Giddyup! It’s time for the Calgary Stampede, and that means fresh pancakes, swinging line dances, daily concerts, zippin’ rides, and the good ol’ rodeo.

With lots going on, it can be tough to narrow down what to do while you’re there–especially if it’s your first time.

If you’re wondering how to get there, Calgary Transit has you covered, as the CTrain runs 24 hours for the duration of the event, up until midnight on July 14.

Some buses also have extended late-night service, and express buses from North Pointe and McKenzie Towne will take you straight to the Stampede. Those are Route 511, the Stampede North Express, and Route 512, the Stampede SE Express.

Here is a schedule of major events happening, along with price tags for tickets and rides.

July 3: Sneak-A-Peek

The first chance to take in the sights and sounds of “The Greatest Show on Earth.” You can head to the midway to shoot some hoops and win prizes from the games, or witness a preview of the grandstand show.

The grounds open up at 3 p.m., and it’s only $5 to get in during that time, but it bumps up to $13 after for access to everything else. If you already entered with the early access, you still have access to everything the Sneak-A-Peek has to offer.

Visitors can also visit the BMO building to visit the vendors or snack on some of the midway food.

Not everything is available on the Sneak-A-Peek, but it’s a good way to see everything before you head down to catch the major events and shows.

July 4: Stampede Parade

The Stampede parade kicks off the 10-day show on Friday and will be led by Canadian music icon Shania Twain as parade marshal.

Getting down to the parade can be tricky with some roads being closed, but Stampede officials say using public transit or carpooling is optimal to avoid traffic disruptions.

However, if you need to drive on down, it’s best to arrive before 7:30 a.m., the time roads close. The parade officially begins at 9 a.m., while all roads in and out of downtown intersecting with the parade route will close at 7:30 a.m.

Traffic on 9 Avenue heading east will have to head onto 11 Street SW, and motorists are advised to use 5 or 12 avenues to bypass the closures.

Additionally, those choosing to drive into downtown are encouraged to use Blackfoot Trail, Stoney Trail, Crowchild Trail, 16 Avenue and Deerfoot Trail as alternate routes.

It’s also important to note that parking restrictions will be in effect from noon on July 3 until 3 p.m. on parade day.

More on the parade route and road closures can be found here.

Once the parade finishes at 11 a.m., visitors can head to the grounds for free admission up until 1:30 p.m. While the parade is one chance to enter the park for free, other free days include:

• Tim Horton’s Family Day on July 6,
• TC Energy Community Day on July 8, and
• BMO Kids’ Day on July 9.

Information on the parade, including the performances, can be found on the Calgary Stampede website.

Admission to Stampede Park

If you’re looking to head to the grounds, you can opt for regular admission or snag some deals with passes.

It’s $25 for general admission for those aged 13-64.

Seniors over 65 get a discount at $17, tickets for children between 7-12 are $16. Meanwhile, children below 7 years old can enter for free.

The ride all day pass is available for $44.99 from Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, FreshCo, and CHALO FreshCo.

Major sites at Stampede Park

Calgary Stampede Rodeo

Have you ever seen the chuckwagons? The Calgary Stampede Rodeo features them and other rodeo events in the afternoons, starting at 1:30 p.m. right up until the start of the Grandstand Show.

While rodeo tickets carry a price tag anywhere between $150-$750, they come with free admission to Stampede Park that day. Purchasing them can be done online, while tickets to stand and watch are available in the morning.

What you can expect to see at the rodeo are breakaway roping, the chuckwagons, steer wrestling, bull riding, and more.

Midway foods

It wouldn’t be the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth without the wild flavours of the midway.

There will be a long list of wild and wacky foods that Stampede-goers can enjoy this year.

Some of this year’s delicacies include a maple glazed donut grilled cheese, apple crumble perogies, a Fruit Loops chicken burger, and deep fried pickle Oreos.

A full list of midway snacks can be found here

Concerts on the grounds

Coca-Cola Stage — Visitors of all ages to Stampede Park can take in this stage’s musical acts for free with admission to the park. The stage’s headliners throughout the 10-day festival include Kaleo, Tommy Richman, Arkells, Diplo, Tinashe, Don Toliver, Khalid, Bleachers, Simple Plan, and more.

Nashville North — The party tent on Stampede Grounds allows 18+ visitors to get a taste of Stampede music for free with admission to the park grounds. Acts set to grace the stage this year are Tenille Townes, Jade Eagleson, Midland, Cole Swindell, Chase Rice, Mackenzie Porter, and more.

The Big Four Roadhouse — This venue is restricted to 18+ after 6 p.m. daily, except for the ticketed concert on Sunday, July 6. Headliners this year are Toque, Natasha Bedingfield, TLC, Lil Jon, Boys Like Girls, Yung Gravy, and more. Tickets vary in price, and can be found here.

Scotiabank Saddledome — Country superstar Shania Twain will play the Saddledome on Saturday, July 5, following her parade marshalling duties on Friday. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are still available. They can be purchased here.

Other concerts during Stampede

Cowboys Music Festival — This will be the first year the event is held outside walking distance from the Stampede grounds, due to construction of the new event centre. Festival-goers will gather in Calgary’s downtown west-end to watch performers like Zach Top, Megan Moroney, Macklemore, Timbaland, Thomas Rhett, Kygo, The All-American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, T-Pain, Jessie Murph, Jordan Davis, Maren Morris, Akon, Taio Cruz, The Red Clay Strays, and The Chainsmokers. More information and tickets can be found here.

Badlands Music Festival — This event in downtown Calgary features dance and electronic artists for 10 days. Performers for this year’s event include Tiesto, RL Grime, Rudim3ntal, Zedd, Lane 8, Gryffin, Cloonee, Fisher, and more. For more information and tickets, click here.

Wildhorse Saloon — The tent on 6 Avenue SW has concerts daily during the festival. This year’s performers include The Rural Alberta Advantage, 54-40, Violent Femmes, Dallas Smith, The Watchmen, Sloan, and The Strumbellas. More info and tickets here.

Round-Up Musical Festival — Round-Up Musical Festival will return to Prince’s Island Park on July 9. Scheduled musical acts include Pat Benatar + Neil Giraldo, Tom Cochrane, JD Fortune, and JJ Wilde. Information and tickets can be found here.

Oxford Stomp — The 35th annual Oxford Stomp runs July 11 at Prince’s Island Park. Featured performers include Sheryl Crow, The Sheepdogs, Dear Rouge, and Hotel Mira. Tickets can be found here.

Pancake breakfasts

More than a 100 Stampede breakfasts are scheduled across the city during the stampede — most of which are free.

CityNews has compiled a comprehensive list of (almost) every free pancake breakfast in the city before and during the 10-day event.