Canmore Rocky Mountain Half Marathon

The 16th Annual Canmore Rocky Mountain 10k & 5k Run/Walk is on September 11, 2011.

Considered one of the most beautiful runs in Alberta, the CAUSE Canada Race is routed through woodlands, beside mountain streams, through a historic mine site and stunning views of mountain scenery. The track is a combination of asphalt and high quality gravel trail with several short climbs and winding paths.

Striving to be the GREENEST race in Canada, all possible products and procedure will be eco-friendly. This includes:

• Recycling virtually everything, resulting in a waste-free Start/Finish zone.
• Exclusively using compostable cups sourced from renewable materials.
• Operating support-bicycles along the race course, as opposed to typical carbon generating support-vehicles.
• Administering a paper-free registration process.
• Serving only BC fruit & locally made baked goods.
• We are Bullfrog Powered with 100% Green Electricity

All proceeds from the race will go towards women’s literacy, numeracy, and business training in Central America and Western Africa. CAUSE Canada’s Women’s Integral Empowerment Program (WIEP) is being made possible by revenues generated through partnerships with athletes like you!

Register online today at www.cause.ca/halfmarathon

Canmore Folk Music Festival July 30 to Aug 1 2011

Folk fans who just didn’t quite get their fill last weekend at the Calgary Folk Festival are going to be flocking down the highway this week for the 34th annual Canmore Folk Music Festival, July 30 to Aug. 1 in Canmore’s downtown Centennial Park.

The longest-running folk festival in Alberta, the Canmore Folk Festival is renowned for its intimate atmosphere, superb music selection and unparalleled backdrop of majestic mountains. Featuring more than 50 craft, community and food vendor booths, three workshop stages, three evening concerts and a free children’s concert, the festival annually draws 3,000 to 5,000 fans daily.

This year, kids will be entertained with crafts, a climbing wall, bouncy castle, clowns, jugglers, story tellers and much more.

Throughout Sunday and Monday on the workshop stages, magic happens regularly when musicians from around the world meld their talents and create the kind of impromptu kitchen party music of which memories are made.

This year’s line-up includes Canadian ukulele maestro James Hill, California’s David Lindley, Vancouver based band Delhi 2 Dublin, Canada songwriter Joel Plaskett and pride of Newfoundland, the Once.
For a full line-up, visit the festival website at www.canmorefolkfestival.com.

The weekend kicks off with a free Festival Friday at the Canmore Civic Centre, where Andy Donnelly from CKUA’s The Celtic Show will be broadcasting live from 6pm to 8pm, followed by live music from Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. On the same evening at 8.30pm there will be a U22 Showcase concert at the Communitea Café showcasing some of Alberta’s most promising young talent. Ken Whiteley entertains the young ones Saturday from 1 pm to 2pm in a free Children’s Concert at the Canmore Seniors Centre, and the advance ticket gates open Saturday at 3.30pm for the first of three nightly concerts.

Advance tickets are on sale via TicketPro on the Festival website, the Tin Box, Stonewaters Home Elements, or the Phone Store in Canmore or the Phone Store in Banff. The final chance to buy tickets at the advance ticket price will be Friday night (July 29) at the street event outside the Canmore Civic Centre. Tickets will also be available at the gate Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

For more information about the Canmore Folk Music Festival, including the schedule of events visit www.canmorefolkfestival.com.

Canmore Hotel & Golf Packages

For a small town, Canmore has more than its fair share of world class golf courses, with Silvertip Resort, Stewart Creek Golf Course and Canmore Golf & Curling Club each lying on the edge of town, and Kananaskis Country Golf Course just a half hour drive away. To help save you time and money, several Canmore hotels have put together special golf packages combining accommodation with Canadian Rockies golf at its best.

Grande Rockies Resort has the honour of being the luxury resort partner of Silvertip Resort Golf Course. As such they can put together special golf packages for you, such as the Golf Well, Eat Well package which includes 2 nights accommodations, 2 rounds of golf at Silvertip Resort per room, 2 rounds of golf at Stewart Creek per room, 2 seasoned 10oz steaks plus side dishes for your in room BBQ, plus a 6 pack of beer per room. For a shorter stay, the One Night Birdie package includes one night of lodging, two rounds of golf at either Silvertip or Stewart Creek per room, plus a $25 food credit for the on-site Habitat Restaurant & Bar.

If you are looking for great value, the Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge offers affordable accommodations and is well located for all the golf courses in the Canmore area. Although the hotel does not offer specific golf deals, you could easily build yourself a package at a competitive rate by booking a stay here and organizing your tee times directly at the golf course of your choice.

Stoneridge Mountain Resort offer custom golf packages which can be tailored to your suit your own preferences. Choose between a one, two, or three bedroom luxurious suite, plus golf at Silvertip Resort, Stewart Creek Golf Course, Kananaskis Country Golf Course or Canmore Golf & Curling Club. They will also organize a golf package for you playing at at the Fairmont Banff Springs golf course in Banff.

Silver Creek Lodge offer various golf packages, and early risers can get a good deal with the Early Bird Package which includes a round of golf at Silvertip with a tee off between 7am and 8am, plus 1 night’s accommodation for $195 per person, valid Monday to Thursday. The same midweek package with a tee off after 8am costs $215 per person, and from Friday to Sunday the cost would be $230 per person. A Marathon Package is also offered at the weekend which includes a 2 night stay plus a round of golf after 12pm on Friday, and all day golf on Saturday and Sunday for $525 per person. These packages are valid until September 26 2011, and are based on 2 people sharing a hotel room. The packages are also available at a lower rate for groups of 4 in a 2 bedroom suite.

Windtower Lodge & Suites is offering a Golf Stay & Play package which include lodging for 2 in a one bedroom suite, a hot buffet breakfast, and green fees plus a rental cart at Stewart Creek golf course. Prices for this Canmore golf package start at $315 per person.

The Holiday Inn Canmore is the closest Canmore hotel to the Silvertip golf course, and it’s no surprise that they offer golf packages which include one night’s accommodation, one green fee person for Silvertip, and a $12 voucher per person to use for breakfast at Renzo’s Ristorante. Rates for this package are dependent on the room type and your dates of travel and further details can be found by contacting the hotel.

The above packages may be subject to availability, subject to applicable taxes and subject to change without notice. For full details and for reservations, please contact your Canmore accommodation directly.

24 Hours of Adrenalin

This exciting annual mountain bike event involves relay teams or solo riders competing to ride as many laps as possible in a 24 hour period. This year’s event takes place on July 23 2011 at the Canmore Nordic Centre, where you can see western Canada’s top mountain bike riders race against some of the best in the world.
The most gruelling way to compete in this race is as a solo rider, which involves up to 24 hours of riding. There are also 2, 4 or 5 person teams who would split the riding between them, meaning that each member of a 2 person team would ride for up to 12 hours, members of a 4 person team could expect to ride for up to 6 hours and each member of a 5 person team would be riding for 4 to 5 hours. The 2 and 4 person teams can be any combination of men and women, and within the 5 person category there are co-ed, female only, and age related sub-categories.
It is also possible to enter a corporate team of 6 to 10 people which could allow some team members to ride for just 1.5 hours, thus opening the event to all skill levels.
24 Hours of Adrenalin has been a big hit in Canmore in recent years, and it’s well worth coming as a spectator to view the race and experience the buzz around town. As the race takes place in the middle of summer, Canmore hotels are likely to be busy during this time, so early reservations are recommended.
For more details about the event, visit the 24 Hours of Adrenalin website.
To find accommodation in Canmore for this event, visit Canmore Hotels.com.