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Summer is officially upon us in Alberta. And if you don’t have plans for the July 1st Canada Day Long Weekend, you still have time to plan an epic weekend. The warmer weather certainly expands our choices for things to do around Alberta. And you can experience these with a hotel, resort, camping, glamping, or motel stay!
Ponoka Stampede
Centre your plans around celebrating Canada Day, getting away from the noise, or your favourite summer activities in Alberta.
July Long Weekend Festivals in Alberta
You can head to almost any city, town, or hamlet in Alberta to find single-day Canada Day celebrations in addition there are various festivals taking place during the weekend too.
- The Ponoka Stampede takes place June 26-July 2 with a full schedule of rodeo events. Other features include a midway, live entertainment, a parade, and fireworks. The town of Panoka has a host of hotels with even more in the nearby Lacombe.
- Experience The Magnificent River Rats Festival this long weekend (June 30-July 1) with your entire family. The all-ages festival will feature music, food trucks, a market, art show, a car show, kids’ fun, and a parade. Events take place in Athabasca’s Riverfront Park.
Celebrate Canadian and Alberta History
The long weekend gives you enough time to visit more than one historic site or museum in Alberta. And a few of those locations have some special plans for celebrating Canada Day.
- Historic Dunvegan and the Provincial Park are celebrating the day with kids’ crafts, cake, and more activities. Plus, you can explore a scenic part of the Peace River, the restored buildings, and find accommodations in the town of Peace River. The Peace Region has dozens of small museums to visit, too!
- The Alberta Railway Museum is on the far north side of Edmonton and will have activities planned for the whole weekend. The museum will offer train rides, Canada Birthday Cake, and extra kids’ activities.
- The historical and Canada Day activities in Lacombe this summer take place around the Lacombe museum, and will be spread across town. Join them for a walking tour, or a blacksmithing workshop.
First-come First-served Camping
The provincial parks and recreation area campgrounds are fully booked for July Long weekend. However, there is still a way to find a great campsite for Canada Day: first-come first-served provincial camping. These sites require registration and payment at the campground once you find a campsite.
- Bow Valley Provincial Park near Canmore is one of the largest FCFS campgrounds in Alberta with over 100 sites at the Willowrock Campground.
- Musreau Lake Provincial Recreation Area (between Grande Cache and Grande Prairie on Highway AB-40) is a nice wilderness camping spot with a dense forest surrounding the big and little Musreau Lakes. The lake has a beach, while hiking trails lead through the forest and around the lakeshores.
- The Ghost Reservoir Provincial Recreation Area is a great destination for boaters with the expansive lake, boat launches, and great camping scenery.
Book a Private Glamping Site
5 Incredible Geodesic Domes to Go Glamping in Alberta
- The Refuge Bay Luxury Camping company still have availability for July Long Weekend for their Tiny Luxury Home. Refuge Bay is on a small lake north of Edmonton and comes with luxury amenities like sauna and wood-fired hot tub access.
- GlampGood operate a geodome luxury campsite southeast of Edmonton, near Pigeon Lake. Currently, they have July Long availability for their geodomes, and the Floating Treehouse Cocoon.
- Glamping Resorts Ltd. now have a location in Castle Provincial Park in southwest Alberta. Their Canada Day weekend availability includes a Family Dome, a waterfront cabin, a bunkhouse, or a canvas wall tent (with AC!).
Celebrate Canada Day in the Cities
Each of Alberta’s major cities are sure to put on big parties for their Canada Day celebrations. And when you take your getaway to these locations, it can be simple to find accommodations within your budget, or even friends and family to stay with.
- Edmonton is celebrating Canada Day in the new Fan Park and ICE District Plaza, in south Edmonton’s Millwoods Park, and with the fireworks finale over the North Saskatchewan River at 11pm (separate fireworks display also at Millwoods Park).
- The big city party for Canada Day in Calgary will take place downtown at Olympic Plaza, at Fort Calgary, and St. Patrick’s Island. These three locations are all within a 15-minute walk of each other. A fireworks show will be launched from Stampede Park at 11pm.
- Red Deer’s Canada Day party will be set up at the Bower Ponds riverside park. Before the 11pm fireworks, enjoy the outdoor party with food, live music, and the pond activities.
Rocky Mountain Road Trip
The Rockies span a huge part of Alberta’s western border. And your vacation/road trip will look different depending on what park or area to which you travel.
- The northern section of Alberta’s Rockies, near Grande Cache, is a more remote part of the mountains. There are no National Parks, but a handful of small and beautiful Provincial Park areas. This is the southern section of the “Scenic Route to Alaska.” The area is great for equestrian riding, hiking, mountain biking, and fishing. Some of the parks include Pierre Grey’s Lakes, Sulphur Gates, Big Mountain Creek, or Musreau Lake.
- Jasper National Park takes up the northern part of Alberta’s bigger Rockies and is directly west of Edmonton. The park offers several places to explore by bike, hike, or boat. And you can see it all from above on the Jasper Skytram.
