By Joel Dryden
With Halloween and Thanksgiving in the books, you might think you have some time to catch your breath before the Christmas season kicks off – but there’s way too much going on in our city this November for that. From CUFF.Docs to the JazzYYC Canadian Festival, here’s the best of our city this month. [Photo credit: istockphoto.com/ca/portfolio/furtseff]
At the start of the year, a devastating fire ravaged the historic Symons Valley Ranch, located on the north side of the city. Though most of the ranch was lost to the flames, including a popular farmers’ market, one building remained – the former site of the Symons Roadhouse restaurant.
Restauranteur Witold Twardowski (of Plowshare Artisan Diner and other spots) jumped in to save the historic eatery, rebranding it as the Django Smokehouse. All-day barbecue and breakfast is on the menu at Django, with mouth-watering options ready to devour including pizza, steak and smoked meat.
The circus has come to town, courtesy of Jayme MacFayden and Kelly Black of UNA Pizza & Wine. Inspired by the Roman trattoria, Bread & Circus puts particular focus on comfort and environment in the restaurant’s small space located at the back of UNA Takeaway. The open concept kitchen means diners can interact with chefs while they prepare the fresh in-house pasta.
Other new additions in the culinary scene include the comic-themed brewery Zero Issue Brewing and the pork-focused 17th Avenue eatery Run Pig Run. For a full rundown of what’s new in the scene, check out Sarah Sussman’s Smart Tip.
It’s no mistake that multiple film festivals (and a local film celebration) are scheduled in the month that Calgary’s temperatures traditionally take a nosedive. Nothing like a big bucket of popcorn and a good movie to distract you from the fact that our city will soon dip into frigid territory.
First on the schedule is the Calgary European Film Festival (CEFF), scheduled Nov. 5 to 12. Though the Calgary International Film Festival brings foreign film to our city as part of its lineup, CEFF is a chance for film lovers to dive even deeper with stories and voices from all around Europe. All movies will be screened at the Eau Claire Cineplex.
As of this month, local heroes The Fifth Reel have been with us for five years running, hosting rambunctious screenings over the years of everything from The Room to Space Jam. To celebrate, the group is set to host five screenings over the month of November, including The Big Lebowski (an annual tradition) on Nov. 3. Get tickets on Eventbrite before they sell out!
One of the more unique film festivals in the city, the fifth annual CUFF.Docs will screen Nov. 16 to 19 at the Globe Cinema. With a lineup consisting entirely of documentary films, the festival is a great chance to check out insightful and fascinating stories of real individuals and events – stories that often can be more captivating than scripted flicks. Among the documentaries screening this year is Don’t Break Down: A Film About Jawbreaker, a profile on the legendary cult punk rock band.
There’s really no better time to take in the Canadian Rockies than fall – the colours of the changing leaves are a perfect complement to the natural beauty of the mountains and rivers. For a full run-down of events and activities you’ll want to mark on your calendar when you visit, check out Shane Flug’s Smart Tip.
We know it seems far off into the distance, but Christmas will be here sooner than you think. Aside from figuring out gift ideas and travel plans, there are other things you may want to consider some time in advance – including venue plans for your office party or family gathering. Thankfully, Seema Dhawan has done some of the legwork for you, listing a few venue ideas in this Smart List.
Aside from the various film festivals on the calendar this month, there are a number of other fun events scheduled this month we simply don’t have the room to get into. Thankfully, we've got your full run-down of the best festivals in November.
Even though November seems to be a momentary respite before the hustle-and-bustle of the Christmas season, there’s still plenty to keep you busy while the temperature drops. From devouring some BBQ at Django to catching a foreign film at CEFF, get out there and enjoy the best of our city this month.
