occupy patio 2015

Winter is a harsh reality in Calgary, which makes the all-too-short summer a glorious occassion. So let's sit on a patio and sip coffee/tea/wine/beer/cola/water this summer and soak it in while we have the chance!

[patiosunday]

Occupy Patio Ironic High Tea: The Silliness of Life!

For the past two years, we’ve hoped to hold at least two Ironic High Teas in a year, and we’re on track to do just that in 2015. Our lovely Valerie is hosting a Celebration of Life and Silliness on her patio June 28, 2015. You know what that means--you need to either know Valerie, or know someone who does, in order to be there. Details now:

When: Sunday, June 28, 2015; 3:00 to 6:00pm Where: Valerie’s patio What: A celebration of life and silliness! Come dressed up (as usual); bring a yummy treat and your game face. Valerie will be providing tea and, for those interested in something a little harder, G&T. There may even be a contest for a series of silly categories like "Biggest Hat", "Best Dressed", "Tastiest Treat" and "Fanciest Tea Cup". Why: Because life--and silliness--are worth celebrating!

If you have questions, you know how to reach Valerie. Otherwise, we’ll see you there on Sunday!

[patiosunday]

Operation: Patio Kensington

Welcome, welcome! In typical fashion, it’s been ages since we last met! But I’m back and ready to roll out a host of Occupy Patios this summer!

The mission I’m about to lay before you is complex and dangerous, involving three different types of.... So we want to hang out in Kensington next weekend. Here’s the plan:

When: Sunday, May 31; 2:00pm Where: We’re going to meet up at Molly Malone’s and see if we can nab a spot on their coveted rooftop. At the same time, contingents of brave volunteers (that would be all ya’ll willing to show up) will venture out to see if back-up space can be secured at one of Kensington’s other choice locations, such as The Bottlehouse, The Oaktree and Julio’s.

Invite whoever you want! We’ll convene at Molly’s and take it from there. See you Sunday!

[patiosunday]

It's time for another Ironic High Tea

It's been two years since we gathered for tea in downtown Calgary, muchly overdressed for an afternoon in a park. So let's do it up even bigger and better this year!

When: Sunday, October 5, 2014; 2:00-5:00pm

Where: Central Memorial Park. If possible, we'll be on either the north side of the park (along 12th Ave) where the tables and chairs are, or failing that--and poor grass conditions--the cement area right next to the library where you'll also find tables and chairs, usually in abundance

** Please note weather backup: It's October, so if there's inclement weather, we'll be converge in the Food Court of Chinook Centre. It would be possibly even more ironic than the park, and we can bring along our own food and drink whereas at a coffee shop this kind of thing would be frowned upon. Please contact Shannon, or check with us on Twitter, if you're torn as to "inclement weather" day of.

What: Dress in your poshy clothes and hats; bring a thermos of your favorite tea and, if you can, something snackable to share, such as finger sandwiches, biscuits, mini desserts, etc. The type of thing you'd find at a high tea

Who: Anyone reading this. Whether you've been a long-time attendee of Occupy Patio or not, feel free to join us for this semi-annual event.

We'll see you Sunday!

[patiosunday]

It's been a long, cold winter...

... but that's all changing! It's time to revive the patio scene in Calgary again! As I write this, I'm standing in the Amsterdam Rhino (which may now be called just "Rhino"...) and their patio looks mighty invitin'. We'll be kicking off a new season of patio sitting Saturday, June 8 at 4pm (right when they open!).

Details:

When: Saturday, June 8; 4pm Where: Amsterdam Rhino; 607 11 Ave SW http://amsterdamrhino.com/ We're looking for new patios to conquer this year, so if there's a patio you want to check out, let me know. Welcome back, patio summer!

[patiosunday]

occupy high tea

It's been quite a while since we occupied anywhere, hasn't it! Sorry about that. Don't you hate it when life gets in the way of living? Occupy Wild Rose Brewery last month was a great success. We occupied that patio for a goodly number of hours and sampled some fresh-from-the-cask Seasonal ale.

