What to do this weekend: Pride, Whoop-Up Days, Cornfest and a vinyl fair

The weekend is once again just around the cornerand you know what that means it's time to start planning.

Whether you're planning to stay in town this weekend or casting your eye outside the city limits The Homestretch director Tracy Fuller has a few ideas to get your list kick started.

Calgary Pride begins

The 10-day celebration of Calgary Pride gets underway and there's something for everyone in the days to come, including a screening of To Wong Foo: Thanks For Everything on Friday at 8 p.m. at Tubby Dog, hosted by the Fellowship of Alberta Bears, better known as FAB, followed by a dance party.

If you're looking to get things started early head toSt. Patrick's Island on Thursday for a free screening of MaryPoppinsfrom 8:15p.m. to 11 p.m.

Pride in the Park happens at Ethel Tucker Park in Okotoks on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. hosted by The Foothills Rainbow Connection. There's also a Pride Kick-Off Mixer for Calgary professionals in the East Village from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, a Pride raft down the Bow River at 4 p.m. on Friday, and a queer feminist ukulele comedy band performing at the downtown public library at 7 p.m. on Friday.

The Calgary Stampeders are even hosting Pride Night at McMahon on Saturday with a tailgate party and $30 tickets to the game. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

The Pride parade goes Sept. 3 through downtown, beginning at noon along Sixth Avenueat Macleod Trail S.E. and finishing at Prince's Island Park.

For the full schedule, head to the Calgary Pridewebsite.

Porcelain Dolls

Porcelain Dolls is a new showproduced by Full Circle Theatre, a young company started by University of Calgary BFA gradsErin Weir and Claire Bolton.

Porcelain Dolls is an all-female play set in the women's washroom at a bar. So if you've ever wondered what women talk about in the washroom, this play is for you.

The show runs Aug. 24 to 26 and Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at the Evergreen Theatre and Community Spaces. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for students and seniors.

Head to the Full Circle website for details.

Shakespeare by the Bow

We're also in the final days of Theatre Calgary's Shakespeare by the Bow festival. This year's play, As You Like It, is a forest comedy about mistaken identity, exile, cross-dressing, daring rescues and much more.

You can catch performances Thursday through Sunday at 6:30 p.m. at Prince's Island. Cost is pay what you can and full details are available on the Theatre Calgary website.

Carifest

How about something to get your hips moving this weekend? A trip to the Caribbean without leaving Calgary?

Calgary's Carifest celebrates Caribbean arts and culture.

The festival kicks off at Olympic Plaza at noon Friday, then on Saturday it starts with a parade at 11 a.m. from Olympic Plaza down Stephen Avenue. The celebration continues from noon to 6 p.m. at Shaw Millennium Park with local, international and Caribbean entertainment, food, art and more.

Tizzy (see video above) and El A Kru areheadlining this year they hit the stage on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

Admission isfree and you cancheck the full schedule out at the Carifestwebsite.

Whoop-Up Days Family Festival

Folks thinking about getting out of town for the weekend might want to consider heading south for the Whoop-Up Days Family Festival in Lethbridge.

Calgary Flames legend Theoren Fleury will be one of headliners Saturday at the Pioneer Park Gas King stage. For those who've never been, Whoop-Up Days is part farmer's market and part exhibition, complete with midway rides and performing dogs, a bike-stunt-show, a ventriloquist, bouncy castles, boats, food and much more.

Check out the full schedule online at the Whoop-Up Days website.

Taber Cornfest

Every year in August on the last full weekend before the long weekend the town ofTaber hosts the largest free family festival in western Canada.

Music, entertainment, rides, a chili cook-off, show and shine, skateboard "corn-test," huge fireworks and much more.

The Cornfest opening ceremonies are Thursday at 6 p.m. and the fun continues through to Saturday night.

For more info, head to the Taber Cornfest website.

The Killarney Record Fair

The Killarney Record Fair happensSaturday at St. Matthew's United Church (2035 26A St. S.W.)

It runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and it's $2 to get in.

Vendors will be there from 10 a.m. to noon, including notable local vinylphiles Beatnik Bus, Lockbox Record Club, and The Calgary Music Collectors Show.

For full details visit the YYC Vinyl website.

CBC listeners are also invited to come by the station at 1724 Westmount Blvd. N.W. onFriday between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to share their favourite record and the story behind it.

With files from The Homestretch