README.md

• install gcalcli and connect it up to your account (gcalcli agenda after install should start the auth process)
• write the python file above to somewhere (I use ~/.i3/cal_wrapper.py)
• setup your ~/.i3/config with the status_command above
• reload i3

optional

I added the following cron entry to alert via notify-send and dunst gives me warnings */5 * * * * gcalcli remind

cal_wrapper.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
import sys
import json
import subprocess

def get_next_meeting():
    return subprocess.check_output("gcalcli --nostarted --nocolor agenda | head -2 | tail -1", 
            shell=True).rstrip()

def print_line(message):
    """ Non-buffered printing to stdout. """
    sys.stdout.write(message + '\n')
    sys.stdout.flush()

def read_line():
    """ Interrupted respecting reader for stdin. """
    # try reading a line, removing any extra whitespace
    try:
        line = sys.stdin.readline().strip()
        # i3status sends EOF, or an empty line
        if not line:
            sys.exit(3)
        return line
    # exit on ctrl-c
    except KeyboardInterrupt:
        sys.exit()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    # Skip the first line which contains the version header.
    print_line(read_line())

    # The second line contains the start of the infinite array.
    print_line(read_line())

    while True:
        line, prefix = read_line(), ''
        # ignore comma at start of lines
        if line.startswith(','):
            line, prefix = line[1:], ','

        j = json.loads(line)
        # insert information into the start of the json, but could be anywhere
        # CHANGE THIS LINE TO INSERT SOMETHING ELSE
        #j.insert(0, {'full_text' : '%s' % get_governor(), 'name' : 'gov'})
        j.insert(0, {
            'full_text' : ' %s' % get_next_meeting(), 
            'name' : 'agenda', 
            'color' : '#FFC671'
            })
        # and echo back new encoded json
        print_line(prefix+json.dumps(j))

i3config

bar {
	separator_symbol "¦"
        status_command i3status | ~/.i3/cal_wrapper.py
	position bottom
	font pango:FontAwesome 14
  colors {
    background #073642
    statusline #839496
    separator #b58900
    # class border backgrd text
    focused_workspace #cb4b16 #cb4b16 #ffffff
    active_workspace  #cb4b16 #cb4b16 #ffffff
    inactive_workspace #252525 #252525 #6b6b6b
    urgent_workspace #252525 #252525 #c7a551
  }
}