{"id":17296,"date":"2014-04-11T06:43:00","date_gmt":"2014-04-11T06:43:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=17296"},"modified":"2021-10-28T16:39:57","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T16:39:57","slug":"calgary-stampede-in-style","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/calgary-stampede-in-style\/","title":{"rendered":"Calgary Stampede, in style"},"content":{"rendered":"

For 10 days each year, Calgary, Alberta<\/a>\u00a0transforms from a sprawling oil and gas-rich city into a party of Texan proportions. As a born and bred Canadian, I\u2019ve always wanted to mosey on over to the Calgary Stampede<\/a>. It\u2019s a Canadian bucket list contender, up there with Niagara Falls and the Canadian Rockies. <\/p>\n

Ironically, after a lifetime of anticipation, my inaugural visit was threatened by a massive and widespread flood. Just 14 days before the big show, Calgary went under water, the Stampede\u2019s 407-acre grounds covered swimming pool-deep. After 100 years, would the 101st year be a bye? Come hell or high water, no, thanks to serious water recession, 24-hour crews, and most importantly, the pioneering spirit that\u2019s made the Stampede stand out as \u201cThe Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.\u201d In other words, Calgary cowboyed up<\/em> producing a show you’d never know was threatened. <\/p>\n

My Stampede started at 7 a.m. on July 5th, 2013; the first day. Holding a mimosa (or two), there was a lot to celebrate, and a herd of tireless clean-up crews to offer a cheers of thanks. Despite the early hour – for eating and imbibing – the air buzzed with anticipation, and the sound of 30 fiddles strumming a tune at the famous Fairmont Palliser<\/a> Parade Day breakfast.<\/p>\n

\n

Viewfinder Tip: During Stampede, over one million free pancakes are served by volunteers all over the city. Look out for roadside chuckwagons to find free flapjacks. <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Cowboy or city slicker, there wasn\u2019t a tennis shoe or stiletto in the house. You name the western wear, and it was there. Naturally, I snapped – photos that is! At the richest outdoor rodeo invitational on the planet, you can imagine the photo opps: studded leathers, fringed chaps, monogrammed belt buckles, stacked denim, embroidered boots. Even the parade\u2019s 800 horses got gussied up, including some with bedazzled behinds (think equestrian body polish).<\/p>\n

Following cowboy etiquette to a T, Stampede is all about wranglers – the athletes and the jeans! And it\u2019s not just authentic cowboys who come decked out either, everyone from townie to tourist gets in on the action. With this, I re-purposed my everyday clothes into cowgal-worthy wear, and accessorized with feathers, turquoise, and gold accents (not at the same time) after a chat with the stylist at The CORE<\/a> shopping center in downtown Calgary.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n

Ready to rock at the rodeo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Guy or gal, here’s the unofficial Stampede wardrobe rule: top it, belt it, and stomp it, meaning you can transform virtually any outfit from everyday to western with the addition of a cowboy hat, belt, and cowboy boots. <\/p>\n

Now rodeo-ready, the broncos were a buckin\u2019 – my cue the show had officially started. The most posh perch to watch the afternoon rodeo is the Lazy S, a lounge and outdoor viewing vista with this dress code: \u201cstylish urban western attire\u201d (thank goodness I dressed for success). Think of it like a catered box at a football or hockey game. Overlooking the infield, I sipped an 8-second Caesar (a bacon-flavored rendition of the classic Canadian cocktail) and feasted on a three-course meal coordinating my bites with bucks. I was officially in a Stampede trance.<\/p>\n

The more I stampeded, the more I gleaned what goes on at Calgary\u2019s inner city ranch: party in the front, business in the back. Taking a peek behind the scenes – literally, I stood three feet from the chutes where cowboys and their broncs or bulls launch into the dirt-covered arena – my backstage guide, Wayne, whispered, \u201cthis is where the business happens.\u201d Beyond the fidgety, leather-clad contenders, each doing a different version of their pre-rodeo prep, the scream of cheering fans in the grandstand grew louder and louder. As the intensity mounted, so did each cowboy.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Bull riding<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Outside the rodeo, Stampede is a festival by day, party by night. The fair side of the park is a grazing grounds ripe with twirly rides and delights like deep-fried oreos, chocolate-dipped bacon, and pickle juice shooters. At the opposite end of the ranch, you\u2019ll find the Western Oasis, a wine garden and art gallery for the reserved ranahans. I found myself hovering between both worlds, downing pickle shooters in the afternoon and pinot noir in the evening. <\/p>\n

When the sun goes down, the grandstand comes to life once again when the famous chuckwagons take to the track; an intense race where 24 horses and 16 riders speed for a slice of the $2 million purse. The conclusion of the race marks the start of Stampede\u2019s nightlife (which also goes on all day, if that’s what you’re into). Good thing I brought my party pants, now all I have to do is learn the two-step to croon with my cowboy at Nashville North, Stampede’s it<\/em> country western destination.<\/p>\n

Stampede 101: stay at a hotel<\/a> that\u2019s close to the stomping grounds. Your feet will thank you. Hotel Arts<\/a> gets top marks in my standings because the pool is cool, the vibe is right, and the breakfast is bang-on.<\/p>\n

Have you traveled to a rodeo?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Where to yell yahoo at The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":12541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1971,1867,1814,1782,1788,1972,1774,1812,1818,1776],"tags":[117,41,33],"authors":[2232],"class_list":["post-17296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alberta","category-canada","category-city","category-destinations","category-interests","category-northern-alberta","category-occasions-and-seasons","category-sports","category-summer","category-type-of-vacation","tag-all-the-girls","tag-all-the-guys","tag-couples","authors-trip-styler","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCalgary Stampede, in style | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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