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Calgary Stampede
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20 reviews for Calgary Stampede
20 reviews in English
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Review from Laine H.
10/3/2011
Oh the Calgary Stampede. I would like to prelude this by saying that this review is exclusively in response to my experience inside the Nashville North tent which comprised my entire 2-day experience of the esteemed Calgary Stampede. That said; feel free to take this with a grain of salt. Furthermore, I would like to apologize in advance to any Canadians or straight-laced innocents that I may offend while relaying the lascivious offenses I witnessed during my brief stint at this wild western orgy disguised as a rodeo.
Being a wild one myself and always enjoying any reason to walk around with reason in public clad in boots and a cowboy hat, the stampede had been on my bucket list for awhile. Imagine my sheer joy when my best friend from college moved up to Edmonton and invited my to join her at this year's stampede. I hastily purchased plane tickets and began putting together the perfect ensembles. I flew into Edmonton on Wednesday and spent a few lovely days with my girlfriend before we drove up to Calgary Friday morning for 2 full-days of stampede madness.
Upon entering the Nashville North stampede tent at approximately 11:30am every cowboy hat-clad boy and girl was...sloppy drunk. Eager to jump on the sloppy drunk caravan I scooted on over to the bar to find that there was no hard alcohol allowed in the tent- only shit beer and weird blue coolers. I went with shit beer, which, truth be told, didn't taste quite so shitty after I managed to gulp down the first 4 or 5. I proceeded to get pretty sloshed, but even the foggiest of beer goggles could not shield, prepare, or allow me to be receptive me to the utter debaucherousness I was about to be forced to partake in. I look to my left and I see a man on his stag (apparently this is what they call a bachelor party in Canada) sans wedding ring receiving fillacio from a girl he met 10 minutes prior while the members of his bachelor party stand around him in a semi-circle guarding him from flashing cameras. I look to my right and see fingers disappearing on the dancefloor beneath strangers skirts. Then to my surprise I suddenly feel my feet lifted in the air and realize that I have been tossed over a strangers shoulder and am being CARRIED onto the dance floor. I thought to myself, well this isn't so bad- this stranger is actually pretty cute so I let him set me down on my feet and I proceeded to dance with him- BIG MISTAKE. Within 5 minutes of being twirled around the dance floor the drunken cowboy proceeds to kiss me and when I resisted proceeds to grab my neck and try to force his Budweiser-dripping tongue down my throat. In comes the fight scene, and by fight scene I mean me beating the cowboy with my hat before quite literally running off the dance floor in horror. As the night got longer the men got more drunken-hulk like aggressive with over half the male population quite literally tearing their shirts off and abandoning the remaining shreds of fabric off the floor. Interesting fact, apparently it's very popular for the men at this event to take some drug named "G" which is actually short for GHB, you know, the date rape drug. Apparently when men take it they turn into the over-sexed patrons of the Calgary stampede.
So in conclusion, if I had to sum up stampede it would be a giant orgy filled with horny zombies where everyone is required to wear western-inspired party cloths and leave their morals and sense of social mores at home in exchange for a multiple-day stint of exchanging partners and diseases. It was an experience which left me shocked and feeling mildly victimized. -
Review from Kaeleigh E.
Calgary, AB
6/23/2011
What is not to love about the Calgary Stampede??
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I live for it. All year long I am counting down until those magic 10 days brighten my summer with mini-donut joy.
Firstly the whole cowboy thing - LOVE IT! Not that my cowboy boots ever stay in my close for THAT long because I'm usually at Ranchmen's every once in a while... but I can't wait to dust off those boots and hat, and giant belt buckles and dress up like a real cowgirl! I'm from Vancouver, so such things are completely unacceptable there unless you're at a Kenny Chesney concert.
Secondly the food- how can you go wrong with deep-fried everything???? You can't. Deep fried cheesecake has got to top the list of best deep fried foods though.
