Don your swimsuit and a pair of flip flops — Prairie Winds Park is the ultimate summer destination!
This park was redeveloped in 2016/2017, with added features including a playscape and wading pool. The popular outdoor pool has been closed for renovations but recently reopened just in time for the end of summer.
There’s a lot more than the water park to enjoy at Prairie Winds, though. Here are a few of our favourite standout features.
Athletic parks for every sport
Whether you’re a cricket fan, baseball whiz or soccer lover, Prairie Winds Park has an athletic area for you. The park boasts an outdoor rink that freezes over during winter for community hockey games and leisurely ice skating. There’s a cricket pitch and a soccer field to the south of the skating rink, and a basketball court north of the outdoor wading pool. City athletic parks are available to book for athletics, including ultimate Frisbee, sports tournaments and other events.
Lookout and seed pod
This is a cool key feature of Prairie Winds Park, especially since public art in Calgary can be few and far between. At the peak of the park’s westward toboggan hill sits a permanent public art piece called the Seed Pod. The piece was inspired by the site and crafted by Incipio Modo, an artist collective composed of sculptors Danira Miralda and Edward Beltran.
The pod is a concrete and granular-based oval structure sunken into the earth that can be accessed via a ramp. The seed sculpture, placed in the centre of the pod, references the seed head of a native prairie wildflower. It’s the perfect seating area for resting your legs after making your way up the massive hill.
Outdoor pool and play area
The key feature of Prairie Winds is the outdoor pool, which is a popular destination for northern Calgary communities at the height of August. The pool has a capacity of 600 people and just recently reopened. You’ll have to head there before August is over to get a taste of those summertime vibes.
The outdoor pool is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., typically from mid-June until fall, depending on Calgary’s unpredictable weather. Aquatic wheelchairs are available at the spray park, making this accessible summertime fun for everyone!
Gently rolling hills
A day spent at Prairie Winds is like spending time in the plains of Alberta — with sod instead of prairie grass, of course.
The gently rolling hills and gravel roads with an incline make the park space perfect for road biking and roller skating. There are plenty of hills to get your wheels spinning, along with scenic views to keep you entertained as you glide through the park.
Will you be hitting up Prairie Winds Park this summer? We’ll see you out there!
Where: 223 Castleridge Blvd. NE
Cost: Free
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Em Medland-Marchen
Em is a Staff Writer for Curiocity Calgary. They are passionate about live music, rose gardens, iced coffee, their dogs Bandit and Stanley, and walks along the Bow River.
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