As surely as autumn gently coaxes the golden leaves from the trees and sends the birds southward, this season of fresh air and natural beauty sees the arrival of seasonal shoes in city stores. The following shoe shops and boot boutiques carry men’s and women’s footwear from casual to formal with all stops (and steps) in between.

Workout gear should be both practical and handsome enough to juice your self-confidence while you hit the gym or the city’s exercise-friendly outdoor pathways. A number of fitness gear shops carry a very healthy range of just such stylishly practical fitness apparel.

Chances are, half the people you know are ordering Chinese food for dinner this very night. Maybe the city’s No. 1 delivery cuisine, it’s comfort food that you most likely can’t create in your own kitchen. It’s also generally value priced and makes the next day’s leftovers a treat. These Chinese restaurants deliver in every sense of the word.

Food and a film is a great combo, however, the annual Calgary International Film Festival (CIFF) makes dinner and a movie extra special from September 21 to October 2. Launched with a gala party and film screening at the Jack Singer Concert Hall, it’s followed by more than 200 screenings at Eau Claire Market Cinemas and Globe Cinema. Make CIFF movie nights memorable at these eateries.

What makes a good “girls night out” spot? Only the girls know for sure, but you can bet that it involves a combination of great music and wine, fun atmosphere and a lot of laughs. These Calgary venues offer all this and more.

Calgary’s Beakerhead festival transforms the city into an open laboratory of engineering and interactive artistry from September 16 to 20. As part of its Engineered Eats initiative, the city’s chefs and bartenders play mad scientist, serving gastronomically engineered dishes that elevate the humble egg to space-age heights. Here are a few. Photo of Catch chef Terrance Copland by Curtis Anderson, courtesy Beakerhead.

Alberta’s favourite Chinese-Canadian dish, ginger beef is believed to have been invented decades ago in one of the city’s Chinese restaurant kitchens. Battered, deep-fried beef strips smothered in sweet-and-tangy orange chili sauce (sans ginger!), it’s a guilty pleasure for foodies and just plain old delicious comfort food for everyone else. These restaurants serve some of the best ginger beef you’ll find anywhere.

When you just need to escape the city for a few hours, take a drive to one of many small-town restaurants within easy road-trip reach of Calgary. From Cochrane to Canmore, Okotoks to Strathmore and Bragg Creek, the variety of eateries and cuisine styles is surprising.

From hiking in the Alberta Badlands and horseback riding in the foothills to rock climbing in the mountains, Calgarians have access to a crazy array of summer outdoor activities. Get the gear for the recreational activity of your choice at these well-stocked shops.

There aren’t enough Thai restaurants in this town, but the handful Calgary does have are real winners and often quite busy. Fragrant with basil, galangal, satay and lemongrass, their cuisine styles and dish selections are typically extensive and deliciously diverse from place to place.

It’s all Greek to me, and deliciously so. Calgary’s Greek restaurants feature a mix of classic and updated Mediterranean cuisine. Here are a few of the city’s best.

Calgary Opera’s Opera in the Village takes place in an open-air tent on the East Village RiverWalk on August 13, 14, 20, 21, 2016. Performances of Hansel and Gretel and Archiebaldo! begin at 1 pm and 7 pm, respectively. Purchase tickets early, and pair the evening affair with reservations at one of the following nearby eateries. Photo by Trudie Lee: Lynne McMurtry and Tracy Dahl in Candide.