What are the dates in July, 2004 for the stampede? Any links to information about it?
Thank you.

Link =
http://www.stampede.coolattractions.com/

Dates = 9 to 18 July 2004

For details, wait for judy's reply

Hello Hibiscushouse,

As Borealis already has given you the dates and a good website, I'll go on to say that the Stampede always starts off with a parade through downtown Calgary on the first Friday morning of the ten day festival, in this case July 9th.

The parade is a lot of fun. It has many horseback riders, marching bands, floats, etc., in it.

Temporary bleachers are set up along parts of the parade route, and seats on them are sold in advance. I've never figured out, however, how one goes about buying the tickets for those seats.

When we've watched the parade in person, we've taken folding chairs downtown with us and staked our claim to a piece of sidewalk about 7.30 a.m. The early arrival time is a necessity, because the parade route quickly fills up with people.

It may sound crazy to do this, but our kids really did enjoy the parade when they were young, and we all considered the exercise to have been more than worthwhile.

There also have been a few years when my husband has worked in a building overlooking the parade route and we've been able to watch from the comfort of his office. (These days we tend to watch the parade on TV, though. )

Probably the easiest way to get downtown, if you aren't staying there, is to catch the train.

If you don't have folding chairs (and I don't imagine it would be practical to bring them from Florida!), I don't know what to suggest. I've seen people sitting on the edge of the sidewalk, and that would work okay too, but you need something physical, even if it's a piece of blanket or something like that, to stake your claim in the event you need to leave your spot for a few minutes.

The parade ends up at Stampede Park, which is where the festival takes place. Stampede Park opens quite early each morning (I forget exactly what time). There is a midway (rollercoaster rides and such), games where you can win prizes, an Indian Village with tipis, agricultural displays, and bands playing mostly country and western music ("Nashville North&quot.

Every afternoon, starting at 1.30 p.m., there are rodeo events (bronc riding, calf roping, etc.).

Every evening, starting at 8.00 p.m., there are chuckwagon races, followed by the Grandstand Show (musical and dance acts put on by a group called the Young Canadians), culminating in a fireworks display some time between 11.30 p.m. and midnight.

To my taste the chuckwagon races are the most exciting offering.

If you go to the evening show, be sure to bring a jacket. Calgary is at 3,000 feet above sea level, and it almost always cools off at night, no matter how hot the day has been. Most of the stadium seating from which one views the rodeo events and chuckwagon races is outdoors.

Rodeo and chuckwagon race tickets include admission to Stampede Park. If you haven't bought rodeo or chuckwagon race tickets in advance, you have to pay an admission fee to get into Stampede Park.

If you want to secure good seats, it's probably best to order them in advance. Here's a website for that:

http://www.calgarystampede.com/stamp...cket_info.html

In theory it's possible to buy last minute rodeo and chuckwagon tickets in person. But I can't guarantee what, if any, seats you'll get if you buy the tickets on the spur of the moment.

It isn't cheap to see the rodeo or chuckwagon events. People often ask me if it's worth the price. I personally think it is. I've grown a bit jaded about the Stampede after all these years, and by the end of Stampede I don't want to hear another C&W tune for at least a month. However, the first few times I participated in this festival I enjoyed it immensely.

Calgary takes on a very festive atmosphere during Stampede. Stores, banks, and other businesses are decorated with bales of hay, etc. Just about everyone in Calgary (office workers, store clerks, bank tellers, waiters, etc.) don cowboy gear for the duration.

Total strangers stand up in bars and restaurants and start line dancing with each other, and stuff like that.

Many businesses set up griddles on city sidewalks, and serve up pancakes and sausages to passers-by. You'll find presidents and CEOs of oil companies, banks, insurance companies and real estate companies wearing aprons and dishing up breakfasts to members of the public.

Although parking is available at and near Stampede Park, the train is one of the most feasible ways of getting there.

Hope this helps.

We were in the area last summer and went to the Stampede on the advice of friends from Calgary. It was a lot of fun! We were in the Banff/Lake Louise area but took a day out for this and i was a nice change of pace.

Hibiscushouse, I forgot to mention something in my previous post.

***If your Calgary stay is going to coincide with the Stampede, it's really important to make hotel reservations well ahead. Calgary accommodations get very booked up during Stampede. You cannot make your reservations too soon.***

I can't believe it, after all these years I've found a place where one can reserve bleacher seating for the Stampede Parade. How did I ever survive before Google?

http://www.calgarystampedeparade.com/bleachers.htm

Thank you for all that information. Sounds a bit similar to Gasparilla which is a festival in Tampa every year. Sounds fun. I know my boys would love the rodeo events and chuckwagon races. We'll need to look into it further and see if we can fit it in while we are staying in Golden.
The main reason I asked is because our lodge reservations end on July 17th but we don't fly out of Calgary until the 22nd. I got a little panicked about the accomodation issue in Calgary if the stampede was at the same time.
I will start another post regarding this time frame.
Thanks again!