I also love the BMO Centre market place where you can buy things like Sham-Wow's and nitrogen frozen ice cream.
In my opinion if you don't like it don't go. No need to rain on everyone else's parade.
All in all it's my favourite thing about this city, my favourite time of year, and I am completely enchanted by it. As of right now it's only 15 days away! Yeeeeehaw! -
Review from Clara A.
6/11/2011
As I kid I only ever went to Stampede once because an old friend of my dad's was in town and he decided to take them to this event. I didn't get to do much since it's so expensive, and my dad was worried I'd puke my guts out on the rides. Every year stampede came and went and I did not go. Then in my late high school years my friends and I decided to go together. I did every ride I was willing to do and we spent the whole day there. Next year I was less excited therefore it was less enjoyable. Then the year after I didn't even bother with the rides and all the magic was gone.
Here's the problem: the line ups for rides are looong! So first you hassle with that. Then there's also that problem where everyone has something with them that can't be on the ride, be it sunglasses, hats, bags, etc., because most rides spin you around or whip you upside down. This results in someone being stuck with watching everyone's crap while the rest of the group has fun. There's also the fact that everything is expensive, from admission to rides to food. Safety of rides has never been an issue. I remember one year going on a ride that spins you around twenty some feet above the ground. One of the operators saw my "seat belt" (for lack of a better word) didn't click correctly so he fixed that, for which I am very grateful. But then last year I believe three people were injured in a ride, not a pleasant thought. I'm not even going to get into the whole animal abuse topic.
The good to stampede: It might not necessarily be for an older generation, but it's a pretty good place for those, say, 30 and under. There's some cool places to take the kids and other areas for those older. They've also got pretty sweet music happening on the Coke Stage. It's something worth checking and a place to go crazy, but eventually the magic is lost. -
Review from Ljubica T.
Calgary, AB
7/18/2011
Everyone handles the Calgary Stampede differently. I'm reviewing the Calgary Stampede based on the following criteria: I was born and raised in Calgary. I do not go to bars or nightclubs in my past-time so I don't care for the alcoholism encouraged at the grounds. I enjoy festivals such as Folk Fest and attending art galleries, art openings... hanging out in bookstores, that sort of thing; I like the Artist Ranch Project within the Western Showcase in the BMO Center. I like good food and I like to make my own food... I like to grow my own food and I also like gardening. I've spent 20 years of my life on an acreage. That's me, and this review is based on my thoughts.
I understand the importance of knowing where your food comes from, and I've read books/watched many documentaries about food vs. corporate control. Despite the agriculture tents being at the Stampede, where attendees are supposed to go to "educate themselves" about Alberta's food industries... nobody seems to be talking about important contemporary issues such as genetically modified Canola, or the true condition industry animals (laying hens, dairy cows, meat animals, etc) are kept in.
There should be a farmer's market at the Calgary Stampede, not a tent full of logos and displays sponsored by the major corporations which control the agriculture industry.
There should be a bigger focus on organic (like free range, grass-fed, etc) and eating local in my opinion. Problem is... there aren't a whole lot of farmers left in Alberta; most of the young generation has packed up and left to work on the oil rigs or in corporate Downtown Calgary. Our city is changing but the Stampede is stagnating.
I don't like that the Calgary Stampede portrays a sort of "idyllic Western life" to out of town visitors. I'm more of a realist, so... propaganda and I do not get along.
As for "the rest of it"... once you've seen one grandstand show, you've seen them all. Same with the rodeo stuff (I'm not a supporter of the Rodeo and "all that" quite frankly).
Many people I talk to (even those who, dare I say, are more conservative than I) are feeling that the Stampede is not worth their time anymore. It's too expensive, monotonous and full of skeezy teenagers who are wearing practically illegal clothing items.
As a teenager, I used to attend the midway religiously just to go on the rides all day but as an adult, I feel that Stampede is a big facade. Perhaps some may read my review and call me bitter but I wish that the Calgary Stampede would grow up, just like I did. I'm more disappointed with it than anything.
