Celebrate the Greatest Show on Earth with UCalgary

Get ready to dust off those boots for the 111th instalment of the Calgary Stampede, kicking off on Friday, July 7. As always, there is no shortage of activities to participate in both on and off the grounds. 

The University of Calgary is participating in numerous events on campus and around the city during the 10-day event.   

“The Calgary Stampede has been a long-standing and valued community partner for UCalgary,” says Amanda Affonso, BA’00, associate vice-president of alumni, community and partnerships. “We hope that members of our community can come together to help us celebrate this wonderful partnership, and to experience the excitement of the Stampede across the city.” 

Here’s how to get involved with the Stampede at UCalgary, as well as some other activities for the whole family: 

President’s Stampede Barbecue 

UCalgary gets a jump on Stampede Week on July 5, when the Taylor Family Digital Library Quad will play host to a delicious lunch for the UCalgary community, with line dancing and live music from Albertan country singer, composer and 2007 Canadian Idol runner-up Jaydee Bixby, as well as a sneak peak of the new UCalgary Stampede Parade float. 

Come early to this popular event, as food is only available to the first 1,600 guests. Register now! 

If you plan on attending, please bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Students' Union Campus Food Bank. 

Stampede Parade 

Since the inaugural Calgary Stampede in 1912, the Stampede Parade has been the official kickoff to all the festivities. On July 7 at 9 a.m., come see our brand-new parade float and cheer on the volunteers marching along the route. This year, the parade will be marshalled by Jeremy Hansen, the first Canadian Space Agency astronaut to fly to the moon with Artemis Mission II. 

Ag-tivity in the City 

UCalgary’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM) Outreach Summer Student team will be setting up in the Agrium building next to the Dairy Foundation booth for the duration of the Stampede. Drop by for a live cow-milking demonstration, cow/calf simulators and information on upcoming projects.  

UCVM is also teaming up with The Simpson Centre for a virtual reality tour to a dairy farm. 

Evening Show ticket promotion 

Once again, the UCalgary community has been invited to attend the Calgary Stampede Evening Show, which includes the iconic Chuckwagon and Relay Races, as well as the Bell Grandstand Show. 

Tickets can be purchased on the Calgary Stampede website and UCalgary students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, volunteers and friends can receive a 20 per cent discount with promo code 2023UOFC for the following dates: 

• Sunday, July 9 

• Monday, July 10 

• Tuesday, July 11 

• Wednesday, July 12  

• Sunday, July 16 

More UCalgary Stampede activities 

UCalgary researchers will also be at Stampede Park working with the animals; there will be video segments featuring UCVM faculty at the Nutrien Western Events Centre, as well as other locations on the grounds; and UCalgary will be well represented at many community events.  

To keep up with the latest Stampede stories and activities hosted by UCalgary, visit our community website.