How "World Famous" is the Stampede actually?

[Rhettzky]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Yeah they certainly seem to have a "If it's not broken don't fix it" mentality when it comes to improving and adding to the Stampede

I think they've done pretty huge upgrades in the past ten years. The grounds are constantly under construction. As far as the crappy midway goes, isn't that just a part of the travelling fair?

[The Familia]

The new Agricom building is pretty nice and modern as is the BMO expansion. The rest of the park needs a huge overhaul. The old part of BMO needs a major refresh. The Big 4 needs to be torn down and the Grandstand is pretty shabby for a signature building. The old agriculture building can stay as it has character. Would love for the Corral to be completely renovated and turned into a nice 6000 seat arena! The Stampede has failed to kickstart its main street along Olympic Way. The Coke stage is terrible for concerts and cramped. For the prices they charge the parks appearance and buildings should reflect that.

[Wormius]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I think they've done pretty huge upgrades in the past ten years. The grounds are constantly under construction. As far as the crappy midway goes, isn't that just a part of the travelling fair?

Yeah. I agree. And there are a lot of non-country related activities to enjoy. It's not all carnival rides and country music. The Coke stage generally has good evening shows, the Cirque Eloize this year and Peking Acrobats last year, the Bell extreme stuff. There are enough examples that it is trying to modernize. Maybe they're not enough for some people, but I think it's a decent enough mix of bringing in some new stuff and keeping the tried and true stuff around.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Rhettzky

I think they've done pretty huge upgrades in the past ten years. The grounds are constantly under construction. As far as the crappy midway goes, isn't that just a part of the travelling fair?

What are the huge upgrades? It's still a giant parking lot with a couple new gray buildings on it. Are those buildings the upgrades?

When the Flames move out maybe it won't have to be a parking lot anymore and hopefully they can make it the "park" they want to everyone to call it now.

[BurningYears]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

What are the huge upgrades? It's still a giant parking lot with a couple new gray buildings on it. Are those buildings the upgrades?

When the Flames move out maybe it won't have to be a parking lot anymore and hopefully they can make it the "park" they want to everyone to call it now.

I'm sure we would all like to see it become a lovely patch of grass. but in reality for all the midway rides and games and the 1.2 million people on it would turn it to a dusty mess with every rainfall turning it into a mudpit. Not sure if there would be a way for it to not be a giant parking lot and work.

[Maccalus]

I agree that grass does not work well for a hugely attended festival such as the stampede. Every large festival site for events similar to the stampede looks like a giant eyesore when they don't have events going on in the area. For a comparable, this is the Oktoberfest grounds when they don't have an event there:

https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Mun...!6m1!1e1?hl=en

The Stampede is working on upgrades for their grounds, but I agree that they have been slow at implementing. I believe the Enmax park area should be opening next year across the river. The Indian village will move to that grassy area at that point opening up more grass in the area. There are plans to move the coke stage to a larger area and expand the grounds north in the future, but your guess is as good as mine for when it will actually be fully implemented.

[CliffFletcher]

I swear I saw major expansion proposals by the Stampede Board 7 or 8 years ago. Were they shelved?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Cameron Swift

I would say it's known of by people who travel/have looked into travel in Canada/North America, but I doubt the average person on the street has heard of it.

Yeah, it is world famous, but on a niche level. Like a lot of festivals and attractions, it has a global pull for a specific target audience.

[Addick]

Originally Posted by The Familia

The new Agricom building is pretty nice and modern as is the BMO expansion.

While it is new, it is not really modern. Taste in architecture is subjective but the BMO is a conservative, faux-historicist design that lacks effort and value. The Stampede could have requested a contemporary design with elements that would ensure the building fit the Western theme and reflected our history yet looked modern.

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

I swear I saw major expansion proposals by the Stampede Board 7 or 8 years ago. Were they shelved?

I heard the board fumbled things. Not fact, just what I heard.

[dubc80]

Got my hair cut by an Irish lass last night. Only been in Canada 6 months.

I asked her if she knew about the Stampede before she came here and her answer was yes.

[Zarley]

I've been to Oktoberfest and while I had fun there, I actually think the Stampede is a better festival for the following reasons:

- You can partake in Stampede events and genuinely enjoy yourself without necessarily drinking yourself into a stupor. The Oktoberfest grounds are disgusting, with garbage everywhere, thousands and thousands of obnoxious drunks milling about, and vomit littering the sidewalks. I wouldn't recommend going there without having a buzz on. While Stampede certainly involves heavy drinking, there is plenty of other entertainment available including the animal exhibitions, rodeo, chucks, and good concerts.

- Essentially what happens at Oktoberfest is you queue up at 9 AM to get into a beer hall, sit down at a table, and drink stein after stein for 12 hours straight (and eat delicious, delicious chicken). It's fun, but I prefer the setup at the Cowboys tent where you can mingle about, aren't stuck at a table all day, and don't have to start drinking first thing in the morning. Also, there aren't enough washrooms at the Oktoberfest beer tents I went to, so they were letting people out to urinate on the grass in the open.

