The Pop-Up Press
The Sprawl’s Pop-Up Press is a creative experiment that combines local journalism, cycling and letterpress printing.
We took a cast-iron printing press (a 1967 Kelsey Excelsior) and, in 2025, mounted it into a cargo e-trike. We pedal the Pop-Up Press around Calgary to festivals, libraries, schools—and more!—so Calgarians can experience the pleasure of analog printing, seeing firsthand how newspapers and books and everything else used to be printed.
It’s also a way to share local history with Calgarians, as we often have historic photos on the press for people to print.
If you have an idea for where The Sprawl's pop-up press should go next, drop us a note at hello@sprawlcalgary.com. See you on the road!
UPCOMING POP-UPS
Shelf Life Books (1302 4 St S.W.)
Saturday, April 25, 2026
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join us for Canadian Independent Bookstore Day!
