How to Catch Stampede Fever? Put on a Cowboy Hat!
Published April 26th, 2023
“Yahoo! Welcome to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth!” our WestJet pilot enthusiastically announced when the plane landed in Calgary during the Stampede.
Yahoo? Wasn’t it yee haw? And the greatest show? Mmmm. But I was looking forward to my first visit to the Stampede, a 10-day western celebration and rodeo that Calgary has been hosting since 1912.
Two hours after landing, I was in the stands watching cowgirls zipping around barrels on horseback and cowboys riding bareback on bucking broncos. Interesting, yes, but as the sun beat down and the competitions blurred together, I couldn’t say I was in my element.
Until I put on a cowboy hat. Then, everything changed. Suddenly, the sun didn’t feel so hot (OK, that could have been the shade from the wide brim), but it was more than that. I suddenly felt part of something. Later, I found out I wasn’t the only one who’s had this ‘magic hat’ experience at the Stampede. “I’ve heard several similar stories,” said Cassandra Cummings, the rodeo’s archivist. She explained that volunteers used to give out the white cowboy hats at the airport.
“One visitor said she felt like she belonged when she put it on and cried when she took it off at the end of the trip,” Cummings said.
My reaction wasn’t quite so strong, but in the same way a lei put around your neck in Hawaii puts you in a tropical island mood, the cowboy hat ignited a western spirit I didn’t know I had. With the cowboy hat on, the bull riding was more heart stopping, the concerts and fireworks were louder and brighter, the crazy midway food tasted better and, of course, it was yahoo and not yee haw.
Is the Stampede the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth? It is if you’re wearing a cowboy hat!
What not to miss at the Stampede
Glean insight into indigenous culture and traditions: Elbow River Camp was established at the first Calgary Stampede and continues to be an integral part of the celebration. The 26 family tipis erected here showcase designs that have been passed on generation after generation, representing the cultures of Kainai, Piikani, Siksika, Stoney Nakoda and Tsuut’ina first Nations of Treaty 7. Visitors can purchase hand-crafted jewellery and clothes and taste traditional Bannock bread. New this year is the three-day Calgary Stampede Powwow in the Saddledome, featuring competitive dancing, drumming and singing.
Breakfast on pancakes: Locals and visitors alike line up for pancake breakfasts hosted throughout the city (usually for free!)
Experience the rodeo: The Stampede has the biggest purse of all North American outdoor rodeos, which means the competitiveness and the athleticism is of the highest level. Key rodeo events include bull riding, chuck wagon racing, ladies’ barrel racing, steer wrestling and bareback riding. Don’t worry if it’s your first rodeo. All the rules are explained, so newbies can follow along. Who knew that half the points in bareback riding were awarded for the horse’s performance?
Take in the evening grandstand show: As the sun sets over Stampede Park, watch the chuckwagons race over the finish line, often with nail-biting photo finishes, followed by big-name concerts and fireworks. For an extra- special treat, watch all the action from the Lazy S Restaurant, which not only has the best view of the show but offers a four-course meal with menu choices that includes the beef, which Alberta is famous for.
Admire art, sample wine and cool off in the BMO Centre: The Western Oasis Wine Garden lives up to its name, giving visitors a refuge to relax and sip wines. Stroll through the artist stalls to view their works, which ranged from native art and the traditional western subjects of horses and cowboys to abstract nature interpretations.
Sample some adventurous midway food: Every year, the concoctions get crazier, as vendors outdo themselves vying for bragging rights and social media fame. Some of this year’s most outrageous choices included Mac n’ Cheese soft serve ice cream, cotton candy noodles, bad breath lemonade and a hotdog made of worms. My personal decadent faves were the Dumpling Hero’s fluffy steamed taco baos filled with shrimp tempura, fried avocado and pork belly and Cin City’s skewer of mini donuts for dessert.
Last but not least, buy a cowboy hat and put it right on!
Jennifer Merrick
A teenage journey to the Arctic Circle sparked Jenn’s life-long passion for travel. In her twenties, she travelled abroad, teaching English in the UK, Hungary, Ukraine, Egypt and Singapore. She returned to Canada, settling in Toronto, where she began teaching new immigrants. Wanting to share her travel discoveries, she embarked on a second career as a freelance travel writer and her stories have been published in 30+ newspapers, magazines and websites.
Feet still itchy, she continues to travel and write about her adventures along the way. Join Jenn in this column as she hits the road.