This Opinion article is part of a Narcity Media series. The views expressed are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
The Calgary Stampede is almost here and the city of Calgary is buzzing in anticipation. It's time to dig out your western wear and dust off your cowboy boots for another year.
If you've somehow missed the memo, the Calgary Stampede kicks off in the city on July 7 and runs right through to July 16, 2023.
Last year was my first chance to get the full Stampede experience and it was a wild ride with tons of fun and also tons of expenses.
After experiencing the Calgary Stampede, I've come to realize a few grave mistakes I made in the past and things I would absolutely do differently this time around.
So whether you're heading to Calgary Stampede for the first time or you're a seasoned veteran that just needs a few friendly reminders, these are things I am desperately trying to avoid repeating this year.
Don't wear uncomfortable shoes
During Stampede, you're more than likely going to see thousands of people donning cowboy boots and western wear for the whole 10-day event. Despite being very on theme, I now realize there's actually a very good reason for why people wear cowboy boots for the whole time and that's because they're surprisingly comfortable.
Being a relative newbie to Calgary last year, I decided to tackle the Calgary Stampede in Converse, which I foolishly thought was a comfy shoe option. However by the end of the 10 days, I was in some serious pain and the shin splits were real.
This year, I've secured my first pair of proper cowboy boots and I feel like my feet are already thankful for it. But be warned, if they're new, you're going to want to break them in ahead of time and save yourself from days of pain.
Don't think you can attend every single event
When there's so much cool stuff happening in the city over the space of 10 days, I don't blame anyone for wanting to dive in head first and check out every single event.
Not only is there the rodeo, the evening show and so many different concerts taking place on the Stampede grounds, there are also a ton of festivals and tents like Cowboys and Badlands taking place simultaneously. The biggest rookie error here is thinking you can go to them all.
When the Stampede kicked off, I made it my goal to get out every day and check out absolutely everything and at the beginning, it was incredible.
However, by day 10 (or technically 11 if you include Sneak-A-Peek), I was truly a shell of a human. I think I missed maybe one day of festivities and my god, my body felt it. I didn't want to eat, I couldn't possibly have another drink. I was so over it!
Plan in at least a couple of days of rest time because spending all that time in the blazing sun or in a hot and sticky tent is a lot.
Check out the things you really don't want to miss first
While you're not realistically going to be able to fit everything you want to do into 10 days – especially if you have a day job – you should come armed with a list of things that you really want to check out and do those things first.
I had big plans of going on some of the rides and heading to the rodeo but kept pushing them back because I was distracted by the million other things going on. However, take it from me, if you push those things until the final days, chances are you aren't going to have the energy to make it happen.
Stampede lineups can be huge but if it's something you really want to do, just commit to it.
Don't eat midway food every day
A good part of why I felt so awful by the end of Stampede I'm guessing is because I lived on a consistent diet of corndogs and lemonade for 10 days straight. It starts off fun when you're sampling all of the wild midway foods but after a few days of eating predominantly deep-fried food in the baking hot sun, you really start to feel it.
Will I still be trying as much midway food as I can get my hands on? Yes, most likely but my aim for 2023 is to also pick up plenty of healthy options to eat at home and bypass the corndog diet.
It's fun, it's a novelty, but please, please take some time to eat some vegetables and drink some water because the post-Stampede lethargy is real.
Side note: If you really want a Colossal Onion, make sure you have at least six people around you to help you eat it.
Don't spend as much money
This may just be a pipe dream that I'm telling myself but I am ambitiously trying not to spend anywhere near as much money at the Stampede this year.
When you factor in admission costs, buying food from the midway every day, drinking, and generally partying, the result isn't pretty. Luckily, there are plenty of free times to enter the Stampede to help with saving a bit of cash.
It can be hard when the event is only 10 days long and you want to jump headfirst into everything but picking and choosing what you really want to do ahead of time will stop you making some financially irresponsible decisions.
Don't just stick to one spot
There's so much going on at the city over the course of 10 days with huge festivals and everything taking place on the Stampede grounds. Last year, I was definitely guilty of sticking to the Stampede grounds and not really venturing anywhere else and now I regret it.
Even beyond the big events at Cowboys and Badlands, there are so many cool smaller events all over the city so take advantage of those too because you'll never know what you'll find.
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