Next up, the much-discussed, much-anticipated Ironic High Tea. If I had to break it down, I'd wager this occupy is 70% enjoying the occupy experience, and 30% performance art. Read on for more details:

When: Sunday, September 30; 2:00pm until whenever we feel like leaving or the sun goes down and it gets cold, whichever comes first Where: Central Memorial Park, 1221 2nd St SW What: High tea in the park. We're brining fine china and wearing our Sunday best. If you want to go all out and don the Queen's favorite sunhat, have at'er!

Valerie is in charge of providing tea cups, so it's up to the rest of us to each bring the following:

1. A thermos of tea. And cream/sugar, if so desired 2. Delictable finger foods, the likes of which you would find at a fancy high tea. For example, scones with Devonshire cream; watercress sandwiches; strawberry tarts, etc. 3. A blanket to sit on 4. Your camera! We're dressing up and sitting in a park to have high tea. It deserves to be recorded!

Don't forget to wear your Sunday best--getting all prettified is half the fun! Keep an eye on the @occupypatio Twitter feed and #occupypatio hashtag for updates. See you then!

[patiosunday]

occupy wild rose brewery

Well, despite our enthusiasm, the skies were unhelpful for occupy meteor shower. No one wanted to go lie on a windy hillside looking up at grey clouds and not see any stars, but I guess I understand...

On to warmer, booze-inspired things. My friend and I have been planning to head back to the Wild Rose Brewery patio for a Friday afternoon casking for over a year now, and our schedules finally lined up! Rumor has it that on Friday they set aside a cask special and then doctor it. Around the holidays, for example, they load their Cherry Porter with real cherries and extra port. This week, they'll be cracking open a cask of S.O.B with Amarillo hops. But you have to get there early if you have any hope of getting in. So here's the plan:

When: Friday, August 31; 3:00pm to whenever (likely no later than 7pm as a few of us are looking at hitting up a Burlesque show that night. Any takers interested are welcome to join!) Where: Wild Rose Brewery, Building AF23, #2, 4580 Quesnay Wood Drive SW They're located in the Currie Barracks--over by Mount Royal University--next to what used to be the Calgary Farmer's Market. Why: Because they have beer, a nice patio--and so far it looks like sun!--and surprisingly good food.

We'll be holding down a table from 3pm onward, and they open the cask at 4. If you can join us for then, great! If not, we'll be there for all the after-work crowd, so keep an eye on @occupypatio and the #occupypatio hashtag for updates/details.

See you Friday!

[patiosunday]

occupy meteor shower

We had a great, hot afternoon occupying Sunfest on Sunday. After @outdoorphil and his band of merry mates wandered the festival for a bit, we hunkered down at the covered half of the Hose and Hound patio. Thanks, Phil, for making it a great day as always! (if occupy patio was into hierarchical structures and whatnot, you'd totally be winning "most frequent patioer"!).

On to a patio with a twist. For starters, like our indoor events, this one doesn't actually have a patio. You could almost call it a picnic, but, y'know, in the dead of night. For those not familiar with the goings on up yonder, August 11-13 marks the peak window in North America for the Perseid Meteor Shower. With the potential to see as many as 16-60 meteors per hour (with the peak being after midnight) it could be a pretty amazing show. So here's the details:

When: Saturday, August 11; 9pm meet to work out carpooling; approx 10pm arrival Where: Meet at Good Earth Cafe (once again, the big one downtown), 1502 11th Street SW at 9pm to arrange carpooling. We'll then head off to Nose Hill Park, the 14th street, 64th Ave parking lot, for 10-ish. What: A meteor shower picnic patio extravaganza! Bring a blanket, warm clothes, some hot coffee/chocolate/tea, maybe some snacks to share, and of course, a flashlight, and we'll just kick back and watch the sky Why: Because it's awesome

Very important: DRESS APPROPRIATELY (@ASKdesignCSI, @JennaShummoogum, I'm looking at you...) and bring your blanket, flashlight, etc. If you have a camping lantern, that would be awesome, too, for the pre-shower fun. If you're not opposed, bug spray might also be suggested. And for the love of all that's good, wear decent shoes!

As always, follow @occupypatio and the #occupypatio hashtag for more info. See you Saturday!

[patiosunday]

occupy sunfest

@outdoorphil is an ambitious sort. A friend and supporter of the occupy patio movement since the beginning, he's keen to try and make a semi-official occupy happen at tomorrow's (yes, tomorrow's) Inglewood Sunfest. Lofty ambitions, but I think it could work.

