Picture the city’s most beautiful inner-city park in the heart of Calgary’s Beltline, bursting with book lovers of all ages (even well-behaved pups!), collectively experiencing the simple pleasure of reading outdoors.
In a world driven by distracting phone notifications and endless doom scrolling, the city’s annual Reading in the Wild event –– created by Wordfest and its founding partner, Calgary Public Library –– offers Calgarians a chance to slow down and read together under the beautiful city skyline.
“We’ve watched our Reading in the Wild brand resonate globally, tapping into our longing for shared experiences that highlight community and celebrate our connection to the OG social media app: books,” says Wordfest CEO & Creative Ringleader, Shelley Youngblut.
Now in its third year, the increasingly popular event on Tuesday, June 23 transforms Central Memorial Park into a community hub with live music, local vendors, and hundreds of readers spread throughout the beautiful inner-city park.
Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and their book of choice — and if they don’t have a book in mind, they can borrow one onsite through a curated outdoor checkout station run by Calgary Public Library.
There will also be complimentary Village Ice Cream for the first 400 humans and a special dog-friendly “Pup Cup” for the first 25 furry friends, a pop-up cafe from Barrow Coffee Roasters, and Zero-proof beverages from Wild Folk, Tuesday Brewing Co., and Bacteria Bar YYC.
BEYOND THE WALLS
Reading in the Wild was born out of a desire to celebrate the joy of reading “in the wild”, says Wordfest’s Community Engagement & Special Sauce Director, Chelsea Rule.
“Coming out of the pandemic, we wanted to address a desire that we had been hearing from patrons who were hungry for more curated spaces to gather with their friends and family and experience real connection,” she explains, adding similar events in cities such as New York piqued an interest locally.
"We have this gorgeous park space right at our doorstep, so what would it look like if a massive group of bookworms completely took it over?”
The simplicity of reading outdoors with others has become one of the event’s most notable features, Rule explains.
“I find it so remarkable that each year, hundreds of people show up with no other goal or expectation than to enjoy reading outdoors for three hours,” she says, adding it’s a magical sight to behold each year.
“They don’t need to be entertained and don’t ask for anything in return. They are merely there to sit in a beautiful and peaceful park space and enjoy their pages.”
BOOKS, BLANKETS AND BELONGING
Michaela Ritchie, Calgary Public Library Liaison of Events & Partnerships, says the event goes far beyond reading in an outdoor setting; it turns the experience into something communal.
“It was so enchanting to see the different ways people created their own little perfect reading environments,” Ritchie says, adding that the wholesome creativity is part of the magic.
“Some people bring blankets, some bring chairs. Some read as couples, some read with –– or to –– their dogs. Some even came with their entire book club to read together!"
Beyond the literature, Reading in the Wild reflects a larger mission shared by Wordfest and Calgary Public Library: making literacy accessible, joyful, and community-driven.
“Hopefully, this event encourages Calgarians to connect with other fellow readers, because it really is such an amazing book-loving community that we have here,” both organizers agree.
"Part of our connected mission is to create opportunities for Calgarians to discover — or rediscover — the joy of reading,” Rule says.
“This free event will ignite something in our community to encourage and prioritize reading. We hope people will then take that inspiration into the rest of their day, month, and year."
Don’t miss out on your chance to join fellow book lovers at Central Memorial Park (1221 2 St. S.W.) on June 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. RSVP to this free event ahead of time.
Photos courtesy of Wordfest and David Kotsibie of Persuasion Photography