With history and tradition that stems back to the late 1800s, the Calgary Stampede is one of the world’s longest running events. Part rodeo, part exhibition, part Easter Show-esque carnival, part music festival, the Stampede kicked off in Calgary, Alberta, Canada today, starting an impressive ten day event that will bring in over a million attendees from Canada and around the world. We’re excited that we’ll be part of the latter category next week, bringing you exclusive coverage of the event for the first time. And, as we work to get excited about it all (believe me, it’s not hard), we’re letting you in on the seven reasons we can’t wait for the festival.
Vance Joy and OK GO are playing!
In addition to these acts, the headliners will be mostly country and western focused, including Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert at the Scotiaband Saddledome. Furthermore, the wonderful Stevie Wonder will be closing out the event on July 12th as multiple stages will also showcase a variety of genres. On the Coca-Cola stage, a mix of emerging talents from around the world will be on show. Vance Joy will be the featured act on Sunday night, and one of our favourite bands OK GO – who always deliver one of the best live shows in town – will be playing on Tuesday. We’re also a little bit excited that our friends in July Talk and the amazing Arkells will be on hand to represent Canada. You can see the full lineup
Etsy is going IRL in Alberta.
From cowboy boots to belts, cowboy hats to whatever you need for your horse, you can bet they’ll have it for sale at the Stampede Markets. One thing that picques our interest at the markets this year, however, is the debut of a dedicated Etsy market, featuring local Alberta artisians showcasing all things vintage and handmade – likely the very things they sell in the Etsy online marketplace. Hopefully we can get ourselves some new Cowboy Hats, because…
Cowboy Hats are pretty much not an option…
At the Agrium Centre, where the rodeo itself has been held for the last two years, Cowboy Hats aren’t just encouraged – they’re expected. And the new arena has been built with this in mind: “The seating for the arena’s 2,500 guests is more steeply pitched than most, allowing guests to wear cowboy hats without blocking views of those seated behind.” White cowboy hats are the tradition of the festival – just try not to get any maple syrup on your pancakes.
They have a Talent Search!
Every evening at the festival, the Boyce Theatre will be home to the “Stampede Talent Search”, where the next group of breakout performers will be showcasing their talents. It will be a great way to come and discover something new – and it’s fantastic to see the festival get behind new talent like this, as they have been since 1981!
THEY HAVE A MINIATURE HORSE SHOW.
Miniature horses will the focus during the three-day Canadian National Miniature Horse Show, which started in 1981. About 40 miniature horses take part in the competition, which will be held from July 7 to 9 in the Northern Lights Arena and the Agrium Western Event Centre. It will feature two separate shows approved by the American Miniature Horse Association, and myriad classes including hunter/jumper, obstacle, halter, in-hand jumping, roadster, pleasure driving, and more. Just another example of how the Stampede showcases all animals, big and small. If only Li’l Sebastian could have lived to see the day… R.I.P.
They are serving up a Grilled Cheese Donut… and then some…
One of the most exciting parts of the festival is the wide variety of food on offer. Every year, they introduce new treats to give you the chance to try something new, alongside all the classic fair foods that you’d expect. Some additions this year, like the Lobster Corn Dog, or the Jurassic Pork Mac & Cheese (“creamy mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and crispy onions”), gives us a variation of a classic. And there’s the bringing together of two delicious treats in a unique way. Like the Red Velvet Chicken Strips – where chicken strips are fried in red velvet cake mix. Or the… cockroach pizza? Yes, that’s a real thing. But the offering that has our mouths watering (and our arteries clogging) the most is the Grilled Cheese Donut.
Here’s the description:
Glazed Donut grilled to perfection, with the awesome combination of the sweetness of the donut working in harmony with the savory melty stringy cheese (Beef or chicken).
Yes, thank you. More please.
You can read all about all the new food on offer in this amazing blog post here.
And finally, whatever Acrodunk is, we want to see it…
It may be part of the kids zone, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see “Acrodunk”. What is “Acrodunk”, you ask? Well, they are “high flying slam dunk champions” who will be performing a “gravity defying extreme show”. Sweet.
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The AU will be live from the Calgary Stampede next week. Stay tuned for our coverage through the website and social media channels (@theaureview). And we’ll let you know if all the above was indeed worth the trip!
For tickets and more details about the stampede, head to their official website: http://www.calgarystampede.com/
