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Welcome to one of the sunniest spots in Canada! Medicine Hat in southeastern Alberta takes all that sunshine and makes full use of it in the summer months with festivals, events, day trips, and more.
Here are some of the top ways to spend your summer in sunny Medicine Hat.
Summer Events & Festivals around Medicine Hat
Medicine Hat Stampede
1. Medicine Hat JazzFest
Kick off your 2022 summer with Medicine Hat’s JazzFest which takes place over a week in June. Artists include Laila Biali, Amanda Tosoff feat. Emilie-Claire Barlow, Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti, Esteban Herrera Quintet, Jocelyn Gould, Sanah Kadoura and many more! Details
When: June 20-26, 2022
Where: Esplanade
How much: $160.50
2. Quonset Days
Join Quosnet Days for live music, entertainment, fun, and ALS Fundraising! Since 2010, the concert has raised over $450,000 for the ALS Society of Alberta. The acts scheduled for the weekend include rock, country, folk, as well as live auctions. Details
When: July 21-24
Where: private acreage south of Highway AB-3 on Range Road 81
How much: $51.95-$1014.95
3. Medicine Hat Stampede
Southern Alberta may be famous for one Stampede, but Medicine Hat’s annual Stampede and Rodeo makes for a weekend getaway suitable for your whole family. The weekend hosts live music, a parade, a midway, sporting events, food vendors, visual art displays, and motocross events. Details
When: Jul 27 – 31 2022
Where: Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede – 2055 21 Ave SE, Medicine Hat
How much: $10-$219
4. Heritage Gather Festival
The three-day-long Heritage Gather Festival in Dunmore offers a variety of entertainment over of the weekend. You can catch live rodeo events, live musical and cabaret shows, contests, kid’s activities, and junior rodeo events. Details
When: August 5-7, 2022
Where: Dunmore Equestrian Centre – 192 Charles Street, Dunmore
5. Medicine Hat Ribfest
Who makes the best barbecue and the best ribs? You get to help decide with the Western Alberta Medicine Hat Ribfest stop! For three days, you can taste test different variations of ribs, pulled pork, chicken, and more. Details
When: August 26-28
Where: TBA
6. Battle Creek Showdown: Mountain Bike Races & Festival
The Battle Creek Showdown, in the town of Elkwater, is an epic mountain bike race paired with a weekend festival of live music and food. Registration is now open for the different races, and you can book camping all around Elkwater/Cypress Hills Provincial Park. Details
When: August 27, 2022
Where: Elkwater, Cypress Hills PP
How much: festival attendance free
Medicine Hat’s Coolest Attractions
Tourism Medicine Hat
1. Ride the Sunshine Trolley
We have listed a few attractions here in Medicine Hat, all of which are a must-see, and many of which you can get to via the Sunshine Trolley. There are a few notable stops on the trolley like the Saamis Tepee, Medelta, and Strathcona Island Park. Details
When: rides start June 29
Where: depart from Visitor Information Centre –
How much: $15
2. Medelta Historic Clay District
The Medelta museum covers 150-acres of land which was home to a bustling clay district and factory. You can purchase potters from local artists, visit with them in their studios, and learn more via workshops. The museum offers guided and self-guided touring. Details
When: 7 days a week during summer
Where: 713 Medelta Ave SE, Medicine Hat
How much: $12-$36
3. Self-guided Public Art Tours
A walking or biking art tour around Medicine Hat can take you to all corners of the city, with many of the pieces concentrated around 1st Street Southeast. These include murals, sculptures, carvings, and the pieces cover a huge variety of themes. Details
When: year-round
Where: all over Medicine Hat
How much: free
4. Drag Races
The Medicine Hat Drag Race Association (MHDRA) has a full schedule of events planned for this summer, until the last week of September. You and your family can enjoy a thrilling afternoon or weekend of car races, bike races, the Mud Bog, or the Streetcar Shootout. Details
When: June-September
Where: Box Spring Road, Redcliff
How much: $10 per spectator
5. Historic Walking Tours
The guided Historic Walking Tours of Medicine Hat can take you on a journey through the history of 1st Street, or through the Railroad District. The tours take you back to the time of Medicine Hat’s first settlers through architecture, art, and stories. Details
When: June 25-September 24
Where: Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre on 1st Street East
How much: $15
7. Tour the Breweries & Distilleries
Take a walk around Medicine Hat and tour the breweries and distillery, or book yourself a Brewery Tour package, and save on your hotel stay. The package also includes four flight trays of beer, and breakfast for two the next morning.
- Brewery Package: starting at $164.99
- Hell’s Basement Brewery: 552 18 St SW #102, Medicine Hat
- Medicine Hat Brewing Company: 1366 Brier Park Dr Nw.
- Grit City Distillery: 690 South Railway St. SE Medicine Hat
- Travois Ale Works: 612 – 3 Street SE, Medicine Hat
8. Dine!
With all that Medicine Hat summer sun, you’ll need somewhere you can relax and enjoy it, possibly with a beer, wine, or meal. Luckily, downtown Medicine Hat and beyond are home to several restaurants who offer dining to match their cozy outdoor spaces.