Update: I attended this year to see the Western Art Showcase and also to sample the deep-fries Oreos (as per a friend's suggestion; I would give Western Showcase 3 or 4 stars based on reviewing that venue alone). Needless to say, the moment the Oreos hit my stomach, I was not feeling well. I won't be doing that again. Also, I went during the evening on a Friday night (8 pm - close) and the sheer amount of skeeziness put on display by teenagers was overwhelmingly depressing. It was certainly not a good time (or place) for children to be around. I left Stampede feeling very disheartened.
I also had a difficult time finding parking, so I must criticize the Stampede venue for not building a huge parkade. They rake in so much money year after year, and they get government funding (tax payers dollars, believe it or not), but can't build a parkade? Give me a break. I'd like to see exactly where their (our) money goes thank you very much. I attempted to park in a private lot just across the street from a Stampede lot ($20) and the owner of the private lot took down his $20 sign and attempted to charge me $40 because "he had just one spot left". This sort of scamming should not be allowed to happen during Stampede or anytime of the year. Shameful! -
Review from Chelsea K.
Calgary, AB
7/14/2010
Rating the Stampede is like trying to rate Christmas. You can love it, hate it, or try to avoid it, but it's hear to stay. The Stampede is all about what you make of it.
To most local Calgarians, the stampede grounds are a bunch of touristy garbage that is exactly the same from year to year. The rides are fun for kids, the food is frightening, and the rodeo and grandstand show seem cheesier every year (not to mention the animal cruelty, which is another story altogether).
Whenever Stampede rolls around, I feel that Calgary transforms into a 10-day Western Las Vegas. Wedding rings are put aside, public drunkenness skyrockets, and the average rates of pregnancies, STDs, and divorces rise (this is a statistical fact). If you're looking for a chance to set your morals and common sense aside, this is your once-a-year- chance to go wild.
But there are also some highlights to the Stampede. If you're working in the corporate downtown core, Stampede is an excuse to spend a week gorging on free breakfasts and stampede parties with minimal productivity and sobriety. There are some great parties around town put on by local companies and agencies. There is also some great music going on, if you're willing to look beyond the stampede mainstage. -
Review from dinah g.
Calgary, AB
11/7/2009
I have attended the Stampede a half a dozen times as a child and later on in my adolescence. Just recently I have gone again and let me just say how much it sucked. Other than the obvious observation of a bigger theme park of ridiculous things to do, it just seems like a glorified food fare. It is expensive and it is crowded, the sea of cowboy hats don't resonate anything emotional nor nostalgic for me.
I don't want to see a dream house of an obvious "burb" home and even more purchase a ticket to win the damn thing. I don't want to listen to country music or buy a ticket to have to listen to it, nor do I want a giant pretzel with salt. The only thing I like about the Calgary Stampede is the corn dogs with mustard but I can buy these at half the cost with a hot dog vender on the street during a regular city day.
There was a lack of Stampede spirit this year downtown, I didn't even know the Stampede was in town, plus Calgary saw a downfall of folks travelling out of town in motor homes to visit our fair city. Perhaps it was because of our economic times or perhaps, the Calgary Stampede needs to reinvent itself, to include a more ethnic population and to get with modern times, wake up Calgary Stampede its 2009!!! -
Review from Adam B.
Calgary, AB
7/12/2010
The Calgary Stampede is a tradition in this city. For those who come from afar they come with the expectations of the wild west, cowboys cowgirls and alot of partying.
I am not going to review all aspects of this event other than to say that:
I certainly do not think it is "The greatest outdoor show on earth" and it saddens me that every year animals die in the name of entertainment.
Since 1986 until today in 2010 39 horses and one steer have died all in the name of "entertainment".
I am a vegetarian, and certainly not an animal rights fanatic, but I do think that this is unacceptable cruelty. In the craziness of the drinking and partying, please do not forget the animals.
