How to Do Stampeding Correctly

It's that time of year again, where you put away your dress shoes and pull out the cowboy boots from the back of your closet. That's right! It's Stampede time! Here are some tips and tricks for your stampede to be safe and fun.

1. You wanna dress up.

This is honestly my favorite part of the stampede. I get to wear my cowboy boots and wear plaid like it is made for me. I love my cowboy boots and I like to walk like I just got off the horses' back. This is where you want to wear your plaid shirts and if it is too hot then wear a tank top underneath and tie your plaid around your waist.

2. Hydrate.

At the Stampede grounds, it is usually about ten to five degrees hotter because of all the food trucks cooking up some delicious ethnic food or donuts that are deep-fried at boiling temperatures. That's why it is important to mark the lemonade stands and make note of where they are located. Take a backpack with you and have a water bottle with you.

3. Donuts!

Eat the mini donuts, these are the best stampede food, if you don't like exploring the weird stuff like tentacles or deep-fried pickles. Mini donuts are the food to trust. However, I tried the cotton candy ones and they were not the best thing to eat, but I wanted to explore something fun.

4. Make sure your child knows where to go if they get lost.

There will be many lost children on the grounds because once a child gets excited they can wander off and next thing you know you're trying to get onto the Ferris wheel to see if you can spot them from there.

5. If you plan on partying hard and drinking

Make sure your gal pals are not going home with a strange man they met that night, because the rate of STDs go up and the number of teen pregnancies also go up.

6. Make sure you know what train to take.

There are two main C-Train lines in Calgary. If you are going south to the stampede ground you want to take Somerset/Bridlewood. If you are going North you want the Tuscany train to get to stampede. Keep in mind that if you are traveling downtown it is free.

7. Buy bus tickets in advance.

When leaving the grounds there will be so many people leaving at the same time and then guess what you gotta stand in another line just to get your bus tickets.

8. BMO Center

Those people are there to sell you stuff and that is it. If a woman drags you in to get better skin, she will not take no for an answer until you give them some money for some hand cream. It's all a scam.

9. The BMO is good to relax and get away from the hot sun.

It's a good place to go if you are feeling hot. The air conditioning will help a lot.

10. You need to see the dog show.

These dogs do absolutely crazy things with their trainers and other dogs as well. I was really glad I went to see it this year. This is also very kid-friendly and it's a very exciting event.

11. The agriculture center

The agriculture center is worth seeing if you have little ones because you can collect free stickers and sometimes other freebies.

12. Games are much safer than the rides.

Remember that the rides they set up there are all temporary, that's why they shake and stir when you are on them. When I go to the stampede I avoid the rides because they scare me to the core. So games are much better for me, it is a great date idea too.

13. There are so many lemonade stands everywhere, but you want the best one right?

Well, the best one is called family squeezed lemonade, most of their flavors have lime. The booth has a giant lemon on the top. I tried the raspberry rose lemonade and it was very good, the flowers are edible, but they taste like grass. I also tried the strawberry sparkle (not sure about that name), and it was also just as good. If you are on certain meds, such as birth control you can't have grapefruit. Two out of four drinks contain grapefruit.

14. Since I have a sensitive stomach I have to be very careful of what I eat.

So I tried to get food that had vegetables in it, and everything I ate was oh so good. My mouth is watering just thinking about it... mmm...

15. Check out the show bands.

I always loved watching show bands, with their loud drums and all other fun instruments.

16. I love the coke stage, that is one of the main reasons I go.

However, if you are taking your little ones there keep in mind that it is a concert crowd and that there will be drunks. There will be lots of weed or marijuana in the air. I do not have kids, but if I ever did I would not take them to this because they could get trampled and their poor little sensitive ears! I saw Mother Mother perform and it was absolutely amazing. I only stayed for my favorites and then I had to leave because the air was really potent and it made my stomach churn.

17. If you plan on drinking please do not overdo it where you black out.

If you do blackout make sure there is someone there with you to take care of you or take you home. I haven't done the drinking at stampede for the longest time and I do not regret that. It is not the most pleasant experience.

18. Have fun and try different foods!

Be safe! Happy Stampeding!