- It's tough to evaluate this as a tourist, but there didn't seem to be many Oktoberfest events outside of the Wiesn (fairgrounds). The great thing about Stampede is the community and corporate embrace of the event.

- They have a midway with rides there as well, but it's essentially the same thing as the Stampede midway.

All in all, Oktoberfest was good but I wouldn't want to go there every year. I can partake in the Stampede and have fun year after year. If Oktoberfest is being cited as the standard of a world class festival, I'd say we are doing pretty well.

[Table 5]

The best part of Stampede so far has been listening to the Journey concert from my backyard.

[calf]

Originally Posted by Zarley

All in all, Oktoberfest was good but I wouldn't want to go there every year. I can partake in the Stampede and have fun year after year. If Oktoberfest is being cited as the standard of a world class festival, I'd say we are doing pretty well.

I went to Oktoberfest a number of years ago, and I agree with your post in general, from what I can remember of it. The parallel to the Stampede is definitely there. I remember talking to some locals and we asked how to get to the Hofbrauhaus. We were told to avoid it at all costs because that's where all the tourists went. Well, we were tourists so we went and had a blast...but it really reminded me of the disdain some Calgarians have when it comes to Cowboys...it's just leiderhosen instead of western wear.

[Igottago]

I think it'll be awesome when Calgary is known for something other than just a big western themed fair.

I don't hate the stampede or anything but I hardly think its a real reflection of the fabric of the city and the people in it. Its a big carnival where people dress tacky, listen to American country music, booze it up and sleep around. Hardly strikes me as an authentic celebration of Alberta's farming/ranching roots, if that's what it ever was.

So much more to the city now and so much more going on, I think it actually hurts Calgary's reputation that this is drummed up as the single most important aspect of its identity. Frankly I think Calgary's a way cooler place than people realize, and people don't neccessariliy get to see that when the stampede machine is on.

[Mightyfire89]

Originally Posted by dubc80

Got my hair cut by an Irish lass last night. Only been in Canada 6 months.

I asked her if she knew about the Stampede before she came here and her answer was yes.

Did you ask her if she'd taken any "interesting" video lately?

[JD]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I think it'll be awesome when Calgary is known for something other than just a big western themed fair.

I think it is, and I don't really think that's the point of this discussion.

Calgary is also known for the 1988 Olympics and the continuing legacy from those Games, the Flames of course, proximity to world-class National Parks, and for being the hub of the Canadian oil industry.

Calgary is a young and relatively small city in the world but I think it holds a strong worldwide reputation despite those things. Sure it's not as well-known as the three bigger cities in Canada but it's probably more well-known than most other similar cities in the world.

[dubc80]

Originally Posted by Mightyfire89

Did you ask her if she'd taken any "interesting" video lately?

Ha ha. No, the "Wobbly H" was not a topic of discussion.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by dubc80

Got my hair cut by an Irish lass last night. Only been in Canada 6 months.

I asked her if she knew about the Stampede before she came here and her answer was yes.

Has she been to the Stampede yet?

[Cappy]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I think it'll be awesome when Calgary is known for something other than just a big western themed fair.

I don't hate the stampede or anything but I hardly think its a real reflection of the fabric of the city and the people in it. Its a big carnival where people dress tacky, listen to American country music, booze it up and sleep around. Hardly strikes me as an authentic celebration of Alberta's farming/ranching roots, if that's what it ever was.

So much more to the city now and so much more going on, I think it actually hurts Calgary's reputation that this is drummed up as the single most important aspect of its identity. Frankly I think Calgary's a way cooler place than people realize, and people don't necessarily get to see that when the stampede machine is on.

I'm sure locals in many cities with large events like this feel the same way. What is Mardi Gras? Tits and beads and booze? Oktoberfest, booze and drunks and fake lederhosen. Even some of the big concert venues that people love are somewhat detested by locals. Im sure locals in indio love the influx of hipsters and drunk dude bros every year during coachella.

Just be glad Calgary is known for something that is celebratory.

[The Ditch]

Originally Posted by Igottago

I think it'll be awesome when Calgary is known for something other than just a big western themed fair.

I don't hate the stampede or anything but I hardly think its a real reflection of the fabric of the city and the people in it. Its a big carnival where people dress tacky, listen to American country music, booze it up and sleep around. Hardly strikes me as an authentic celebration of Alberta's farming/ranching roots, if that's what it ever was.

So much more to the city now and so much more going on, I think it actually hurts Calgary's reputation that this is drummed up as the single most important aspect of its identity. Frankly I think Calgary's a way cooler place than people realize, and people don't neccessariliy get to see that when the stampede machine is on.

People love the stampede, even locals.

You talk about other events, there's still plenty of tickets left for folk fest which IMO is a really cool pseudo festival in Calgary, but not a lot of people go to it. People want to go to the Stampede what's wrong with that? I think people just hate on things because they're popular and no other reason.