I would say that the real greatest outdoor show on earth is an hour drive away in the majestic rocky mountains....those are the memories I would like visitors to our province to take home with them. -
Review from Sapna G.
Calgary, AB
9/15/2009
Having been out of the city for the last 5 years, I was ready to explode with excitement when I decided to come back to town just in time to catch this year's Calgary Stampede.
Having gone EVERY SINGLE YEAR growing up, I'm not sure WHAT I was expecting, but everyone had told me that it had just gotten bigger & better. Uh...No. It's exactly the same as it has been every other year, and promises of it having expanded were false. Also, now that I've broadened my horizons and read 'Skinny Bitch' cover to cover, I now know that there is a REASON that Alberta Pork sponsors all the little piglets in the 'cute little petting zoo'. I guess I finally put two and two together and my heart was officially broken.
Let's not forget that in the first 4 days of Stampede, 5 animals were put down due to injuries.
Let's face it - The Calgary Stampede has turned into an exhibition that supports animal cruelty. For this reason alone, The Stampede has lost my support altogether. -
Review from Nicole B.
Edmonton, AB
7/27/2010
I don't really understand the hype about the Stampede. If you've ever been to Capital Ex in Edmonton, it's the same thing but with Cowboy hats. However, there are less drunk shirtless beer bellies at the Stampede - which is worth 3 stars any day!
It can be fun to walk around the grounds and hang out with friends. The rides are overrated though and everything is overpriced. But that's just the nature of the carnival game!
If you've never been, I recommend going so you can check it out and you can buy some pretty freaking sweet cowboy hats there!
Check it out if you can - but once is probably enough! -
Review from Katie C.
Calgary, AB
11/11/2009
I think the Stampede gets a really bad rep from a lot of Native Calgarians.
Once upon a time, I too had a hate-on for everything Cowboy, I lamented never making it to the Rock Central (Anti) Stampede Breakfast and I did my best to avoid the inner city or be out of town entirely for two weeks of the year. I spent the better part of my teenage and young adult years cynical and anti-country, doling out much of what the negative reviews on this board say. And then one day, after what was getting close to a decade I went back. And I liked it.
There is a secret to my liking the Stampede. I take it with a grain of salt. It is what it is, a giant western-themed party that gives Calgarians an identity and makes Cowtown what it is. Is it particularly authentic? Well, yes and no. The "festival" proper has a lot of really intriguing elements - the giant fun park, the livestock shows and of course the rodeo!
I think people forget that the Stampede is meant to be an exhibition for farming and western culture, and while that doesn't exist legitimately within the city boundaries it is alive and kicking within Alberta. The Stampede IS a big deal for the ranchers and farmers that make up a great deal of rural Alberta, and it is a big deal across the world too. It is partly authentic, just not authentically Calgarian (anymore).
But you know what? I think it's fun to play Cowboy. Everybody who is actually a cowboy already knows it, and everybody else gets to have fun and play to their idea of the "wild west". And that means rides and drunken forays in the beer gardens and catching the rodeo if you can. It means freshly fried corn dogs (freshly fried anything!) and giant turkey drumsticks, and dressing like a cowboy. It means checking out the village with the Tipis and exploring Native culture a little more in depth than you would otherwise get. It means the huge exhibition hall with all the weird stalls selling things you don't really need. It means the smelly stank of the agricultural building that us city folk rarely get to experience.
There are the Grandstand shows which often feature popular bands on the crappy soundstage, where you stand on fences to see. Bonding with your friends on the rides, and melting into the grass because it is so, so hot and you wish you didn't have to pay for water. Hey, nothing's perfect! It's really crowded and a little bit lame, but there is nothing else like it.
The Stampede is a celebration for Calgary, a means for letting loose. It tries to fit into a million different demographics and that doesn't always work. It is expensive, it is one of Calgary's cash cows. It doesn't change that much from year to year - new acts, new clowns, maybe a new ride if you're lucky. It is ridiculous in an utterly awesome way. -
Review from Chad W.
