Quote:
Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos
I don't like the Stampede either and I gotta wonder what tourists who come here for it think of it all. My guess is that more than a few of them every year find themselves in the middle of Stampede Park and they say "we came all the way here for this? We coulda gone anywhere!"
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That's what I feel as well. I am the sort of person who when in a Chinese restaurant, feels bad for the non-chinese people who try ordering off the menu and get something terrible (I always think that thing needs pictures), not to mention that most Chinese food needs to be eaten in large groups for variety. I've seen many couples order one $15 plate and it's a pile of steaming vegetables. Ouch!
In the same way, I feel a bit of a cringe and embarassement when my relatives or other tourists come and ask to see the Stampede and I wonder if they do indeed think: "we came all the way for this?". The Stampede is fine, Stampede spirit is cool. Wearing jeans to work and Stampede breakfasts are tres cool...I just don't like all the false hype and sort of false advertising I think the Stampede does to sell itself as bigger than it is. It is what it is. A small western themed festival with carnival rides, rodeos, and small outdoor performances in an aging park (they really need to redevelop that whole area into something modern, like an entertainment neighbourhood for year-round activities).