Light Cellar
Light Cellar Open House Event - September 13
Registration is now closed, but you’re still welcome to join us!
You can join us in person at The Light Cellar or tune in online for the live class at the time listed below.
Online: Join the live class here → Stream the class
If that is full you can view the Livestream on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YdPsneJOhU
In person: Come join us at The Light Cellar. We’d love to have you!
Date: September 13 at 2:30pm MST
This free class is being presented as part of the Light Cellar Open House on September 13.
Registering for this session also gives you access to the full Open House and all of the day's available recordings.
Light Cellar Open House
A Free Day of Learning, Tasting & Community
Free Community Event
Date: September 13, 2026
Time: All-Day Event + Free Live Classes Below
Join In-Person or Online
Location: Light Cellar Teaching Kitchen
6531 Bowness Rd NW, Calgary
Come for one class—or stay for the whole day
You’re invited to spend the day learning, tasting, exploring, and connecting at the Light Cellar Open House.
Throughout the event, we’ll be offering a series of free live classes and demonstrations covering some of the topics we’re most passionate about—from food and fermentation to herbs, mushrooms, chocolate, wild foods, and practical skills you can bring into everyday life.
Drop in for the session that interests you most, join us for several, or stay for the entire event.
It’s designed to be relaxed, welcoming, and easy to explore.
Bring a friend, bring your family, meet like-minded people, ask questions, taste a few things along the way, and discover a new area of learning that sparks your curiosity.
What to expect
Throughout the Open House you can:
- Join multiple free classes and demonstrations
- Learn directly from Light Cellar instructors and special guests
- Taste samples during select sessions
- Ask questions and participate in live discussion
- Discover new ingredients, foods, herbs, and preparations
- Explore the different learning pathways available through Light Cellar
- Connect with other curious, health-minded members of the community
Each presentation will have its own focus and will include time for questions.
Some sessions may also include tastings, demonstrations, or hands-on elements.
Choose how you join
Join In-Person
Come to the Light Cellar Teaching Kitchen and experience the sessions live.
Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
You’re welcome to arrive for a particular class or spend the entire day with us.
Join Online
Can’t make it to Light Cellar?
Select sessions will also be streamed live so you can participate from home.
Register for the Open House and we’ll send you the details for joining online.
Want the recordings?
If you would like access to the available class recordings after the event, please register in advance.
Registered participants will receive:
- Event reminders and updates
- Online access details
- The available session recordings after the event
- Any relevant notes or resources shared by the instructors
Even if you’re planning to attend in person, registering is the easiest way to make sure you receive everything afterward.
Bring someone with you
The Open House is designed for beginners and longtime Light Cellar community members alike.
Feel free to bring:
- Friends
- Family
- Partners
- Someone who has never been to Light Cellar before
No previous knowledge or experience is required.
Come curious.
SESSION 1 — 10:00am
The Natural Food Guide
How to Cut Through Diet Confusion & Build a More Nourishing Way of Eating
with Malcolm Saunders
Discover a simple framework for making sense of food beyond diets, fads, and conflicting nutrition advice. Malcolm introduces the Four Kingdoms of Food — Plants, Animals, Bacteria & Fungi — and shows how they can become a practical guide for building a more diverse and nourishing way of eating.
SESSION 2 — 11:30am
Ferments in Real Life
Simple Ways to Use Fermented Foods Every Day
with Malcolm Saunders & Chef Alex Hamilton
Fermented foods can be far more useful than something you occasionally eat from a jar. Learn practical ways to bring ferments, brines, cultured foods, and living flavours into everyday meals while discovering why fermentation has been such an important food tradition across cultures.
SESSION 3 — 1:00pm
Hydrosol High
Immerse Yourself in the Aromatic World of Botanical Waters
with Malcolm Saunders & Vivian Safaris
Spritz, sip, smell, and experience your way through the fascinating world of hydrosols. Discover how botanical waters are created through distillation, what makes them unique, and practical ways to use them in food, drinks, personal care, and everyday herbal rituals.
SESSION 4 — 2:30pm
9 Medicinal Mushrooms You Should Know
Famous Fungi, Local Species & How to Use Them
with Malcolm Saunders
Meet nine important medicinal mushrooms, from famous fungi like Reishi, Chaga, and Lion’s Mane to species and relatives found closer to home. Learn what makes each mushroom unique, how they have traditionally been used, and practical ways to begin exploring the fungal kingdom yourself.
SESSION 5 — 4:00pm
Chocolate Alchemy: An Introduction
Discover What Makes Truly Nourishing Chocolate — and Taste the Difference
with Malcolm Saunders & Chef Alex Hamilton
Explore chocolate from bean to bar and discover how sourcing, ingredients, processing, and preparation shape flavour, quality, and experience. Taste the difference for yourself while learning what goes into crafting truly exceptional chocolate and how to begin working with cacao at home.
A day to explore what interests you
You don’t need to already know what you’re interested in.
That’s part of the point.
Maybe you arrive curious about fermentation and leave fascinated by mushrooms.
Maybe you come for chocolate and discover herbal medicine.
Maybe one session introduces you to a skill you continue exploring for years.
The Open House is an opportunity to experience a little of what Light Cellar is all about:
learning practical skills, reconnecting with food and the natural world, and sharing that experience with others.
We’d love to have you join us.