Summer draws crowds to Canmore and Banff with new restaurants, shops, and live theatre
Hunter steakhouse, Studio 103 Reformer Pilates, The Bike Shop, and The Cheezie Musical are among the new arrivals transforming the mountain towns' dining and recreation scenes.
Sources · local media reports
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Mountain towns near Calgary are offering a fresh slate of summer attractions, from fine dining to fitness and theatre.
In Canmore, Hunter—a new steakhouse that opened in June—offers shrimp cocktail, wedge salad, steak tartare, and prime cuts cooked on a wood-fired Josper grill that combines charcoal, hardwood, and precise temperature control. The restaurant is a Concorde Entertainment Group spot at 1020 Spring Creek Drive.
Also new to Canmore is Studio 103 Reformer Pilates (200, 817 Main Street), which opened in June and hosts weekly classes for all ages and skill levels. Guests can choose from three membership options or buy single or multi-class passes.
The Bike Shop is opening a new location this summer at 901 Mina Street in Canmore, offering bikes, accessories, apparel, and bike parts. The shop will also serve local brews and food from a small menu for riders finishing a day on the trails.
Canmore's The Sunday Social, a weekly summer running crew launched this year, meets every Sunday at 8 a.m. until September 6 at Lovely Ice Cream (101, 200 Old Canmore Road). The group sets out on a new five-kilometre route each week, designed for all abilities.
The Carter-Ryan Gallery and Live Theatre brings The Cheezie Musical: The Unofficial Underdog Story Of The Snack That United A Nation to the stage, running until August 15. The original musical tells the story of Hawkins Cheezies and its rise as a symbol of national pride (705 Main Street).
In Banff, Dusty Boots Dance Hall and Saloon (120 Banff Avenue, open since January) offers fancy cocktails, cold beer, and western fare alongside live music. The menu includes Frank's smashed cucumbers, mushroom and Comté toast, and old school shrimp cocktail. Free line dancing happens Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the venue books free karaoke rooms for parties up to 30 guests.
The Whyte Museum launched two exhibitions in May—Thick as Thieves, exploring themes like mutual desire and fraternity, and When our eyes touch, which looks at the lives and careers of museum founders Peter Whyte and Catharine Robb Whyte through portraiture. Both run until November 8 (111 Bear Street).
By the numbers
When did Hunter steakhouse open in Canmore?
Hunter opened in June 2026 at 1020 Spring Creek Drive in Canmore.
Until when does The Cheezie Musical run in Canmore?
The Cheezie Musical: The Unofficial Underdog Story Of The Snack That United A Nation runs until August 15, 2026 at The Carter-Ryan Gallery and Live Theatre.
When does The Sunday Social running crew meet in Canmore?
The Sunday Social meets every Sunday at 8 a.m. until September 6, 2026 at Lovely Ice Cream in Canmore, with a different five-kilometre route each week.
Until when do The Whyte Museum exhibitions run in Banff?
'Thick as Thieves' and 'When our eyes touch' both run until November 8, 2026 at The Whyte Museum in Banff.
