Walking downtown, my daughter and I are caught up in a sea of cowboy hats as our footsteps join with the rhythmic beat with dozens of other cowboy boots. We are going to watch the Stampede Parade, the event, which kicks off the annual ten-day city-wide country and western party known as the Calgary Stampede.
Calgary is Canada’s third largest city, nestled into the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the province of Alberta, and every July the city plays homage to its western roots by trading in urban lifestyles for a touch of the cowboy life. Western facades and hay bales take over the shiny steel and glass of downtown buildings, and a giant midway, rodeo, and exhibition grounds spring up in the city’s southwest. It’s a vibrant, fun, and entertaining way for locals to spend a few days during the summer and a popular destination for visitors as well.
At the parade, my three-year-old daughter proudly taps her little cowboy boots as we and thousands of others watch a steady stream of marching bands, cultural dancers, colorfully decorated horses, and parade floats wind their way through Calgary’s downtown core. The parade begins at 9am and has incredibly dedicated fans – some arrive at 2am to get prime parade spots! Don’t worry if you’re not an early-bird though, there’s always lots of room even if you show up last-minute.
During Stampede, we love to check out a few pancake breakfasts – one of the unique facets of Calgary’s western hospitality. Each morning there are a handful of free pancake breakfasts scattered throughout the city, hosted by various companies and organizations. All you have to do is find a breakfast (using sites like this one) and show up bright and early to get a plate full of piping hot pancakes, sausages, bacon, coffee and orange juice – completely free! There is often live music to entertain you while you sit and eat your meal, and often activities for the little ones as well.
After getting your fill of fluffy pancakes and Canadian Maple syrup, we like to head down to the stampede grounds (conveniently located along Calgary’s LRT route) where you can climb aboard thrill seeking rides, check out livestock exhibitions or rodeo shows, catch some big name acts playing live music or stay for the nightly grandstand show and fireworks. My daughter loves the kiddie midway and all of the delicious midway food and the skyride, a chairlift connecting one end of the grounds to the other, provides a great respite for tired little feet at the end of the day, and an incredible birds-eye view of the fairgrounds, too.
Adults can enjoy the nightlife during Stampede by wandering down Stephen Avenue or 17th Avenue, both minutes away from the Stampede grounds, and enjoying a cold beer or specialty cocktail in any of the dozens of bars and pubs lining each road. Dressing up in cowboy duds is standard, so dust off your dungarees!
If you’ve had your fill of cowboy fever after a few days of rides and shows, take advantage of Calgary’s proximity to more natural wonders and rent a car to explore the surrounding areas. The picturesque town of Canmore lies just over an hour west of Calgary and offers incredible hiking trails, and if you keep going an hour further you’ll find yourself at Lake Louise, the site of some stunning views and the bluest glacial water you’ll ever see.
If something more prehistoric strikes your fancy, the town of Drumheller, an hour and a half drive north, has dubbed itself the dinosaur capital of the world. Keep your eyes peeled for scary statues sneaking around town and check out the Royal Tyrell Museum for dinosaur bones, dioramas, and fossils to blow your mind. I took my daughter for her third birthday and she was absolutely entranced, but she loved the shop best of all – typical!
The Stampede is a return to western roots for a very urban city; locals love the festive feel of the stampede and the tradition of wearing jeans to work while visitors love the chance to see a more casual, down-home side of the city. Whether it’s the rides, the free community pancake breakfasts, the cute cowboys or the peeks at stunning surrounding nature sites, Calgary is a world-class destination – especially for these ten days each July.
A big thank you to Madeleine Somerville, TYW’s gal on the spot in Calgary for this evocative article and transporting us into the wild, wild west.