If you're in the area, the plan is to converge--at some point over the course of the day--at Gravity cafe, one of my favorite YYC coffee shops. They have a small outdoor patio, but I think we can make the best of it.

@occupypatio may not be on site in body, so keep an eye out for the #occupypatio hashtag for more information.

When: Saturday, August 4; whenever during the day Where: Inglewood Sunfest/Gravity Espresso and Wine Bar What: A pseudo-occupy with lattes and more Why: I'm tired of coming up with reasons to do something fun

[patiosunday]

occupy @vlrny's (take three)

Occupy Broken City last Sunday--where we sat for hours, munched on some tasty grindage and played a variety of games--was excellent! Not too hot; not too cool. Goldilocks would have loved it.

Tonight (yes, yes, I know--very short notice, though most of you in the know knew that we were planning something) for a variety of sleep-deprived reasons, we're downgrading tonight's outdoor occupy to a movie night at @vlrny's. So come one, come all (who know where they're going). Bring your treats and crash with an as yet-to-be-determined flick. I promise we'll do it up outdoors again soon before the warm weather flees (stay tuned for next weekend!) but tonight, it's time for a down-home experience.

When: Friday, August 3; 7pm Where: @vlrny's house What: Indoor occupy complete with food and film Who: You (know who you are) Why: Because @shannoetry is too fucking tired

As always, watch @occupypatio and the #occupypatio hashtag on Twitter for updates and more info. See you tonight!

[patiosunday]

occupy broken city

Occupy @lyinghere's a few weeks ago proved to be a fantastic time! With the BBQ out, a kiddie pool to soak our tootsies in, and even a little late-night serenade from the man himself. Thanks again, @lyinghere and roommates for hosting us. We'll be back (whether you see us coming or not, methinks).

We skipped an "unofficial occupy" last weekend, too. It's great! These things are getting a life of their own: anyone associted with the occupy patio movement are picking up the ball and running with it. It's like occupypatiox (that's a TEDx reference, btw). Thanks to @outdoorphil (a regular occupy patioer and big-time supporter) for suggesting a wandering occupy patio at Sunday's Sun and Salsa Fest in Kensington. After a few hours of roaming, our little band settled on The Bottlehouse patio for some tasty treats and conversation.

So now it's on to our next official occupy destination:

When: Sunday, July 29; 2:00pm to whenever Where: Broken City, 613-11 Ave SW (it's a rooftop!) What: Sun, friends, fun, maybe some music, and a little gaming thrown in. That's right, you heard me -- got a board game you're dying to bust out? Bring it along! Personally, I've been jonesin' for some Poker, so you never know Who: You. And whomever you'd like to bring along

As always, keep an eye out for the #occupypatio hashtag on Twitter for any changes, developments or updates. See you Sunday!

[patiosunday]

occupy @lyinghere's

Thanks to everyone who stuck with us amidst changes -- and rain -- to hang out for Occupy Canada Day. After doing our own things for most of the day, we settled on the (thankfully covered) Bottlescrew Bill's patio for a good few hours. Despite it being Canada Day -- one of the busiest patio-sitting days of the season -- Bill's wasn't over-crowded, so it was the perfect spot.

Our next destination is a private event. This Friday, July 13, we're occupying @lyinghere's backyard. This event is a special Stampede Rants edition, so if you can't make it, be sure to keep an eye on the #stampederants hashtag for all the ranty-goodness. so here's the deets:

When: Friday, July 13, 2012; 7pm start until whenever Where: @lyinghere's abode. If you already know @lyinghere, then you're invited. Simply DM him for his address if you don't already have it. What: A BYOBBBQable potluck. Bring along BBQ goodies and a side dish and we'll hunker down and enjoy. It's also a chance to vent your Stampede frustrations -- should you have any. If you're me -- which is not so ranty about "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth", then just sit back and watch the sparks fly! When we get @jennashummoogum and @vlrny on a ranting roll, a good night is had by all!

As always, follow @occupypatio and the #occupypatio hashtag on Twitter for additional info and juicy gossip. For this special event, don't forget about the #stampederants hashtag -- it's bound to be a good'un.

