Insider Tips on How to Watch the Calgary Stampede Parade

Yahoo! Friday, July 3, 2009 is Calgary Stampede Parade Day. Most downtown businesses take the morning off, and tourists mingle with locals to enjoy the official kick-off for The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.

Here's how to have an enjoyable Parade watching experience.

The official Calgary Stampede website information about the Parade shows the exact route (4.5 km or about 3 miles) in downtown Calgary. If you're not from Calgary, take a look at it. The Parade goes west on 6th Avenue SW from 3rd Street SE to 10th Street SW. Then it turns and goes 3 blocks south on 10th Street SW, from 6th Avenue to 9th Avenue. And then it goes east on 9th Avenue SW to 4th Street SE, where it ends. Most people watch on 6th or 9th Avenue.

The Parade starts at 8:55 a.m. and ends about noon. It takes about two hours to pass any given spot on the route.

Tip 1: Go Late.

Ignore everyone who says to get there early. Instead, plan to arrive downtown around 9:30, after the Parade is underway. That way, your whole time will be spent watching the Parade instead of waiting for it. A lot of people clear out before the Parade ends, and although there will still be crowds along the route, they won't be as thick as at the beginning.

Little kids have trouble staying engaged with the Parade for the full two hours, not to mention waiting time if you go early. However, one of the most popular things in the Parade, believe it or not, is the cavalcade of fire trucks at the end! So latecomers will have something to talk about, don't worry.

Tip 2: Don't Drive, Use Calgary Transit From the North

The best way to get downtown for the Parade is to use Calgary Transit. Check out their website for transit routes and fares. You need exact fares but you can buy transit tickets in advance from vendors all over town, including Safeway and Calgary Co-op. Here's a link to the list of Calgary Transit ticket vendors. It is much easier to use the books of tickets, but remember to validate your ticket before getting on the C-Train, or to ask for a transfer when boarding a bus.

After 7:30 a.m. on Parade Day, the streets downtown are essentially closed. Unless you know exactly what you're doing and have a personal, reserved parking spot, don't even think about driving.

Now here's an even better tip. No matter where you're coming from, if you have the choice, try to get on a C-Train in the north and leave your car at the C-Train station up there. Why?

After the Parade ends, the action shifts to the Stampede grounds. For the full 10 days of the Stampede, every south-bound train will be full of people going to the Stampede and southerners going home from the Stampede. You will be downtown when the Parade ends. It is much more pleasant to ride the train out of downtown to the north, especially to the northwest, because you are moving away from the Stampede grounds right away. Consider Brentwood, Dalhousie or even the new Crowfoot station. Be prepared to pay for parking. The current rate is $3.00.

Tip 3: Toilets are Hard to Find

Sad, but true. Calgary is just not a great place for public toilets, I'm afraid. During the Parade, some of the shopping centres will probably be open, and those are good places to look for a toilet. Find the food court area and expect to see washrooms not far away. Another choice is to go to a restaurant and purchase a meal. Otherwise, don't expect to be allowed access to private facilities. The office towers usually have security systems preventing people walking in off the street, so don't bother trying to find a toilet there.

It's difficult, but not impossible to find a toilet downtown during the Parade.

Tip 4: Find a Place to Suit the Weather

You will know before leaving home what the weather will be like on Parade morning. It's usually hot. The forecast for this year (as of Tuesday afternoon) is for "a mix of sun and cloud, chance of showers, high of 22°C." That's warm, but not sweltering hot. Usually the showers happen later in the day. So, check the weather on Friday morning, and if it's sunny, wear a hat and use sunscreen. Stand on the shady side of the avenue to stay a little cooler.

Tip 5: You May Still be Able to Get a Bleacher Seat

Some private organizations sell bleacher seats for the Parade. Some of these are listed on the Calgary Stampede's official website, under "Bleacher Seating." The best one sounds like the Rotary Club's because it includes a Stampede breakfast. Yummy. It also has facilities for people using wheelchairs. However, it may already be sold out so act fast.

Tip 6: Don't Bring a Lot of Stuff

Dress for the weather, bring no more than a light snack and a drink of water in case of emergency hunger or thirst, and don't burden yourself by carrying a lot of stuff.

Tip 7: Be Friendly

Calgarians are proud of the Stampede and of the Parade. We are also friendly people. I've had some great Parade chats myself, including meeting a couple from France, and another year, a family from Japan. This is the time of year when everyone is at their most hospitable.

Tip 8: Dress Cowboy

If you have a cowboy hat, wear it. Blue jeans are always good Stampede wear, though if it's a really hot day, I personally prefer shorts. Ladies often wear denim skirts at Stampede. If your cowboy boots are well broken-in, wear them. If not, spare your feet and wear your normal comfy walking shoes. If you don't have cowboy clothes but you want to feel part of the Stampede, you can get a cheap straw cowboy hat and put a red bandana around your neck, and you'll fit in.

Tip 9: It's Not Easy for People Who Use Wheelchairs or Have Trouble Walking

There are many people who use wheelchairs and get around zippity zip. You know who you are, and you know I'm not talking about you.

For people who are less athletic and not so accustomed to the wheelchair, or who have trouble standing for a long time, or walking a lot, the Parade might be something you prefer to watch on TV. It's not that you aren't welcome, but you might not be comfortable. Don't worry, there are many Stampede activities where you will find it easier going.

Tip 10: Don't Rush to Leave Downtown

Here's an insider secret: one of the nicest times to visit downtown Calgary in the summer is on Parade Day after the Parade is over. Why? Everyone else is rushing home or down to the Stampede grounds! You can find a seat and a lunch or snack at one of the indoor food courts if you want a break from the weather, or just want to sit down for a while. The stores and offices downtown all have Stampede decorations painted on their windows, and many have displays of western things – chuckwagons, boots, hats, and lots of bales of straw. It's fun to see this.

Downtown also has a couple of great western wear stores in case you're in the mood to cowboy up. Both Riley & McCormick and Lammle's Western Wear have stores in the 200 block of Stephen Avenue Mall (8th Avenue SW). These are the real thing. And as you may notice, that end of Stephen Avenue Mall is where you will find a fine collection of Calgary's historic buildings. It's a nationally designated Historic District.

On a nice day, a trip to Prince's Island makes a pleasant, quiet stroll after the Parade excitement. There are fast food vendors in the Eau Claire Market building (by the bridge to Prince's Island), and the nearby YMCA also sells food. Often there are hot dog vendors around, especially on sunny days.

After the crowds have left the city centre, you will find the trains and buses much less crowded and your ride back home has a reasonable chance of being a calm one, especially if you take my advice and avoid taking a C-Train going south. I would say that if you leave downtown an hour or two after the Parade ends, the northbound trains should not yet be packed with people leaving the Stampede grounds (See Tip #2).