Calgary, AB
11/18/2008
Cowboys suck. Accordingly, so does the Calgary Stampede. The event is massive. People from all over the world come to get rowdy, get drunk, make asses out of themselves, and spend a ton of money that probably goes to people who really don't deserve it (namely, the government).
There is a rodeo, horse and roping events, amusement rides, a huge piece of crap called the Grandstand Show, and a bunch of have-been artists playing dusty old country tunes to people who are usually too smashed to care what they're listening to or where they're listening to it.
The whole event reeks redneck. Having lived in Calgary my entire life, and having been to the Calgary Stampede many many times, I leave town every year for that blasted week in July where this city milks its Western theme to the point of insanity.
If you haven't been, you might as well check it out. Something this stupid can only be seen in person to be truly appreciated. However, if you're a Calgarian and you're wondering what all the fuss is about...think machete stabbings, gunfire, and drunken crazies that don't come from Alberta. Yeah -- let the good times roll. -
Review from Alix Laura W.
Calgary, AB
7/12/2010
Oh Stampede - so much good and so much trash. The Stampede brings out the excesses in people. Too much drinking, too many pancakes, not enough water or sleep.
The above are the reasons that everyone gives about why they're not "big into Stampede". But how many people really check out Stampede in it's entirity? All the Ag(riculture) stuff, those people who work all to breed the perfect sheep or the miniest donkey? It takes passion, deep rooted knowledge and a love of things Western to commit to that kind of project. And the Stampede is their time to shine - so let's give them a little glory, shall we? -
Review from Emma G.
2/4/2010
I love the Stampede. Possibly because I'm not a native Calgarian, but I do.
My first Stampede was the summer I was 18, and my best friend and I came here for a week to party. It lived up to all my expectations, we had tons of fun, and absolutely loved it.
We moved out here the following summer and yet again, had an awesome time. I didn't have an issue with getting to and from work, since I live within walking distance of my job, so the business and the tourists didn't affect me much.
I love the fairgrounds and the beer gardens and Nashville North and the fair food and all the hokey things that come along with Stampede. I think if you decide to go along with the kitschy atmosphere, it's a lot of fun. I look forward to it every year! -
Review from Moez T.
Calgary, AB
11/14/2009
I was not born or raised in Calgary. While I call it my home today, it is still the shortest of stays out of all the places I've called home. But I still intend on spending the rest of my life in Calgary. And maybe one day, the Calgary Stampede will grow on me. But today is not that day.
From my first visit to the Stampede, I haven't been sold on it. While the vendors can be interesting, and people seem to enjoy the rides, the main focus of the event is lost on me. You see, I don't agree with rodeo's or anything that tends to harm animals unnecessarily. So I've never been to any of the Stampede events that involve animals.
In addition to that, I hate carnival rides. So I'm probably not the best person to be reviewing this. But everyone should hear both sides, I say. As far as a place to go with friends and walk around, Stampede certainly delivers. The concerts they put on each year are also entertaining and often feature pretty good acts. So while not a complete loss, it still isn't my cup of tea. -
Review from Samantha R.
11/19/2008
I guess this is kind of played out for someone like myself who used to live in Calgary and has pretty much attended the Stampede every year since (Minus a couple of summers when I was not able to get there on time for it, as I have been living in San Diego for the past 8 years).
Grandstand show is great family fun, kind of lame if your going with your friends. Chuckwagon races and the rodeo are applicable to those who love them or have never seen them in their lives. The Beer Gardens are okay I guess if your over 18 and like to drink beer (no thanks). Tons of rides for young and old. The Casino is fun to blow a few dollars, but what keeps me going back is definitely the food you HAVE to try the elephant ears, GIANT corndogs, mini-donuts(a must!) and the pizza... okay pretty much everything there is your greasy carnival food but definitely yummy!
