Calgary, Alberta
Hookups in Calgary, patio season to speakeasy season
Patios on 17th Ave in summer, hidden speakeasies in winter. Meet Calgary singles who want something casual. Join free.
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In short
Calgary goes out on the 17th Ave patios in summer and into speakeasies once it turns cold, with the Beltline right next door for cocktails. On Joydate you can find people nearby who want a hookup, and joining costs nothing.
- Where to start: 17th Ave SW and the Beltline for bars, Inglewood for live music, Kensington for a quieter drink near a CTrain stop.
- Transit times: text your stop and route number to 74000, or call Teleride on 403-974-4000, to get the next Calgary Transit departures.
- Cost: a Classic profile is free; VIP for unlimited messaging is C$19.99 for one week, and the 12-month option works out at C$4.99 a week.
Calgary nightlife has two modes: long summer evenings on the patios of 17th Ave, and winter nights tucked into speakeasies behind hidden doors. Either way there is always a good spot for a first drink. Joydate shows you who in Calgary is up for a hookup or something casual, keeps your exact location to yourself and leaves the choice of bar to you.
From the Red Mile to Brewery Flats
Most first-meet bars sit within a short ride of downtown: cocktail rooms and arcade bars in the Beltline, pubs and patios along 17th Ave SW, live music in Inglewood, craft taprooms in Brewery Flats and easy-going pubs in Kensington. Locals have called 17th Ave the Red Mile since 2004, when Flames fans packed it during the run to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The guide below shows where to start.
Know before you go out
What sets Calgary apart for hookups
Four things worth knowing before you suggest a drink.
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Patio city in summer
When the weather turns warm, the patios along 17th Ave fill up. Ship & Anchor alone has two of them.
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Speakeasy city in winter
When it turns cold, nights move underground: Prohibition is a 1920s lounge below street level, with jazz.
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Ten days of Stampede
For 10 days and nights every July the Calgary Stampede takes over, and the city puts on its white hat.
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Pride closes the summer
Calgary Pride centres on Labour Day weekend, with a week of events and a parade watched by more than 60,000 people.
Calgary at a glance
Good to know before a first meet in Calgary
- 6areas in this guide, each with a shortlist of bars
- 10 daysof Stampede, every July
- 811Health Link, for STI and health advice 24/7
Where Calgary goes out
Where to meet for a first drink in Calgary
Six areas and the bars Tourism Calgary picks out in its neighbourhood and nightlife guides.
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Patios and speakeasies
17th Ave SW
Calgary's entertainment district runs from 1st to 14th Street SW, with murals, patios and hidden cocktail bars.
Places to start
- Betty Lou's Library: find the telephone, call in, and enter the speakeasy through a hidden door
- Ship & Anchor: two patios, live music and Punk Rock Bingo on Tuesdays
- Prohibition Bar and Lounge: an underground lounge in 1920s style, with jazz and a long cocktail list
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Cocktails and games
Beltline
The inner-city neighbourhood just south of downtown, full of restaurants, cocktail rooms and late bars.
Places to start
- Proof: a cocktail bar with more than 350 spirits on the back bar, open until 1 a.m. Tuesday to Saturday
- Bridgette Bar: a mid-century modern room Tourism Calgary suggests for romantic dates, open late
- Greta Bar: over 50 arcade games, local beer and food until late
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Live music
Inglewood
Calgary's oldest neighbourhood, where the Bow and Elbow rivers meet, with small stages along its Music Mile.
Places to start
- The Hose & Hound: a neighbourhood pub inside a restored 1906 firehall
- Rain Dog Bar: a cosy, old-world beer bar with a European menu
- The Ironwood Stage & Grill: live music every night in a Nashville-style room
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Craft beer
Brewery Flats
Alberta's first brewery stood here from 1893 to 1994. Today six taprooms line a 20-minute walk through Inglewood and Ramsay.
Places to start
- Cold Garden: creative small-batch beer, with patios and taprooms busy late into the evening
- Burn Block Social Club: a nano-brewery with a serious collection of pinball machines
- Eighty-Eight Brewing: hoppy IPAs, pizza and plenty of neon
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Laid-back
Kensington
Just across the Bow River from downtown, with vintage shops, patios and its own CTrain stop at Sunnyside.
Places to start
- Kensington Pub: known as KPub, a family-run pub in a house from 1911
- Hayden Block: whiskey, smoked meats and live music upstairs on Fridays and Saturdays
- Winebar Kensington: more than 160 bottles, cocktails and a seasonal patio
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LGBTQ+
Queer-friendly nights
Welcoming bars and dance floors on 17th Ave and in the Beltline.
