Things I Know for Certain during Stampede

Well it's day eight of the Calgary Stampede and I am wondering if it is time to think about passing the torch...what I mean by this is....since living in Calgary my entire life, this ten-day event is something I look forward to each year. The chance to reconnect with friends, make new ones and let my hair down, but at what age do I stop enjoying the music, the mud and the crowds that are all part of the Stampede?

As a child my parents took me to the Stampede Parade, as a youth I worked for a several years as an ushette for the Rodeo and Grandstand show and even spent a couple of summers working in one of the casino tents on the midway.


The first Friday of Stampede started the festivities off with a bang. Dozens of us would reserve VIP tents at one of the coveted bars (Dusty's, Coyotes or Cowboys) and spend the next thirteen or fourteen hours mingling, dancing and drinking until the bar closed. I heard someone remark recently that it takes weeks of training to be able to pace yourself through stampede week.

The next nine days revolved around hitting as many breakfast, lunches and parties as we possible could (and until recently those breakfasts usually consisted of various liquids rather than pancakes and sausage)

This year is different...I have only attended one event.

We were able to secure the much sought after Stampede Round Up event at Fort Calgary where dispite the torrential rain we enjoyed the music of LoverBoy, Our Lady Peace and Steve Miller Band.

As I looked around the party, I decided no it's not time to pass the torch yet, but I do have some advice for those just starting to stampede.

First, Ladies it's a hoe down, not a Ho down. Tight jeans, western shirts and tanks are great, but invest in a pair of cowboy boots and leave the stillettos at home.

Second, This is Calgary....it can be sunny at lunch and pouring rain by six o'clock. Many of our events are outdoors, so prepare for the weather and the mud.

Third, Drinking is a large component of stampede, but there is nothing worse than resembling some girl from Lady GaGa's "Just Dance" song. Staggering around, blurry eyed and messy is just not attractive...pace yourself, but if you can't....leave the business cards at home.

And finally it's more than coincidence that Calgary has more births in April than any other month of the year. Hmm. July, August, September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April...do the math.

I sometimes hear people remark what happens at the Stampede stays at the Stampede. This is just not true...yep, it's a big city, but not that big, so be aware of your surroundings and don't do anything you wouldn't do if your mother, partner or boss was nearby.

Happy Stampeding!