Calgary Stampede, July 7: Robot Rodeo set to begin Military display seeing heavy foot traffic
'Even though it's gone through a number of changes, there are three underlying principles that have guided the chuckwagon races since Day 1,' said Melville, who loves talking about the sport his grandfather, Orville Strandquist, excelled in at as both a driver and an outrider for seven decades up until the 1990s.
Article content
Article content
While the Calgary Stampede is not likely to lose its boastful moniker 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,' organizers of the 10-day spectacle have been taking great effort in recent years to add to its branding to emphasize there is more than a rodeo happening at Stampede Park.
Article content
Article content
It is also being sold as 'The Greatest Music Festival in the West,' a testament to the eclectic music programming that takes over four venues on the Stampede grounds.
Article content
Where else can you watch fireworks 10 days in a row? Calgary has the special privilege of a spectacular nighttime show starting at around 11 p.m. from July 4 to 13 while the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth takes over the city.
Article content
Want to know where you can best see the fireworks? Here are the four best spots to take in the Stampede fireworks from around the city.
Article content
Stampede Park
Article content
While not free, this option gets you the best possible view. The fireworks shoot off right after the Grandstand show ends and you can get the best close-up view while on the Midway or right outside the rodeo grounds.
Article content
Article content
Scotsman's Hill
Article content
This spot has the best free vantage point. It is right across the river from the Stampede grounds in the community of Ramsey.
Article content
Scotsman's Hill a very popular spot for fireworks viewing so show up early to find a spot to park and sit. Getting dropped off by a generous family member or a ride-share or taxi is a great option.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
9 hours ago
- CBC
Are midway games rigged? They certainly aren't easy, say players
Emerson Cook believed she had a chance at winning the big prize at the Calgary Stampede. At the age of 8, she felt confident she could hang from a chin-up bar for two minutes. Her parents had a bar just like it at home, and she had spent the last year practicing, so how hard could it be? Plus, she could win a big stuffed animal. But when she grabbed onto the metal bar, all set for her two minutes of glory, she came to the startling realization that the rules had changed. The bars spun. And after 15 seconds, she fell. "I was like, 'It spun, I didn't know it spun,'" said Emerson, who is now 12. "I was, like, crying. I was really upset. Cause it was like, everybody was watching, everybody is staring at you." Cook was the victim of a midway game that was more challenging than it appeared. And with the Calgary Stampede underway, and many more fairs set for the next few months across Canada, she likely won't be the last. And while many people say these games are rigged, or at least, not as fair as they might seem, operators argue all games are winnable, and there are some tricks to put your best foot forward. Difficult or fraudulent? There are three types of carnival games. There are games of chance, games of skill, and games that mix the two. For example, Cook's Hang Time challenge is a game of skill — and a deceptively hard one at that. The pick-a-duck race game or the claw game are games of chance. The ring toss game, where you have to get a ring on top of a bottle, is a bit of both. And Matt Magnone has played a lot of them. He runs a YouTube channel called Arcade Matt out of Ambridge, Pa., where he makes videos playing everything from arcade games to midway competitions. But he says there's no question that operators tilt the odds in their favour. For example, he says, in a game that involves shooting a basketball through a hoop, you might need more skills than an NBA star. Oftentimes, he says, the actual hoop is smaller than regulation, and the basketballs are given extra air so they bounce everywhere. A park near his home actually does have a sign letting people know it isn't a regulation basketball hoop. "It's more of like an oval than a circle. So it's just designed to where the average person isn't gonna be able to figure it out the first time or even maybe the 10th time," said Magnone. Then there's the game where you have to knock over a stack of bottles. There, he says, the bottom bottle will often be weighted to make sure they don't easily fall over. "So in theory, you can win every time. Now the games are designed to where, you know, I guess it's more of kind of like a casino, right?" said Magnone. "The games are set up to a certain difficulty to where the average person isn't gonna be able to win it every time." That's how Cook felt about the hanging bar challenge. There were no signs telling her that it moved, and it wasn't clear from watching the challengers ahead of her. "It said just, 'Bar, hold on for two minutes.' It didn't say, like, if it was spinning or not. Like, you couldn't tell," said Cook. Lots of stuffies These games are money makers for midway companies. Six Flags, which owns 42 amusement parks, such as Canada's Wonderland in Ontario and La Ronde in Quebec, brought in around $900 million in revenue last year from food, merchandise, and games. And while there is no doubt these games are designed with the intention to make money, Greg "Scooter" Korek says they are certainly winnable. Korek is the vice president of client services for North American Midway Entertainment, which puts on the Calgary Stampede along with many other fairs and festivals across North America. He says nearly 1.4 million