Places to start
- Texas Lounge: a classic gay bar regulars call the bunker, behind Model Milk on 17th Ave
- Twisted Element: a nightclub and queer hall built as a safe space to dance
Bars from Tourism Calgary's neighbourhood, patio and nightlife guides. Opening hours change, so check before you head out.
Picture the night
Pick your Calgary night: patio, stage or stroll
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17th Ave SW
Patios and speakeasies
Murals, patios and cocktail bars behind hidden doors.
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Inglewood
Live music
Small stages along the Music Mile, where the two rivers meet.
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Kensington
Laid-back
Vintage shops and patios just across the Bow River.
What Joydate is
Why look for a hookup online in Calgary? What Joydate offers
Joydate is a hookup site for adults, also used for flings and friends with benefits. Your profile is free, and Joydate suggests Calgary members by age, distance and what they say they want.
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The awkward question, answered
Someone's profile tells you what they are after before you meet on a 17th Ave patio.
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A badge you can check
Free ID verification adds a Verified badge, so you know a match is real before the first drink.
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Private where it matters
Other members only see your username and town, never where you live or where you work.
Join free and see who is around Calgary How Joydate works in Calgary
Before you go
First-meet tips for Calgary hookups
Five small things that make a first meet in Calgary easier.
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Share the hidden-door details
At Betty Lou's Library you use a telephone to get in, so tell your match before they arrive.
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Book the popular rooms
Bridgette Bar recommends reservations and takes them on a text-only line.
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Stampede or quiet?
In July, decide together whether you want the Stampede crowds or a calmer bar away from them.
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Keep messages on Joydate at first
If someone pushes you onto WhatsApp before you have met, Joydate flags it.
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Check your bus before last call
Text your stop number and route to 74000 and Calgary Transit replies with the next times.
Joydate membership prices in Calgary
A Classic profile is yours free for as long as you keep it. If you want unlimited messaging, here are VIP and VIP Plus in Canadian dollars: the full price first, the weekly cost beneath it.
| Plan length | VIP | VIP Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week | C$19.99 | C$22.99 |
| 1 month | C$51.39C$11.99 a week | C$59.96C$13.99 a week |
| 3 months | C$115.59C$8.99 a week | C$154.16C$11.99 a week |
| 6 months | C$179.74C$6.99 a week | C$231.17C$8.99 a week |
| 12 months | C$260.19C$4.99 a week | C$338.41C$6.49 a week |
The 1-week to 6-month plans roll over until you cancel them. The 12-month plan is charged once and never rolls over. See every plan in every currency.
Meeting safely in Calgary
- Start somewhere busy. Every bar in this guide works for a first meet, and Joydate never shows more than your town.
- Plan the ride home. For live Calgary Transit times, text your stop and route to 74000, or call Teleride on 403-974-4000 with the four-digit number on the stop sign. Check the last train or bus before you order the second round.
- Getting tested. The Alberta Health Services STI clinic on the 5th floor of the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, 1213 4 Street SW, is confidential and walk-in only, with no referral needed. Waits can be more than two hours at busy times, and Health Link 811 gives STI advice around the clock.
Calgary hookups and dating, answered
Where can you find a hookup in Calgary?
You can find a hookup in Calgary on Joydate. Set up a free profile, see who is nearby in Calgary and towns like Airdrie or Cochrane, and when you click with someone, suggest a drink on 17th Ave or in the Beltline.
Which Calgary neighbourhoods are best for a first drink?
The best Calgary neighbourhoods for a first drink are 17th Ave SW, the centre of the city's nightlife, and the Beltline right beside it, with cocktail bars such as Proof. Inglewood is the place for live music, and Kensington is quieter, with its own CTrain stop.
How much does Joydate cost in Calgary?
Joydate costs nothing to join in Calgary, and the Classic profile stays free. One week of VIP is C$19.99, while the 12-month plan comes to the equivalent of C$4.99 a week. Compare every plan.
How do you check bus and train times late at night in Calgary?
To check Calgary Transit times late at night, text your stop number and route number to 74000, or call Teleride on 403-974-4000 with the four-digit number from the stop sign.
Where can you get tested for STIs in Calgary?
You can get tested for STIs in Calgary at the Alberta Health Services STI clinic in the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, 1213 4 Street SW. It is confidential and walk-in only, and Health Link 811 answers STI questions 24/7.
When is the best time of year to meet people in Calgary?
The best time of year to meet people in Calgary is summer, when the 17th Ave patios fill up, the Stampede runs for 10 days every July and Calgary Pride arrives around Labour Day. In winter the fun moves into the speakeasies.
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