Real Estate Editorial

As many of you know, I live in Calgary and every year we have our world famous Calgary Stampede during the first and second weeks of July. This year’s stampede ran from July 6th - 15th, and in 2008 for anyone that is interrested is from July 4th - 13th.

Well here is my experience and thoughts about the Calgary Stampede, what I do and what i don’t do.
This was my 8th stampede, 5 years I have lived in Calgary and have attended 3 years prior to moving here. I must say I love to have a good time like the next guy, but my stampede experiences are much different now that I live here. I have learned over the years what events to go to and what to events to stay away from.

The first 5 years I went to stampede either I was an out of Towner, or had friends who came into town to join me in my stampede experiences. I didn’t really know any better, I would go on pub crawls and head downtown to Cowboys stand in line forever and then get gouged $30 - $50 just to get in.

I would head down to the stampede grounds, fight the crowds and stand in line to get into Nashville North to see a band I didn’t even like or had never heard of. Don’t get me wrong I always enjoyed myself, but now I take a different approach.

This year I was extremely busy with events and had something planned 4 of the 10 nights, Now instead of waiting in a 3 hour lineup to pay $20 cover charge stand in a bar you can’t move in and pay double the price for a beer, I pre buy tickets to all my favorite events.

The great thing about buying tickets to events is that you are guaranteed to get in. Also you can go when you want and you probably aren’t going to be paying $8 for a beer. The events I went to also included dinner, so for the price of going to a bar I get to eat, buy $5 beers and have a great time at a great event.

On Wednesday July 11th. I went to go see INXS and Collective Soul at an outdoor concert at Fort Calgary for $50, this included dinner, 2 rocking bands, some free beer and just a good old stampede time. This had to be one of the best events I have ever been to during stampede and for the price well worth it.

On Friday July 13th. I went back to Fort CalgaryFort Calgary for the Oxford Stomp. This has become a recent tradition with some friends of mine; again for $20 I sat under a tent all day drank beer and ate my free meal.

As for the rest of my stampede I golfed with some friends played some softball and hit a few house parties, It was a great stampede as always but no bars and no lines, what else can you ask for.