Celebrate Father's Day with furry dads at the Calgary Zoo

Gentoo penguins settle in to their new pen during opening day of the Penguin Plunge exhibit at the Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Alberta on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. (Larry MacDougal / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

There’s plenty of options available for Calgarians wondering what to do for dad this Father’s Day weekend.

For some, Father’s Day involves spending time doing what dads like, golfing or fishing on the Bow River, but for others, it’s a time for family gatherings and the giving gifts.

Calgary Zoo is a place where dads can visit other dads, especially the furry kind.

“There’s lots of zoo dads you can come and see,” said Lauryn Record, coordinator of interpretive planning.

“We were really fortunate this year to have four mountain goat kids born and their dad, Yukon, is awesome to see.”

The Calgary Zoo’s penguins, which are a part of the species survival program, are also good animal dads.  Before a chick is born, both parents incubate the egg, passing it back and forth.

“It can be every day up to every six days, and the other parent will go off and forage and eat then they come back and switch,” said Record.

Another option is Heritage Park, next to the Glenmore Reservoir, where there are several activities for the entire family.

“It’s a great place to celebrate Father’s Day,” said spokeswoman Barb Munro.

“Not only can you make memories with your own dad, you get to celebrate the fathers of our past, such as Peter Prince and Sam Livingston.”

Families can treat dad to brunch on the patio at the Selkirk Grill restaurant then go for a cruise on the Glenmore Reservoir.

“We have the train, the S.S Moyie paddle-wheeler which is back on the water this year,” said Munro.

You can also kick off Father’s Day weekend at McMahon Stadium on Saturday with a Calgary Stampeders tailgate party starting at 2 p.m.

This year’s season home opener features the Stampeders versus the Ottawa Redblacks, in a rematch of last year’s Grey Cup finals.

Kickoff is 5 p.m.