As much as Stampede is a novelty for Calgarian, I have come to realize that the Calgary Stampede might be overrated. Here are a few reasons why:
Prices
General Admission is $16! As a broke teenager, now a huge chunk of my money is missing just for entering the grounds. Not to mention the astonishing prices for rides. For 55 ride coupons, it costs $50. Most rides require five or six coupons. You are now spending roughly $5-$6 on each ride, which only last for roughly a minute, while the wait is about a half hour long. And as good as the food is, you spend roughly twice as much money on food at Stampede than you would at the mall. At Stampede yesterday, my friend Jade and I spent $9 on six mozzarella sticks! As interesting the activities at Stampede are, is it worth the money?
Crowds
The amount of people attending Stampede is incredible! That said, it might not be a good thing. The crowds at Stampede are only getting larger, and they are only getting more and more rude and rowdy. At the Tokyo Police Club concert at the Coca-Cola Stage on July 6, me and fellow blogger, Bryna, spent most of our experience being shoved around by other concert goers. And the more busy the grounds become, the more people push and shove you around. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get around the park without running into others.
Heat
With the summer weather and growing crowds, Stampede has become a hot and sweaty endeavour. While standing in line for rides in the blistering sun, I spend a lot of the time fanning myself to avoid the heat. And with the close proximity of others due to the large amounts of people, it’s easy to say that I have been sweating quite a bit at Stampede!
Although I have some complaints, I do enjoy myself at Stampede and have gone a total of four times this year! Stampede is really fun and it is quite the novelty to attend every year.
Giddy Up!