YYC Food & Drink Experience 2026 Calgary Guide

YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026: Calgary’s March dining event

YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026 (often called YYC EXP) is Calgary’s city-wide celebration of dining, with 17 days of prix fixe menus, signature culinary events, and hotel packages designed to turn March into a tasting tour. The 2026 dates are March 13 to 29, 2026, making it an ideal late-winter plan when Calgarians are ready for a fresh reason to go out.

What makes this festival different from a typical “restaurant week” is the mix of structured value menus and curated experiences—think multi-course set menus at chef-led restaurants plus special events that feel like a night out, not just a reservation.

​

Dates, format, and what to expect in Calgary

YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026 runs March 13–29 and is billed as “17 days of delectable dining,” with participating restaurants offering multi-course prix fixe menus across Calgary. In addition to the restaurant program, the festival includes signature culinary events and partner hotel packages that encourage visitors (and staycationers) to build a full weekend around food.

Tourism Calgary describes it as the city’s premier culinary festival, spotlighting chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, and local producers who shape Calgary’s food and beverage scene. If you love discovering new favourites, this is one of the easiest ways to try restaurants you’ve been meaning to visit—without guessing what to order.

​

What “prix fixe” means here

During YYC EXP, restaurants offer set, multi-course menus for a single price, which makes planning simple: pick your restaurant, book your table, and choose the festival menu when you arrive. Tourism Calgary notes that guests make a reservation at participating restaurants and are offered the special menu when seated.

​

How big is YYC EXP?

The festival has scaled up notably over time. The YYC EXP archive notes that the 2024 edition featured 90+ restaurants in the prix fixe program alongside 15 sold-out signature events, and it ran for 17 days. For 2026, Tourism Calgary again highlights “over 90” participating local restaurants, reinforcing that this is a major, city-wide dining moment, not a small pop-up series.

Restaurants, signature events, and the “experience” part

YYC Food and Drink Experience isn’t only about dinner—it’s about trying Calgary in different ways: brunch with friends, a date-night tasting menu, or a special event that puts you face-to-face with chefs and drinks experts. Tourism Calgary describes a “rich schedule of curated event experiences,” alongside the restaurant program. The official YYC EXP site also emphasizes “exclusive signature culinary events” in addition to prix fixe dining.

If you want a snapshot of the festival’s event style, the 2024 archive lists experiences like cocktail and spirit-focused masterclasses, chef collaborations, and themed dinners—exact formats may change year to year, but the spirit of the festival stays consistent: it’s built for discovery.

​

Why locals plan around it

Calgary has no shortage of great spots, but YYC EXP creates a shared calendar moment—similar energy to patio season’s first warm weekend, or a big night during Stampede—except it’s centred on food and drink. The 2024 archive’s note that signature events sold out is a good clue that locals treat the ticketed events like a limited-time opportunity.

​

A few Calgary “only here” ways to enjoy it

Build your YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026 plans around places that feel distinctly Calgary:

• Start with an afternoon walk along the Bow River pathway, then head to a pre-booked dinner downtown.
• Pair a weekend brunch with a visit to the Central Library or Studio Bell, then finish with dessert in the Beltline.
• Make it a mini food-crawl across neighbourhoods: Kensington for a cozy start, Inglewood for browsing, and downtown for a signature event vibe.

How to book, plan, and get the most value

The simplest approach is to pick two anchors: one “known favourite” restaurant and one “wildcard” you’ve never tried. The official YYC EXP site encourages people to follow along for event and ticket releases and highlights that reservations and experiences happen throughout the March 13–29 window. Tourism Calgary also frames it as a plan-ahead festival—choose lunch, brunch, dinner, or a gourmet tasting with friends, family, or colleagues.

Booking tips that make a difference

• Book early for popular time slots (Friday/Saturday evenings) and for ticketed signature events; the festival archive shows events can sell out.
• If you’re coordinating a group, choose a mid-week dinner for easier reservations and a more relaxed experience.
• If you’re trying multiple places, spread them out—one lunch, one dinner, one event—so it stays fun instead of rushed.

Make it a staycation

YYC EXP highlights partner hotel packages, which is a smart move if you’re planning a downtown night with cocktails or a late seating. A one-night stay can turn the experience into a true “Calgary weekend,” especially if you add a morning coffee crawl or brunch before checkout.

​

Neighbourhood ideas for YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026

One of the best parts of doing YYC EXP in Calgary is how easy it is to match the vibe to the neighbourhood. Calgary’s dining scene is spread out, so you can tailor your route based on whether you want walkability, views, or a lively bar scene.

Downtown and the Beltline: big-night energy

Downtown is ideal if you want the full “food and drink” feel—dinner followed by a cocktail bar, a show, or just a walk past the city lights. It’s also a natural fit for signature events, which the festival positions as part of the core experience.

Kensington, Sunnyside, and the Bow River: cozy and classic Calgary

This is the zone for a slower pace: a relaxed meal, a river walk, and that early-spring Calgary air that can feel like two seasons in one day. If you’re bringing out-of-town friends, it’s an easy way to show off a scenic slice of the city before heading to your reservation.

Inglewood and East Village: creative and local

If you love pairing dinner with browsing (records, vintage, local shops), plan a pre-dinner wander here. It’s also a great choice if you want a more “discovery” style weekend, where the restaurant is part of a bigger day out.

Why this festival matters for Calgary’s food scene

YYC Food and Drink Experience puts a spotlight on the people behind the plates and glasses. Tourism Calgary specifically calls out the role of chefs, sommeliers, bartenders, and local producers in building the city’s culinary culture. The archive also shows the festival’s growth—from 54 restaurants in 2019 to 90+ restaurants in 2024—suggesting rising participation and a stronger city-wide appetite for curated dining programming.

For diners, that means more chances to try chef-led restaurants in a structured way. For the city, it’s a visible reminder that Calgary isn’t just a place to eat well by accident—it’s a place where food is part of the culture, especially when we rally around events like this.

​

Plan your YYC EXP week now

If you want to enjoy YYC Food and Drink Experience 2026 like a local, pick your dates first (March 13–29), then lock in one reservation and one signature event, and build the rest around your favourite Calgary neighbourhoods. You can keep it simple with one prix fixe dinner—or turn it into a full staycation weekend with a hotel package and a couple of carefully chosen meals.