Dollar Stampede

For nearly two weeks in July each year the city of Calgary turns Cowboy, with everyone dressing in Western clothes and feature many Western music bands throughout public places, even in the airport. The Calgary Stampede had become world famous and is one of the largest and most popular outdoor shows anywhere. When we visited there first in the mid 1990's it was the most fun event we had ever attended, with authentic rodeo performers, a petting zoo, midway rides and games, shows, and wonderful non-stop entertainment from early morning till midnight. And it was the best entertainment value anywhere. For a nominal price you could enjoy it all. But gone are those days!

We attended again in 2006 and couldn't have been more disappointed. Everything is overpriced, overbooked, over-crowded and an exercize in frustration and disappointment. The hotels automatically raise their prices a large percentage, and every property in town is booked nearly to capacity by early in the year.

But the rodeo itself is now just a handful of notables and the stadium has been expanded so far on both sides that even some of the most expensive seats are so far away you must watch the performers through binoculars or on the giant screens they have erected. And you have no roof, so you bake in the sun or get drenched if it rains. If you cannot afford the extremely high priced seats in front of the arena, or if they are alredy sold when you book, forget it!

Throughout the day at the fairgrounds we coped with crowds of nearly 200,000 people standing in lines for overpriced rides. Many rides and games refuse to honor the ticket that was supposed to grant entrance to nearly anything on the Midway. Food is overpriced, and at every turn someone wants more money. For a family of four for two nights and two days expect to drop several thousand dollars even for a mediocre hotel!

The best shows were the few free ones which were sponsored by much advertising. And the only truly authentic and not overpriced section at the Stampede Fairgrounds was the First Natons area where we saw authentic dances performed in colorful costumes and historic ways of life and survival explained. The tipis and dress were fascinating and we felt like honored guests in this beautiful area.

We had so looked forward to our return to the Stampede, but in our opinion it has become a commercialized money pit. It made us very sad and disappointed.