I recommend playing the midway game "over/under" its addicting and involves no skill. It is a gambling game so you must be over 18 but it's what keeps me going back...
I just wish there wasn't an entrance fee... and everything wasn't so overpriced.
My condo in Calgary actually overlooks the fairgrounds and every night I was getting a firework show :-) -
Review from Cornelius V.
Calgary, AB
2/4/2010
Hey, I like fairs my self. As a life long Calgarian, what's not to like? Well..
When it is a fair with a certain dress and moral code that doesn't (and never really did) reflect the culture and diversity of this city, when it's some fair in a C list city that sincerely claims (with a straight face) that it is the "greatest outdoor show on earth" (take THAT, Oktoberfest and Rio Carnival!) I start to get peeved.
Stampede is an excuse for suburban occupying oil executives to dress like something that they are not (perpetuating the urban romanticism/unawareness with the rural). It's an excuse for university students that have no interest in country music to go to Nashville North (the fact that a Canadian rodeo has to name their country spot after a city in the United States speaks loudly about our fucked up identity) to pick up women wearing jean skirts AND cowboy boots. This is why women from Toronto and Montreal laugh at our women. But Toronto men LOVE stampede so much that they pay $200 to get 3 days admittance to cowboys. That place is crawling with non-Calgarians. Although free breakfasts are nice, the hay bales and western/frontier theming prevalent in every store in some suburban strip mall sitting on once fertile farm land since expropriated by the city seems kind of, um, backwards? In other words, the Stampede is some festival that (very effectively) forms suburbanites into believing that they are something that they are not.
A Montrealer visiting Calgaree once asked (anglophone accent added): "I hear this stampede is lots of fun! I know it's not happening right now, but can I at least see the grounds?" I took her, and her face sunk (which means, yes: a Montreal girl was actually smiling at one point). The fair itself occupies a massive plot that is nothing more than a vacant parking lot for the other 51 weeks of the year. I think this is called: "ineffective land use". Regardless, during that week when the World's Greatest outdoor parking lot on Earth comes to life, things get even more irritating and contrived. How much more can we appreciate the cowboy/frontier social construct can than by attending a show on the Coca Cola(R)(TM)(SM)(C) Stage (where stampede security, donning binoculars, watches the crowd from an adjacent roof, oh, and bands get fined thousands of dollars for every swear that they dare unleash), attend the beer gardens which is hilariously sponsored not by a local beer company, but by Budweiser(R)(TM)(SM)(C), enjoy deep fried carnival food which, while good, has absolutely nothing to do with our culture and geography, but best of all, the cowboy in all of us is free to drop $100 on the craps table (but sorry, no comped drinks). Oh, but don't forget the suburban home you can win (cowboys don't need no dense housing in an environmentally conscious matter! they need a mcmansion with space for 2 of their massive trucks located in some neighbourhood called "The New Discovery" or "Ass pen", right?!), don't forget the massive pavilion of useless crap you can buy, and that the official bank of the Stampede isn't First Calgary or Alberta Treasury, but.... BANK OF MONTREAL(R)(TM)(SM)(C)! All the sponsors are either oil companies (that destroy the land the cowboy construct survives off of) or non Albertan companies. Yes, the stampede has the agriculture section building and even a corner off to the side that has the "Indian Village" (ohhh the symbolism), but all of these are in the periphery. The selling points are the things that can be consumed, the midway, the food, the lights. Look at any picture a gringo takes of the stampede. Except maybe a Dutch gringo, 'cause those people consistently like going off the beaten path.