people visited the Calgary Stampede last year, and Korek says games are an important part of that operation. "Are our games winnable? You bet," said Korek. "Our games do make money for us, but we're giving away a lot of prizes as we go along." He says that at the Calgary Stampede, they expect to give away 35 tractor-trailer loads of stuffed animals. "We could fill out this Saddledome with stuffed animals for 16 games," said Korek. And he says that while some games are harder to win, there is a reward for that: bigger prizes. Parade kicks off 113th Calgary Stampede Tips and tricks Magnone says there are ways you can tip the odds back in your favour. In the game where you have to knock over the bottom bottles, for instance, always go for the bottom row, he says. You can watch how-to videos for specific popular games to learn how they work before you play them, and you can also stand by a game at a fair to see how those who win are successful. Practicing, however, means that —unless you build the game at home — you have to spend money at the midway. But even with those strategies, don't expect to dominate. "They are set up so difficult to where, yeah, you might get one person that might see a tip and trick, but still, it's gonna take a lot of practise to get it dialled in and get the technique," said Magnone. Even if you do get really good, you likely won't win unlimited giant stuffies. Magnone says many places will put a limit on how many times you can win before you get cut off. But Emerson Cook hasn't reached that point yet. After her disappointing first attempt, she started training correctly. She made it so her bar at home moved like the one at the fair, and she practiced and practiced. "I still haven't won it yet," said Cook, reflecting on her 2024 attempt. "It's pretty tricky to do. Like, it's not that simple." Cook went back to the Stampede this year for another attempt, but were unable to find the game. But Cook hopes to go back next year and continue her quest to be Hang Time champion and walk away with one of those giant stuffies.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
‘A little something for everyone': Growing Stampede music scene offers eclectic mix
Music has always been a big part of Calgary Stampede but organizers have worked to boost that over the past few years, attracting a variety of options. Calgary Stampede maintains its title as 'The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,' with its world-famous rodeo, chuckwagon races and grandstand show, but a new slogan is rising as well. 'The Greatest Music Festival in the West,' said Allison Wright, program director for the Calgary Stampede. Over the 10-day event, Stampede offers more than 100 performances, including Arkells, Tenille Townes, Kaleo, Don Toliver and Simple Plan. Superstars including Shania Twain require tickets to get into the Saddledome, but many acts don't cost anything beyond admission to Stampede Park. Country music is front and centre, of course, but far from the only option. 'Initially, we thought it was just going to be a bunch of country music because it's Stampede, but it's nice there's a lot of pop music,' said Frianca Jirel from High River. 'We're definitely looking forward to seeing Simple Plan on Sunday,' said Samantha Reyes. 'We were excited to see the country, but it's nice to bounce back and forth between the others. There's a little something for everyone.' said Haylee Guigera and Jasper Willans from Australia, who were pleased to see the Aussie band Cat Empire performing at Stampede. 'We feature country, obviously—that makes sense. We also look at other genres to make sure we are appealing to the Calgary demographic broadly. Stampede is that—it is the community engagement in all things Stampede-related, and music is a key piece of that,' said Wright. 'I was surprised at the amount of artists they get and people who are more famous than I thought they would get,' said Willans. Music has always been a big part of Calgary Stampede but organizers have worked to boost that over the past few years, attracting a variety of options. Music has always been a big part of Calgary Stampede but organizers have worked to boost that over the past few years, attracting a variety of options. Stampede says it tries to secure popular artists, and sometimes the performers get even more popular after they've been booked. 'Sometimes we have artists that have a hit once we contract them in that draw a new crowd or audience that was maybe a little different than we anticipated, but really we're excited when these artists find their way to Stampede,' said Wright. There are several options off the grounds, too, including Badlands festivals featuring EDM and South Asian music called Stampede Mela. Oxford Stomp has offered a bustling festival with big-name artists for 35 years, but organizers say there is a lot more competition now. 'Back when we first started, we were kind of the big music festival. The entire 10 days of Stampede is now a music festival—it's really amazing how many incredible bands come to Calgary,' said Rob Dubeau. Dubeau says for its second year at Prince's Island Park, Oxford Stomp expected a crowd of about 8,000 people for their lineup of Hotel Mira, Dear Rouge, The Sheepdogs and Sheryl Crow. Playing any venue during Stampede has become a hallmark for many artists. Dear Rouge played the Coca-Cola stage and now Oxford Stomp. 'Stampede, I think, is always on everyone's list. It's amazing because it's already the biggest festival,' said Drew McTaggart of Dear Rouge.
CTV News
14 hours ago
- CTV News
There are lots of musical options on and off Stampede grounds
Calgary Watch Music has always been a big part of Calgary Stampede but organizers have worked to boost that over the past few years, attracting a variety of options.
