What Is the 2026 NARGS Conference & Annual General Meeting Hosted by CRAGS?

Updated

The Calgary Rock and Alpine Garden Society (CRAGS) is hosting the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS) Conference & Annual General Meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from June 25–28, 2026, under the theme "High & Dry in the Chinook Zone." The gathering is aimed at rock gardeners and combines confirmed speaker presentations with visits to member and municipal rock gardens and guided field trips to the nearby Rocky Mountain Front Range. The CRAGS website provides a "Click For Conference Schedule" link for the detailed program.

When and where

  • Dates: June 25–28, 2026
  • Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Theme: "High & Dry in the Chinook Zone"

Calgary sits at the western edge of the Northern Great Plains, within sight of the Rocky Mountains, at an elevation of about 1,045 m (3,400 ft). The club notes that cool nights at this elevation favor rock and alpine gardens, even though warm, drying chinook winds punctuate otherwise cold winters. That local contrast is effectively the subject of the conference theme.

What the program includes

The page describes three main components:

  1. Speaker presentations from a confirmed international and regional lineup.
  2. Garden visits to CRAGS members' gardens and municipal rock gardens the club helped develop, where the opportunities and challenges of gardening in the chinook zone are discussed.
  3. Field trips to the nearby Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, offering a guided introduction to native alpine flora.

The page also notes that six UNESCO World Heritage Sites with alpine or dryland rock-loving vegetation lie within a 2 to 7 hour drive of Calgary — useful context if you plan to extend your stay.

Confirmed speakers

Speaker Based in
Vojtěch Holubec Czech Republic
Jay Akerley Kamloops, British Columbia
Todd Boland St. John's, Newfoundland
Stephanie Ferguson Calgary, Alberta
Mike Bone Denver, Colorado
John Noad Calgary, Alberta

How to get the schedule and details

The conference description on crags.ca includes a "Click For Conference Schedule" link. Start there for the session-by-session program. The page does not state registration fees, deadlines, or whether registration is open, so confirm those details through the schedule link or by contacting CRAGS directly rather than assuming.

Related CRAGS events

The same page lists a regular club meeting that shows how CRAGS programming works alongside the conference:

  • "Plants of the Chilean Andes" with Elizabeth & Danny Elliott
  • Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
  • Time: Hall doors open 6:00 p.m.; talk at 7:00 p.m.
  • Location: Lakeview Community Association Hall, 6110-34th Street SW, with a Zoom option
  • Parking: Free

If you are considering the conference, a local meeting like this is a low-commitment way to sample the society's format and speakers first.