After the sad fact that majority of Calgarians buy into this giant gimmick, an insulting factor in this event is that there is a charge to access this event that is supposedly the root of our culture, the parade excluded. Don't get me started on the rodeo, which, despite being the central 'claim-to-fame' by the stampede board, costs extra to, um, 'attend'. They say the quality of society can be rated by how they treat their freeloaders. The most insulting (and least known) thing, however, is that the Stampede board expropriated land in Victoria Park, deliberately destroying a once vibrant community (ever wondered how a "ghetto" [by our standards] appeared between Uptown and Inglewood?) so the stampede could have the grounds to expand its agenda of "western (*cough* social conservative) values" in the form of a, yes, "Western Theme Park" and the most important thing to the modern frontier cowboy: more conference and casino space. This fair, and organization for that matter, epitomizes Canadian identity: aloof, confused, and with an even more confused (yet very powerful) elite controlling the agenda. -
Review from Tanya A.
6/21/2010
stampede draws near-
to cite :
http://matadornights.c...
" What: A 10 day rodeo that attracts over a million visitors during its course. The festival features a parade and is the largest event in Canada. But don't come to watch the rodeo, come for the party! The throngs of people who flock to Calgary are there for the revelry, the beer, and the girls (or boys).
When: Second week in July
Where: Calgary, Alberta "
Bring: Your best cowboy outfit and a tolerance for country music.
i have flown north 3 or 4 times theses last 5 or 6 years and have never failed to find fun.
Calgary during Stampede reminds me of Nawlins during Mardu Gras with fewer knife fights and homicides.
The bars are full , the sun shines , the people are friendly- and all the guys are taller ( with their boots on) and any bald spots are hidden deep beneath their stetsons-
and dont get me started on the rodeo
( and did i mention that the drinking age is 18 in Alberta)
free breakfasts onthe way to the grounds - free corporate parties where folks are more than happy to throw a big rock your way
( a local beer up there- not a local blunt instrument) and wild bulls , cow girls and cut cowboys chewing tobacco , cussing and spittin in the sun.
must look into tickets and / or ( svens guest house :) ) -
Review from David L.
7/28/2010
The Calgary Stampede is more like being seen and seeing other cowboys/cowgirls and cowboy/cowgirls wannabes in Calgary. It was shocking to see so many people wearing cowboy hats. My cousin asked me if I wanted to go to Calgary Stampede, and I was like, sure! I felt like an outsider because I was one of the few who didn't wear a cowboy hat. Outside the gates, there were even teepees with First Nations people inside of it. There was a pancake breakfast which I didn't have due to the lineups. The rides were all old school fair rides. I just walked around and watched a rodeo and dodged a lot of horse and cow poop all over the place. Don't wear your nice shoes because it can get smelly if you step in the wrong place.
-
Review from Christopher W.
Calgary, AB
11/20/2008 1 photo
I can only do the Stampede on even years, for obvious reasons. It is a vulgar tribute to Alberta's heritage and too much of it will warp your brain. It's really hard to take sometimes; all these drunks vomiting and fighting dressed like they're out of some old western dime-store paperback. Even professional people around town dress like cowboys for 10 days in July because they are "in the spirit of things". But really they look like escaped mental patients.
The rodeo aspect is fine. The Chucks are entertaining and you can usually get in on a few wagers in the stands. But that grandstand show is a spectacle nobody needs. It goes on for hours and those Young Canadians creep the hell out of me; with their freaky eyes and jazz hands...Weird.
Anyway, the carnival is your typical carnival anywhere else and the food is typically disgusting. They soak rancid beef in that atrocious Bulls-Eye barbecue sauce (like we can't tell the difference) and charge hefty prices for beans.
The rodeo is worth it though. Just leave when you start to spot a bunch of shiny midgets in cowboy regalia milling around the stage area. Get out quickly at that point and say nothing..... -
Review from diane d.
8/8/2008
If you love all things cowboy then you'll LOVE it. Actually even if you don't you might have a great time...I always have. The chuckwagon event is my favorite. It's a huge worldwide event with all the usual Rodeo events. It also corresponds with the Exposition...you know ferris wheels and such. The bars are CRAZY at this time...I mean insane...the whole city is really...so it's not for everyone for sure. Another cool thing is all the pancake breakfasts (almost all free) they have during the whole week, scattered throughout the city...again packed but worth checking out.