- Banff National Park, directly west of Calgary, has many ways to sightsee: the parkways, hikes, chairlifts and gondolas, guided tours, and boat rides. Find accommodations nearby in Canmore or Calgary for more availability on the long weekend.
- Waterton National Park is in Alberta’s southwest corner and offers some different scenery from that of Jasper or Banff. Waterton is a display of the prairies meeting the mountains and foothills and is marked by the massive Upper and Lower lakes. The area has touring, boat rides, fishing, hiking, and dining.
Find a Unique Cabin or Vacation Rental
Hop on VRBO or Air Bnb before your trip; these companies have a huge variety of places to stay for couples, large groups, families, and solo travellers.
- The Good Knights Medieval Encampment have open availability for their Genghis Khan tent. The encampment is a themed glamping company with medieval canvas luxury tents, and a hobbit home!
- Looking for that Rocky Mountain getaway? This condo in Banff is straightforward until you get out onto the balcony hot tub. From here, you can relax among views of mountains, forests, and the valley.
- If you need to accommodate a large group for the long weekend, look no further than this rustic and authentic log cabin ranch near Sundre. The home comes with several amenities and activities, including a hot tub.
You may like:
- 20 Places to Go Comfort Camping & Glamping in Alberta
- 25 Places to Go Camping In & Around Edmonton
- 25 Places to Go Camping in and Around Calgary
Book some Resort Time
If you do plan on a Rocky Mountain Road trip, a sightseeing trip, or a trip for pure relaxation, then these Rocky Mountain resorts can provide all you need. These resorts offer onsite dining and activities like pools or spas and are among the coolest sights of Alberta.
- Banff’s Tunnel Mountain Resort offers regular rooms, cabins, or lofts, and is a perfect resort for family fun. They have an indoor pool, spa, and gym, bike rentals, and complimentary Roam bus passes.
- The Chateau Jasper is in a quieter part of the town, and off to the side from the main streets of Jasper. Enjoy the indoor pool under the atrium, dine with lake and mountain views, and explore the natural areas around Jasper.
- The Waterton Lakes Lodge Resort is in a scenic spot near the lake’s shores while still close to all town amenities. In the hotel, you can enjoy mountainside views for your meals, the indoor pool and hot tub, or a drink out on the patio.
Explore Small Towns & Cities of Alberta
Pick any small town in Alberta and set out explore all parts of it! Explore the local food and drink, the art, the galleries, and museums, and find out what makes each town unique. These towns will have their own hotels and motels for accommodations, nearby vacation rentals, and nearby camping.
- Explore Alberta’s newest town: Diamond Valley! The town is an amalgamation of the former Turner Valley, and the former Black Diamond. The two areas are connected with a beautiful multi-use trail through the trees. Within town is great local shopping, a big local brewing/distilling scene, and the Turner Valley Gas Plant (a Provincial Historic Site). Outside of Diamond Valley are great opportunities for foothill hikes. Diamond Valley Canada Day Celebration
- Medicine Hat has some cool and unique history of Alberta to explore. Begin your explorations with the Medelta Historic Clay District, and continue with a tour of the city’s murals. Find even more art at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre. The city is also home to a few local breweries, a distillery, and the South Saskatchewan River.
- Spend a weekend exploring the areas between Sylvan Lake and Rocky Mountain House for a variety of experiences and things to see. The scenery changes quite a bit between the two towns, both of which offer beach fun. You can spend one day on the beaches of Sylvan Lake for the lake town vibes, nearby restaurants, and boat rentals. And near Rocky Mountain House is Crimson Lake Provincial Park. There is no camping available here, but the day use area includes a beach and boat launch.
- Lac La Biche is on the southeast shore of the large lake, and between two provincial parks. North of Lac La Biche is Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, and the Beaver Lake PRA to the south. These both have boat launches and picturesque day use areas. But stay in town for Canada Day for live music, kids activities, live dance performances, guided town tours, and the food!
Spend your Weekend in the Badlands
The Alberta Badlands takes up a large part of Eastern Alberta and extend well beyond Drumheller. And when you’re in Drumheller or the surrounding areas, there are a number of ways to explore and sightsee, and several attractions- both indoor and outdoor.
- Paddling the Red Deer River is one of the coolest ways to see the Badlands and will give you a unique perspective. This is something that can be combined with a stay in Red Deer or Drumheller. You can also find places for a lazy float near Drumheller.
- Hiking through the Alberta Badlands over the summer is best for early morning or late evening. It gets incredibly hot out here during the summer, so you can use this as a perfect excuse for sunset and sunrise hikes around the area. One of the smaller but more rewarding hikes is at the Hoodoos site.
- Explore Dinosaur Provincial Park on the far east side of Alberta’s Badlands. You’ll need to turn it into a day trip from where you’re staying as there is no camping available here, and it is in a more remote location. But it is worth the drive! And the hiking/exploration is simple enough for small kids. You can sign up for guided walking or shuttle tours around the park too.
