who can jump over the most, or having skaters race down a steep road that’s alongside a coulee.
“We’ve heard it’s the skateboarder's favourite competition to go to every year, because there are tons of people cheering for them. The atmosphere is unreal,” says Davie James, who’s been a part of MHSA since he was 13, and currently sits on the society for the non-profit.
MHSA has a partnership with Tampa Am, the largest amateur skateboard event in the world, and the grand prize for first place at Beat the Heat is entry into the exclusive event, with flights and accommodations paid for.
“We get some of the best skateboarders in the country coming to Medicine Hat on July 1 to do what they love to do. To see our team from Medicine Hat making an impact on the national skateboard stage is huge,” says Terence Kowalchuk, who joined alongside the MHSA leadership in 2005.
Tampa Am requires a sponsorship to attend. Winning Beat the Heat’s grand prize brings the opportunity for a skateboarder to enter into a new level of their skateboarding career.
Being hosted on Canada Day every year, Beat the Heat was hosted parallel with celebrations in Kin Coulee Park. And this year, the MHSA will host Kin Coulee Canada Day Festival with Beat the Heat.
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.
“The whole festival is truly to give back to our community. The last couple of years we’ve done a family festival with Beat the Heat, and we’ve been encouraged to see that grow and expand. This year’s festival will be bigger and better, and an exciting event for our community,” says Kowalchuk.
Along with Beat the Heat, members of MHSA host many community-focused fundraising events, whether it's organizing litter pick ups, hosting bottle drives for charity, or planning a trip to Mexico to build homes. Their very first fundraising event as an association was to raise money for the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre.
“Seeing young people step up and doing more than they ever thought possible is so encouraging,” says Kowalchuk. “It’s that reality that when you give young people an opportunity to make a difference, and if you create an environment of trust, respect, and a place to dream and try things, people step up and do things that none of us could accomplish on our own.”
“One commonality is this piece of wood with wheels. But we’re also this group of skateboarders that do really great things. We’re a part of the original movement, which is the Medicine Hat Skateboard Association,” says James.
Kowalchuk says for a lot of the skateboarders who attend Beat the Heat year after year, some for over 10 years, they say it’s like a family reunion coming to Medicine Hat. A lot of the skateboarders who move from Medicine Hat or travel across the country say there's nowhere else that has a skateboard culture or community like in Medicine Hat.
Photography by @lens_of_ blizz
Watch the Beat the Heat reel here.
Stay updated with the Beat the Heat and Kin Coulee Canada Day Festival.
Medicine Hat is full of events that introduce new ways to dine.
Chef Rebecca Ross invites guests to dine inside her century-old home and experience a menu of culinary creations. The dishes change each event, so guests will try recipes exclusive to the night they’re dining.
Once a month, Chef Jordan Abbot serves a themed, three-course dinner inside Travois Ale Works. The dishes are paired with beer from the brewery room, with Brewer Brady hosting the evening.
Tour Grit City’s distillery with owner and master distiller Jen, then sip a cocktail flight and fill up on a personal pizza. Next stop is under the stars at Eagle Butte Observatory with Rod DeVries, to connect to the dark sky wonders that are above and the visible constellations in the sky.
Inside the Charles V. Drazen room at Medicine Hat Brewing Company. Guests are guided through a themed 5-course dinner, with beer pairings for each serving.
A five-course dinner prepared by local chefs and served inside the historic beehive kiln at Medalta in the Historic Clay District. The beehive kilns were used to fire clay for seven to eight days, and then cooled for one to two days.
From May to September, The Yard Patio & Eatery will host a dinner club for 30 people, prepared by a new local chef each evening. The menu will showcase the chef's specialties and skill. Each dinner is paired with live entertainment, exceptional wine, and a locally-sourced cocktail.
Dine a delicious curated menu inside the patio pods at The Whiskey District in the winter. Located on the third floor of the Badlands Building, overlooking the World’s Tallest Tepee, Saamis Tepee, this elevated experience serves a breathtaking winter dinner.
With Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park only a 45 minute drive from Medicine Hat, people can find cross-country skiing trails near the city in a forested area.
“It’s forest bathing. The trails are all different, and once you find your flow and a good rhythm, it becomes methodical." - Gregg Campbell.
And now there’s a club to introduce people to the sport.
Cypress Nordic Ski Club members Gregg Campbell, Linda Johnston, and Sandra Brown are a part of a group of people who are eager to familiarize people with this exciting activity during the winter season, in Medicine Hat and surrounding areas.
The trails in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park are completely immersed in nature, with snowy lodgepole pine and aspen trees surrounding the skiers, and the rolling hills bring a nice challenge.
“It’s forest bathing. The trails are all different, and once you find your flow and a good rhythm, it becomes methodical,” says Campbell, who’s been cross-country skiing since he joined the cross-country ski team in high school.
The Cypress Nordic Ski Club offers lessons to people of any age, as young as their bunny rabbits and jackrabbits program. Johnston has been a recreational cross-country skier for 53 years and was actively involved in her first bunny rabbits and jackrabbits program 35 years ago.
Johnston teaches the bunny rabbits program with the Cypress Nordic Ski Club, while two other ski club members, Kwan Lee and Marvin Genno, teach the jackrabbits.
“Listening to the kids having fun is just delightful,” says Johnston. “It’s a very affordable and fun way to help develop coordination, balance, and agility, and it helps set them up for success for the next level.”
Her lessons with the bunny rabbits teach foundational skill, while also having time to play familiar backyard games on their skis, like ‘what time is it mr.wolf’ and ‘red light green light’.
And cross-country skiing is an activity that can be taught at any age. Brown’s husband is a cross-country skier, and 15 years ago she decided to try the sport. She instantly fell in love.
“It’s a great way to spend time outdoors in the winter and enjoy the fresh air. It’s nice to see how cross-country skiing has grown in popularity,” says Brown.
The Cypress Nordic Ski Club has operated for just over a year in 2024, and the interest has been positive. There are close to 70 members who participate in lessons and go cross-country skiing as a group.
“If cross-country skiing hasn’t crossed your mind, it really is a welcoming community that is wanting for people to have positive experiences, love winter, and love the snow,” says Johnston.
Learn more about Cypress Nordic Ski Club online at cypressnordic.ca and stay updated on Facebook at Cypress Nordic Ski Club.
In January 2024, Grit City Distillery was featured in the Globe and Mail article, 'Lay of the land: Alberta’s unique distillery scene'
"Three hours down the TransCanada, Jen Shmunk has named her distillery in honour of the city where it’s from.
“The name Grit City is a play on Medicine Hat’s current [nickname], ‘Gas City.’ We are a hard-working city with a lot of grit,” Schmunk explains. “With a little ‘grit’ anything is possible. Dreams can come true with hard work and perseverance.”
She would know: After taking up distilling as a hobby, Schmunk translated her passion into Grit City Distillery, founded in 2018.
“It was that first drop of rum off the still that did it for me,” she says. “Love at first drop, might I say.”
Grit City Distillery is known for its creative, slightly irreverent sips: Its best-seller, according to Schmunk, is the Ultimate Caesar vodka (just add Clamato!), which pairs perfectly with the distillery tasting room’s famous Ultimate Pickle Pizza. Or there’s one of Schmunk’s proudest accomplishments as a distiller: the distillery’s Toasted Coconut Gin, inspired by a friend who loves the tropical fruit."
Read Lay of the land: Alberta’s unique distillery scene Here
.avif)
