How to Be the Ultimate Calgary Stampede Host

group of friends exploring the Calgary Stampede grounds
group of friends exploring the Calgary Stampede grounds
2024 Calgary Stampede

How to Be the Ultimate Calgary Stampede Host

Learn how to be the ultimate Calgary Stampede host for this year’s edition of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

The Calgary Stampede returns with a mix of iconic Stampede experiences to enjoy this summer. Get ready to experience your favourite Stampede traditions and be the ultimate host for friends and family coming to visit.

The Calgary Stampede returns July 4-13, 2025.


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Get Your Western Wear

For ten days each year, Calgarians don their denim, boots, and western style to celebrate the Calgary Stampede. Be the ultimate host and help your guests get in the Stampede spirit with the very best in western wear. Lammle’s Western Wear has everything from boots and denim to western shirts and belt buckles for the complete Stampede ready look. Looking for the perfect hat? Smithbilt Hats has been making cowboy hats the old-fashioned way for more than 100 years. Choose a classic felt or straw hat to shade yourself from the sun on those hot summer days. And what’s a cowboy without a pair of boots? Alberta Boot is a mainstay for handmade cowboy boots with over 6,000 pairs in stock to choose from. Now, your guests are ready for the Stampede!

Check out the complete guide to What to Wear to the Calgary Stampede.

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Shopping at the Calgary Stampede (Photo credit: Calgary Stampede).

Shopping at the Calgary Stampede (Photo credit: Calgary Stampede).

 

Get Tickets & Admission in Advance

Be ready for your friends and family and purchase Calgary Stampede tickets and admission in advance of arrival day. It’s a good idea to build your trip around the Stampede Rodeo and the Evening Show and add in some Midway ride coupons and passes too. This helps you stay prepared, shows your guests you have been looking forward to their trip, and is a great way to skip the line and enjoy the show. Another tip - pick up a pack of Calgary Transit tickets to bypass the ticket machine to speed up the C-Train commute on your way to The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

Plan in advance to take advantage of reduced admission days and explore other budget-friendly ways to enjoy the Calgary Stampede.

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Get tickets to the Calgary Stampede in advance (Photo credit: Calgary Stampede).

Get tickets to the Calgary Stampede in advance (Photo credit: Calgary Stampede).

 

Free Things to Do in Calgary

Hosting friends and family doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Adding free activities to their itinerary will save everyone some cash and take you to new parts of the city you may not often visit yourself. Explore parks and green spaces in your neighbourhood to get some fresh air and exercise. Did you know Calgary has the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America? Get familiar with the public art in Calgary before your guests arrive and point out ‘Conversation’ on Stephen Avenue, the Centre Street Lions, or the iconic 'Wonderland' sculpture. That’s being a great host.

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Biking in Calgary (Photo credit: Roth & Ramberg/Travel Alberta).

Biking in Calgary (Photo credit: Roth & Ramberg/Travel Alberta).

 

Day Trips

Mix up your Calgary Stampede itinerary with a day trip from Calgary. Explore one of Canada’s largest ranching operations at Bar U Ranch National Historic Site, discover one of the world’s richest deposits of fossils at Dinosaur Provincial Park, and connect with indigenous culture at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump, one of the world’s oldest, largest, and best preserved buffalo jumps. World class adventures are just a short drive from Calgary. Adding one of these bucket list experiences to your Calgary Stampede itinerary will make you look like a hosting pro.

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Dinosaur Provincial Park (Photo credit: Mike Seehagel/Travel Alberta).

Dinosaur Provincial Park (Photo credit: Mike Seehagel/Travel Alberta).