Knox United Church - Historical Resource and Arts Venue

For over 100 years, the Knox United Church has been a space where the community gathers to mark special occasions, to hear a concert, to spend a quiet moment, to engage with the community.  As an historic building, there are many challenges to keeping it a place that is hospitable and open to all people.  Maintenance and upgrades to the historic building are significant each year.

Knox United Church's Annual Carol Festival

Every December since 1978, choirs from diverse backgrounds, ages and parts of the city come together to kick-off the holiday season and share in song and celebration as part of the Knox United Annual Carol Festival. Over 30 choirs participate in this beloved annual event and share songs of the season. The audience is also invited to participate in a seasonal sing-along throughout the evening. In 2024, over 1500 people attended this 3-day event, over 2775 pounds of food and $11,355.55 for the Calgary Food Bank.

In 1978, Knox United Church introduced the first annual Christmas Carol Festival, inviting a wide variety of choirs from the City of Calgary to perform over three evenings in Knox United Church's beautiful sanctuary. The Downtown Rotary Club sponsored the event for the first three years. CBC Radio continued the sponsorship by recording the choirs’ performances and re-broadcasting their music during the holiday season. In 2009, the event was renamed the Calgary Carol Festival to emphasize the broader community celebration of the event.

Once again, all choirs in the City of Calgary will be invited to participate in the 2025 event. Participation is free. The dates are November 29, 30 and December 1, 2025. Knox is inviting donors to underwrite the cost of the event ($3000/night), which includes the rental of the space and nightly musicians. Thank you for your consideration in supporting the Calgary Carol Festival.