diff --git a/tests/test_calendar_dispatcher.py b/tests/test_calendar_dispatcher.py
index a6896cf9..d37a7b08 100644
--- a/tests/test_calendar_dispatcher.py
+++ b/tests/test_calendar_dispatcher.py
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 from trading_calendars.calendar_utils import TradingCalendarDispatcher
 from trading_calendars.exchange_calendar_iepa import IEPAExchangeCalendar
 
+import pandas as pd
+import pytz
+
 
 class CalendarAliasTestCase(TestCase):
 
@@ -18,8 +21,8 @@ def setupClass(cls):
         # Make a calendar once so that we don't spend time in every test
         # instantiating calendars.
         cls.dispatcher_kwargs = dict(
-            calendars={'IEPA': IEPAExchangeCalendar()},
-            calendar_factories={},
+            calendars={},
+            calendar_factories={'IEPA': IEPAExchangeCalendar},
             aliases={
                 'IEPA_ALIAS': 'IEPA',
                 'IEPA_ALIAS_ALIAS': 'IEPA_ALIAS',
@@ -104,3 +107,10 @@ def test_get_calendar_names(self):
             sorted(self.dispatcher.get_calendar_names()),
             ['IEPA', 'IEPA_ALIAS', 'IEPA_ALIAS_ALIAS']
         )
+
+    def test_kwarg_passing(self):
+        start_date = pd.Timestamp('2000-01-03', tz=pytz.UTC)
+        cal = self.dispatcher.get_calendar(
+            'IEPA', start=start_date
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(cal.first_session, start_date)
diff --git a/trading_calendars/calendar_utils.py b/trading_calendars/calendar_utils.py
index f426f4cf..6d6d664a 100644
--- a/trading_calendars/calendar_utils.py
+++ b/trading_calendars/calendar_utils.py
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def __init__(self, calendars, calendar_factories, aliases):
         self._calendar_factories = dict(calendar_factories)
         self._aliases = dict(aliases)
 
-    def get_calendar(self, name):
+    def get_calendar(self, name, **kwargs):
         """
         Retrieves an instance of an TradingCalendar whose name is given.
 
@@ -170,7 +170,10 @@ def get_calendar(self, name):
         ----------
         name : str
             The name of the TradingCalendar to be retrieved.
-
+        kwargs: Dict[str, Any]
+            Optional keyword args passed to calendar `__init__.
+            Note: Arguments are only passed when the calendar is first
+            constructed. Subsequent calls will not affect the calendar.
         Returns
         -------
         calendar : calendars.TradingCalendar
@@ -191,7 +194,7 @@ def get_calendar(self, name):
             raise InvalidCalendarName(calendar_name=name)
 
         # Cache the calendar for future use.
-        calendar = self._calendars[canonical_name] = factory()
+        calendar = self._calendars[canonical_name] = factory(**kwargs)
         return calendar
 
     def get_calendar_names(self):