Today, we want to gift you with these holiday party ideas for your favourite small group. Whether you are celebrating with a small group of friends, family or your work team, these ideas are a sure way to factor in some festive fun and keep your bank account jolly at the same time. The list is mostly nice, not too naughty, definitely novel and filled with affordable party ideas.

1. Beer and Bowling

Breweries like National on 10th in Calgary have a bowling alley and, they take bookings in advance.  High Rollers in Banff features both beer and pizza – yum. And in Edmonton, try third generation owned Plaza Bowling for their Pints and Pins lanes. Go all out and have team bowling shirts made. Who knows, this could be your new brainstorming centre.

2. Nosh a Neighbourhood 

Our Craving Kensington or Savour 17 SW  tours in Calgary or Strathcona Brunch and Bakeries tour in Edmonton can be booked year round. You might want to gift the gang some cozy toques and mitts, but we are game to go out in all-weather if you are. Our tasting stops are close together and we are rarely outside for more than a few minutes of brisk walking.

3. Hit the target

Find a brewpub like Wild Rose Brewery in Calgary and book a tour and pub night complete with a round robin darts championship. Skip the trophy and send the winner home with one of their 25 beer mini-keg “party pigs”. Now that’s a prize with serious bragging rights.

4. Appreciate your group AND art

You can do both at the same time with our “state of the art” food and art appreciation tour in Calgary. It’s very aptly called Palate to Palette. This three hour tour starts with brunch at Hotel Arts and includes art talks and/or  tastings at Yellow Door Bistro, Ten Foot Henry, Decadent Brulee, Cookbook Co. Cooks, Metro Vino and Gibson Fine Art  where owner Patti Dibski will demystify art buying, collecting and appreciation.  The whole experience is approachable yet classy and can be booked through info@albertafoodtours.ca

5. Find higher ground at The Highwood or Ernest’s 

The Highwood and Ernest’s are dining rooms cum class rooms at SAIT and NAIT Polytechnic’s Schools of Hospitality and Tourism. You can score a multi-course meal for about $55 – $99 per person in elegant settings and support the higher learning of culinary and hospitality students at the same time.

6. Vote for the Viking approach

Alberta’s cities are filled with clubs for immigrant populations to connect but they are all open to the public as well and they offer incredible food and experiences at affordable prices. One example is to take your fierce crew to The Danish Canadian Club in Calgary. They offer a wonderful smorgasbord plus or minus a few shots of aquavit. Scandinavian food is ultra hip right now. Just remember to say “Skol” and call a taxi service post pillaging.

7. Graze your gang

On a weekend morning in Calgary or Edmonton’s Chinatowns you can eat and be entertained with Dim Sum. In Calgary, the Silver Dragon is great for Dim Sum or you can hang out for an evening of D-I-Y Chinese fondue with the “Hot Pot” buffet at Regency Palace.

8. Take a mini-break in the mountains

Take time for our Canmore Tasting Trail. We offer a winterized version of this tour for midday or early evening eats. After the tour, you can take advantage of this great shopping guide and then meet up at one of Canmore’s great breweries or distilleries before you make your way back to the city. Let us book an executive ride for you so everyone can join in the holiday cheer. OR Try renting snow shoes or ice skates in Banff and work up an appetite to Eat the Castle at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel on our luxurious 2.5 hour happy hour guided history and premium food and wine tasting tour (for up to 12 guests) Inquire at info@albertafoodtours.ca

9. Gift an experience

Can’t find a date for a get-together? You can still enrich your relationships with an experience your gift recipients can enjoy on their own free time with our Alberta Food Tours’ Gift Certificates. Millennial-minded people crave experiences over stuff. Baby boomers have enough stuff and crave time with their adult children. Our food tours are the perfect inter-generational match-up. They come in any denomination and are always available – even on Christmas morning!

10. Eat Alberta First

This is our company motto and if you want to encourage your family, friends or colleagues to get out, explore AND get a taste of this wonderful province then this #EatAlbertaFirst gift box – that was carefully curated by our president Karen Anderson – can be ordered and shipped anywhere in Canada. It includes tasty examples of Alberta’s seven signature foods and the newly released Food Artisans of Alberta – Your Guide to the Best of Our Locally-Crafted Fare.