TRAVEL AWAITS: 13 Rowdy Reasons The Calgary Stampede Is the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth

The original article was published in Travel Awaits on April 22, 2023

The Calgary Stampede has earned the title “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.” The Houston Rodeo extends for twice as long, but Calgary’s own has thrilled millions for more than 111 years, running through even the two world wars. For the very first time, it was canceled in 2020 because of Covid.  The next year, a scaled-down event was staged. In 2022, the organizers declared they were “back in the saddle” with the theme  “Together Again.” But it was this year's Stampede (July 7-16) that signaled it is back with the second highest attendance in history at 1.385 m.

Back in 2013, we got to see the show for the first time while visiting my Calgary-based daughter. It wasn’t Covid but heavy rainfall that triggered Alberta’s worst flooding and threatened cancellation. Thousands of volunteers managed to get the show together in time. Coined in the late 1800s to describe cowboys having to cross flooding rivers to bring cattle to the railroads, “Come Hell or High Water” was on T-shirts that sold out. The theme became “We’re Greatest Together.”

That year we experienced ten of the 13 reasons the event is called the greatest of its kind. Grouped here into Pre-Stampede and Daytime Events, they have remained essentially the same and have only grown bigger and better. We did not see the Evening Events because, en route to Calgary last year, we caught Covid and had to return home. We missed it again this year. Perhaps next.

Pre-Stampede Events

1.    Pancake Breakfasts

Calgary is dubbed “Stampede City," and it takes on a whole different look on event days. Aside from all the goings-on at Stampede Park, city offices and stores are bedecked in cowboy themes, residents dress in their best Western outfits, and hundreds of get-togethers are hosted by individuals and organizations.

My daughter’s office turned their parking lot into a Pre-Stampede Pancake Breakfast event. There was mini-golf and car racing for the kids while buckaroo cuisine (pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages) and fruits were served while a DJ played great country songs.

2.    Stampede Parade

The next day we witnessed the Stampede Parade at my son-in-law’s pre-Stampede party in their fourth-floor office in a city center building. The mile-long spectacle had more than 50 organizations participating with floats,  horses, clowns, cars, and ethnic groups including a Filipino contingent! In 2022, the organizers staged a coup by having Kevin Costner, the Yellowstone star, as Parade Marshall.

Daytime Events

For ten days Stampede Park oozes with sights, sounds, and smells, giving lots of magic, music, and more. Imagine our tremendous luck seeing it for free on two days: Family Day gave families free admission if they reached the Stampede grounds before 9 am; Senior’s Day gave free breakfast and free rodeo seats aside from free admission to those aged 65 or older.

3.    Stampede Market 

The newest gadgets and gizmos were on sale at the Stampede Market.  My older grandson was stuck at the Zoku Stand where a popsicle maker used blast-freezing to create healthier options.  My son-in-law and husband just had to bring home miracle cleaners and sprayers for their cars. On Senior’s Day, we explored the Western Oasis which had everything Western, including a Heritage Art Show and a Wine and Beer Garden.

4.    Stampede Midway

The Midway is where carnival rides and games are staged. Last year, favorite rides (Crazy Mouse, Wave Swinger, Zipper, Polar Express, Mega Drop) returned along with the kiddie ones at the Great FUNtier. This year the giant Superwheel, North America’s largest traveling Ferris wheel, made its Stampede debut. There are lots of games to test hand-eye coordination. On Family Day my grandson took home two prizes: a giant Teddy Bear and a cuddly dinosaur.

5.    Saddledome Steps and Other Side Shows

The globally acclaimed Calgary Show Band performed along with other groups at the Saddledome Steps (the iconic Saddledome is nearby) where a show started every half hour). Amazing Bendy Em squeezed herself into a foot-and-a-half cube and an acrobatic bicyclist wowed with his grand finale, riding through a ring of fire on a low-foot-long bike.

At another section, we were able to catch the Bell Ranch's H20 Extreme Show (“Some ride horses, we ride waves!”). Both the jetski daredevil rides and the waterspout show were awesome. Luckily, our seats were high up in the bleachers, sparing us the wetness of the occasion.

6.    .Stampede Music

Lots of boot-stomping, two-stepping, line dancing, and beer-drinking happen at three venues because of rousing Stampede Music. Over 100 acts are performed at Nashville North, the Coca-Cola Stage, and the Big Four Roadhouse. In 2022, the latter featured Kevin Costner and the Modern West as their main attraction.  