- The Yard: 619 3rd Street SE
- Silver Buckle Sports Bar (dog-friendly): 687 South Railway St SE Medicine Hat
- Station Coffee Company (dog-friendly): 644 2 St. SE, Medicine Hat
- Rustic Kitchen & Bar: 925 7th Street, SW, Medicine Hat
9. Tour the Indigenous History
Explore some of Medicine Hat’s rich Indigenous history with a self-guided tour of artifacts, places, and sights. Your recommended stops include the Saamis Tepee as well as most city parks, where you’ll find signs, art, and more to help you learn along the way. Details
10. See the South Saskatchewan via Jet Boat
Riverbend Adventures offer a thrilling way to tour the South Saskatchewan River with their summer jet boat tours which take you as far as the Saskatchewan border and Red Deer River crossing. These tours can also come accompanied with ranch hospitality with places to stay and dining options. Details
When: spring and summer
Where: meet at 1960 Strachan Rd SE, Medicine Hat
How much: $99-$499
Outdoor Summer Fun Around Medicine Hat
1. Float the City on the South Saskatchewan
The recommended lazy float route will take you straight through Medicine Hat from Echo Dale Park to Strathcona Island Park. You’ll need to park a car at Strathcona, your jump-off point. The large park is perfect for picnics after a day on the river. Details
When: best in July/August
Where: Echo Dale Park to Strathcona Island Park
How much: free
You may like: 30 of the Best Things to Do During Summer in Medicine Hat and Palliser Region
2. Kayak with an Experienced Guide
Carefree Adventures
The guided as Carefree Adventures can assist with a simple kayak tour down the South Saskatchewan River, but also offer several other tour locations around Southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. You could even book an introduction to Whitewater with Carefree.
When: spring/summer
How much: $30-$85
3. The Echo Dale Swim Lake & Regional Park
You will find a plethora of outdoor fun at Echo Dale Park, only a short drive from downtown Medicine Hat. The swim lake offers beach fun and swimming with an onsite concession, while the old Echo Dale Farm offers educational and interpretive experiences. You can also catch trout in a pond separate from the swim lake, named their “boating lake,” and can get to all of it via the park’s trail system. In order to fit all of this recreation in, you may want to book a site at the park campground. Details
When: May-September for swimming
Where: 1001 Echo Dale Rd, Medicine Hat
How much: free for day use
4. Outdoor Pools
Take your pick between the Hill or Strathcona outdoor pools on a hot day in Medicine Hat. And if you have smaller kids or are short on time, you can stop by one of Medicine Hat’s four outdoor splash parks. Both outdoor pools are officially open for summer! Details
When: now until September
Where: Hill Pool – 44 7 St SW
Strathcona Pool – 1150 5 St SE
How much: free-$16.90
5. Cycle the Heritage Trail
There is an expansive trail system which follows the South Saskatchewan River through Medicine Hat. The Heritage Trail network in the city can get you from Echo Dale Park in the West to downtown and central Medicine Hat, and all the way to the east end of town at Police Point Park (north), or at the Ross Creek Coulee Trails (south).
When: best May-October
How much: free
6. Picnic at Red Rock Coulee Natural Area
The unique and beautiful scenery around the Red Rock Coulee NA is an excellent daytrip location near Medicine Hat. You can explore the natural formations left behind by a river from long ago, as well as the colourful foliage and cacti along the trials. The area has a few picnic tables spread throughout. Details
When: year-round
Where: via AB-887, near Orion
How much: free
7. Paintball
Col. Pepper’s Paintball, just south of the city, is a large play area great for older families, friend groups, and events like birthdays or bachelor/bachelorette parties. This unreal course offers a video-game-like (yet outdoors) experience with course like Empty Town, the Junk Yard, the Fortress, or Barrell Speedball. All along the fields are major obstacles like broken-down busses, shacks and sheds, or all-wood battlefields.
When: all summer
Where: 6423 AB-3, Cypress County
How much: $32-$48 for base play package
8. Comfort Camping
The Cypress Hills PP comfort cabins still have availability towards the end of summer and come in a wide variety of sizes. Closer to Medicine Hat, you can camp in luxury with the Gas City Campground’s new cabins
- Gas City Campground,402 11 Ave SW, Medicine Hat
- Cypress Hills PP, near the East and West end day use areas
- Elkwater Lake Lodge & Resort, 401 4th Street, Elkwater
How much: $105-$150
9. RV & Tent Camping
You have a few options for camping right in Medicine Hat, conveniently close to dining, shopping, and the river. Sites vary between tent, and RV with different types of services. Sites include picnic tables and firepits, with all having vault toilet access.
- Echo Dale Campground, 1001 Echo Dale Rd, Medicine Hat
- Gas City Campground, 402 11 Ave SW, Medicine Hat
- Golden Sheaf Park, Range Rd 82, Seven Persons
10. Tour Elkwater on E-Bikes
The Elkwater Lodge offers e-bike rentals which can be used to see all the best parts of the summer village. It makes touring a breeze, too, allowing for you to cover more distance during your rental times. Details
When: summer
Where: Elkwater Lodge & Resort 401 4th Street, Elkwater
How much: 3 hours for $50.00+GST; Full Day for $100.00+GST
