Choose your own adventure: A guide to Beakerhead 2017

By Giselle Wedemire

From Sept. 13 to 17, Beakerhead makes its annual return to our fair city with a five-day run that promises to engage curious Calgarians in immersive and educational experiences like no other. Each event creatively blends art with science and engineering while drawing eager crowds, but with more than 60 events being held across the city, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. To help narrow your choices down, here are some can’t-miss Beakerhead events, categorized by what you’re in the mood for. [Photo credit: Beakerhead]

Between the Calgary Tower being visually transformed into a space station and revelers being encouraged to party like it's 2047, the Calgary Municipal Space Station gives a whole new meaning to being a tourist in your own city. With hour-long intergalactic virtual reality tours taking place every 15 minutes, you can go stargazing without ever having to miss the comforts of home.

• When: Sept. 13, 4 to 8:00 p.m.
• Admission: $24.99
• Where: Calgary Tower, 101 9 Ave SW
• More event info

Taking treasure hunts to the next level, the Locked Library enlists teams to puzzle their way through clues in an intergalactic-themed challenge that will have attendees feeling like they're in deep space in no time. Teams of four are recommended, but smaller teams can be paired with other participants.

• When: Sept. 15, 7 to 10:00 p.m.
• Admission: $40
• Where: Central Public Library, 616 Macleod Trail SE
• More event info

Sock puppets are so yesterday, especially when compared to the fun and fizzy bottle puppets waiting to be made at this event. Kids can learn the basics of crafting fizzy bottle puppets at the Pop-Up Puppet Studio, being held at the Fort Calgary Learning Centre and led by the visionaries at Calgary's own WP Puppet Theatre.

• When: Sept. 16, 1 to 3:00 p.m.
• Admission: $10 per person (or $35 for groups of four to six)
• Where: Fort Calgary Learning Centre, 750 – 9 Ave SE
• More event info

Demonstrating that playtime can be educational for kids, Shaw Millennium Park will be transformed into a unique playground that will encourage kids to get creative by building, inventing and disassembling their play place with various interesting materials and moving parts during Monstrous Adventure Playground.

• When: Sept. 16, 12 to 4 p.m.
• Admission: Free
• Where: Shaw Millenium Park, 1220 - 9 Ave SW
• More event info

Combining a romantic evening stroll through beautiful downtown Calgary with six educational pit stops, the Meet the Maker Tour is a surefire date night hit. A two-hour, two-kilometre tour will provide beautiful scenery while introducing you to the creative minds behind this year's major Beakerhead art installations.

• When: Sept. 13, 6 to 8:00 p.m.
• Admission: $15.50
• Where: Eau Claire Market, 200 Barclay Parade SW
• More event info

Another perfect bet for a date night, the always fun adult-only night at Telus Spark gets a Beakerhead facelift. With the theme of the night being life hacks, attendees will learn valuable and entertaining tips on how to hack their moods, among other things, with a puppy party and a toy creation workshop.

• When: Sept. 14, 6 to 10 p.m.
• Admission: $19.95
• Where: Telus Spark, 220 St. Georges Drive NE
• More event info

Perfect for those with a sweet tooth, Malted Milkshake Madness is an educational event that walks attendees through the process of transforming barley into sweet malted barley while also dishing secrets about making the perfect gelato. Even sweeter is the custom malted milkshake you'll get to make at the end of the lesson!

• When: Sept. 13, 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• Admission: $25
• Where: Burger 320, 126 – 10 St NW
• More event info

Calling all coffee lovers: turns out you can have your coffee and drink it, too. Chemist Stephen McNeil and Phil & Sebastian co-founder Phil Robertson will teach crowds how changes in water chemistry can affect the resulting flavours of a pot of coffee while pupils can sip some java and follow along. This educational event is a dream come true for those who crave knowledge and caffeine at the same time.

• When: Sept. 17, 1 to 3:00 p.m.
• Admission: $60
• Where: Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, 618 Confluence Way SE

Beakerhead is one of the most unique yearly events held in our city. With a magical mix of art and science, this is one event you can't miss.