[patiosunday]

occupy canada day!

We got a bit rained out for last week's Occupy BBQ at Edworthy, which ended up being a blessing since it meant we could all revert to Plan B -- crashing at @vlrny's! Always the supreme hostess, we had goodies, tea and fantastic conversation. Thanks to everyone who came out: @donnavenzi @kan_ @outdoorphil @lonnietaylor @Lydyzze @kirk_werklund @danellew @mbraithwaite @ASKdesignCSI @xyfir and our non-Twitter friends! We're still planning get out in the sunshine and BBQ during the Calgary summer, so stay tuned for another (rainless, hopefully) occupy BBQ near you!

This coming weekend is Canada's biggest party of the year. Yes, that's right -- it's Canada Day! And we're celebrating it the best way we know how: by sitting on a patio.

Well... first we're hangin' out at the Rosscarrock Outdoor Party and Bazaar. Phase I:

When: Canada Day - Sunday, July 1, 2012; 1pm Where: 4411, 10 Avenue SW What: @Sambaclown is dancing with the West African percussion group, Rythym Method!

The bazaar runs 11am to 3pm, so you're welcome to check it out early to enjoy the goings on. @vlrny will be on hand for Rythm Method at 1 if anyone's looking to join. You can find out more at http://rosscarrock.blogspot.ca/2012/06/canada-day-outdoor-party-and-bazaar.html?m=1

At 3:30pm, join us for Phase II of the great Canada Day plan:

When: Sunday, July 1, 2012; 3:30pm Where: East Village Street Fair -- RiverWalk Plaza in back of (that is, facing the River) of the Simmon's Building; 618 Confluence Way SE What: There's fun, crafts and YYC food trucks along the RiverWalk between 10am and 5pm. We'll meet up here for some yummy food truck-goodness and then plot our next destination. If it's a nearby patio, great!

You can find more info on the East Village Street Fair -- including location, and the locations of other Canada Day festivities going on -- at this handy-dandy virtual map: http://www.calgarycanadaday.ca/?page_id=47

For more info on the East Village Street Fair in particular, look here: http://evexperience.com/events/apr-20/canada-day-east-village

As always, if you can't find us/meet up with us in time, or to see if anything else changes, be sure to follow @occupypatio on Twitter, and watch for the #occupypatio hashtag.

It might be a little crazy to try and patio-sit on Canada Day -- since the rest of Calgary will be doing just that, weather permitting -- but maybe we are. A little crazy, that is. See you Sunday!

[patiosunday]

occupy bbq

We had a great, relaxing time hanging out on the Extreme Bean patio on Saturday. It was a beautifully warm, just-breezy-enough day to sip some tea and enjoy some munchables. Thanks to @outdoorphil, @lyinghere and @flamescrazy for coming out!

We're already ready for our next occupy event - Occupy BBQ at Edworthy Park. We're celebrating the return of our good friend, @vlrny! So here's the details:

When: Saturday, June 23, 2012; 6:00pm to whenever Where: Edworthy Park. We'll meet at the lower parking lot on the south end (accessed from Spruce Drive) and scope out our final destination from there. What: A BBQ, of course! What to bring: Some BBQables - either for yourself or to share - and a potluck side to share. You're also welcome to bring along a blanket (or blankets) and summer chair, because you never know. Why: A myriad of reasons, really - it's summer and we want to; Edworthy is nice; after five weeks, our beloved Vlrny is coming home! The usual stuff.

If you can't join us at 6pm in said parking lot, follow @occupypatio to find out where we've landed. You can also learn more by checking out the hashtags #vlrnyreturns and #occupypatio. Don't forget to dress appropriately. Unless it's pouring, we're planning to hang out, drizzle or dry.

Hope to see you there!

[patiosunday]

occupy patio challenge

This past weekend, @outdoorphil came up with a brilliant idea - a challenge to find the perfect, tucked away, hidden, nobody-knows-about-it patio in Calgary. I liked the sound of that. I thought to myself, "Self, let's engage the network of occupy patio-ers to make this a reality!"

So here's your challenge, should you choose to accepte it: find the quiet, forgotten but lovely patio of our dreams this summer. You know the one - not on a loud, busy street; never full; good food/drink/ambiance. Is it tucked away in your neighborhood? Or lurking on a secluded rooftop downtown?

