Calgary 
On August 16 and 17, you can step beyond the city limits and into Alberta’s rural heartland during Open Farm Days.
Credit: Open Farm Days
More than 155 farms, ranches, and agri-tourism sites will open their gates, giving you the chance to meet producers, walk through working farms, and taste food right where it’s grown.
You can wander through apiaries in Rocky View County, visit bison farms near Grande Prairie, sample spirits at a Parkland County distillery, or explore historic grain elevators in Nanton. Many hosts will also offer farm-to-table dinners, where rural chefs prepare meals with ingredients harvested just steps away.
This year’s theme, Water, The Lifeblood of Every Farm, draws attention to Alberta’s vast irrigation network. You’ll see how 1.5 million acres in 11 irrigation districts — plus another 300,000 acres irrigated privately — help produce 28% of the province’s agricultural GDP and supply water to livestock, processors, 50 communities, wildlife areas, and recreation spaces.
According to Agriculture Minister RJ Sigurdson, this is your chance to celebrate “the farmers and entrepreneurs that put safe, high-quality food on our plates.”
Beyond the farm gates, you can also explore over 150 farmers’ markets, meeting the people who grow, bake, and make Alberta’s food.