7.    Agricultural Shows

For families with kids, The Agriculture Shows and Competitions were a major draw. There were many interesting horses like the miniature and other breeds at Horse Haven. With our grandson, we saw the smallest rams and other cute animals at the sprawling stock “barns.”

We even got to watch our first World Stock Dog Championship on Senior’s Day. A stock dog and his trainer compete with other tandems for the shortest time to shepherd a trio of sheep (they do figure 8 around three barrels and slide through a fenced sidebar), to a fenced yard. The fastest time of 117 seconds was clocked by a lady/dog tandem.

8.    The Indian Village

Stampeders have a great interest in the different tribes of the First Nation who assemble as an Indian Village at the Eagle Bow River Camp. This part had the most damage from the flood but it’s also where I found my yellow teepee among all the different colors. That year there was a small powwow, but in 2022, it was moved to the Saddledome as a major Powwow Competition. 

9.    Midway Food

One of the best reasons to go to the Calgary Stampede is to eat your favorite fair food. We had lunch at Cowshack, which had special burgers and drinks in a shaded and fenced area where we could rest but it was the funnel cakes, blooming onions, and elephant ears that we enjoyed the most. Last year our friends loved the deep-fried Oreo mini donuts. But corndogs are the usual bestsellers and new versions are introduced each year (like the Korean squid ink style!).

10.                       The Rodeo, The Highlight of Calgary Stampede

But the highlight of the Calgary Stampede is the Rodeo that is held every day at 1:30 pm at the Grandstand, recently renamed the GMC Stadium (17,000 capacity). The quality of any rodeo is based on the caliber of the competitors, both men, and animals (horses, steers, and bulls). This Rodeo, having the world’s richest prize money of over $2 million, always attracts the best from around the world, mostly from the US (Texas, Oklahoma, etc.), Brazil, Australia, and course, Canada.

Expert contestants were divided into two pools, the first competing on the first four days and the other on the next four. The top four winners advanced to Showdown Sunday. The remaining six competitors from each pool compete on Wild Card Saturday whose event winners also advanced to Showdown Sunday. 

There are five events: 1) bareback horse riding, 2) steer wrestling 3) saddle bronc horse riding, 4) bull riding, and 5) tie-down calf roping. Unbelievable strength, stamina, and determination are required from both the cowboy and the animal but in events one and two, the rider must stay in rhythm with the horse, properly use spurs, and stay on! Events two, three, and five are contests of sheer strength and skill.

There was also a ladies’ barrel racing event and, of course, a queen and two princesses were “crowned.”  The opening act was a sensational demo of motorcycle daredevil riders, while at the intermission there was a massively spectacular Indian hoop dance.

Evening Events

We failed to join the evening events and now that we know how much we have missed, we want to complete our Stampede experience.    

11.                       Virgin Plus Concert Series

Also known as Stampede Saddledome Shows, this series features country singers who have sold millions of albums and won many awards. In 2022, Blake Shelton was the headliner. But in 2013, even if water was gone from most of the fairgrounds, it was still being pumped out of the bottom floor of Saddledome (capacity, 19,300) so they weren’t held.

12.                       Chuckwagon Races

The other part of the evening shows is the Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Races.  With nine heats every night, 162 horses race, pulling chuckwagons. It has become a controversial part of Stampede, however, condemned by activists because many horses suffer and die. Even with safety practices introduced, one still had to be put down in 2022. But they say the Stampede experience isn’t complete without it.

13.  End-of-Day Parties (headline photo)

At the end of each day, a fireworks extravaganza explodes at the grandstand. The Bell Grandstand Show  can be seen from various viewpoints in the city, like Scotsman’s Hill. As the big party bursts, you can bet other parties are also being held elsewhere in the city.   

The highest-ever attendance was recorded at 1.4 m in 2019. The year after, it closed its doors and lost $26 m. In 2021 the loss was reduced to $8 m with more than half a million people braving Covid risks. 2022 registered a near-comeback of 1.2 m. But 2023 recorded the second-highest attendance in history at 1.385 m. It is truly back!

Pro-Tip: Experience it for free, like we did, during these Value Days.

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