Maybe you've already found it. Maybe you frequent it every Thursday night after work, or you've just driven by. If you think you've found the perfect hidden patio, let us know and we'll arrange a stop on the summer of patios tour! If you haven't found it yet, then what are you waiting for? Go out, discover and enjoy! (And then report back so we can all swarm it).

[patiosunday]

occupy extreme bean

We had a good'ol time occupying Fionn MacCool's - since it was too cool and windy to sit out at Barley Mill as planned. We'll come back to Barley Mill, don't you worry!

Thanks to @outdoorphil for braving the weather and coming out to clean up around Eau Claire as part of Mayor @nenshi's 20-Minute Makeover on Sunday. We put away some trash and then some Perrier.

Our next occupy is all set! This coming Saturday, June 16, we'll be occupying Extreme Bean, 3303 3 Ave NW. This quaint little coffee shop and eatery is located on Memorial Drive NW and features free (limited) parking! If you're taking the bus, it stops convniently close - just east of Extreme Bean. 1/2 a block, tops! It also has a lovely patio that faces the Bow River pathway, so we'll not only soak up some sun (hopefully), we'll be able to enjoy the natural beauty of our fair city.

If the weather gets in our way this weekend, Extreme Bean is still the perfect place to relax indoors with tasty food, a decent dessert menu, comfy chairs and a fireplace. So grab your knitting - if you want to - and join us:

When: Saturday, June 16; 3:30pm Where: Extreme Bean, 3303 3 Ave NW Why: Because everyone needs to sit on a lovely patio next to the river at some point this summer Who: Well, you of course! And anyone you want to bring with you What: Patio-sitting! And some reading/knitting/card playing if you're interested. Bring it along!

Don't forget to follow @occupypatio on Twitter for updates and more.

[patiosunday]

Join us for the #occupypatio twist on Calgary's 20-Minute Makeover! 4:30pm Sunday, June 10 outside Good Earth Eau Claire.

[patiosunday]

occupy fionn maccool's and Calgary's 20-minute makeover

We had a great time occupying Main Dish two weeks ago for their Celebrity Burger Cookoff! Some great local celebs were out for the day - including a handful of Stampeder's, the Stampede Royalty, Canadian Olympians, media personality Jill Belland, and the Guinness record-holding charity hockey team of recent fame! Tasty, fire-grilled burgers with creative toppings were plentiful, capped off with a refreshing beverage from the Village Brewery truck. Thanks to @outdoorphil for coming out and inviting one of his many Meetup groups!

Now, a few weeks ago @vlrny suggested we take patio-sitting to a whole new level and do a little good, before we have a beer. So this weekend we'll be taking part in Calgary's 20-Minute Makeover. Join us in front of Good Earth (the outdoor entrance, not the one inside the mall) at Eau Claire Market at 4:30pm on Sunday, June 10. We'll be cleaning up the Eau Claire/Prince's Island area for 20 minutes before heading back to Barley Mill for 5pm.

Now, we're all Calgarians - some of us born here, some of us weren't so lucky - so we're familiar with the changeable nature of YYC weather. At the time of this writing, we're looking at rain. But... that's changed a good three or four times since this past weekend. As with any patio outing, it's weather-reliant. So here's our rain plan:

No rain - meet at Good Earth Eau Claire at 4:30pm and we'll clean up before reconvening at Barley Mill for 5.

Rain - meet at Good Earth Eau Claire at 4:30pm and we'll head on over to Fionn MacCool's instead! If it's packed to the gills, watch the Twitter stream and you'll likely find us at Garage shooting a little pool, or over at Joey Eau Claire. If the rain prevents us from doing our part to clean up, we'll add in our own 20-minute tidy at the next sunny patio event.

Be sure to follow @occupypatio for updates and any changes to the plan because, y'know, it happens. Hope to see you there!

Note: If all goes as planned and we're cleaning up Calgary for 20 minutes on Sunday, you'll probably want to come prepared. Wear an old sweatshirt you can take off and leave in your car; bring some gloves if you so desire, things like that. And don't forget a garbage bag, you'll need it. And maybe some hand sanitizer - your choice.