December 19th, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
Christmas is rapidly approaching, but that doesn’t mean things are slowing down here at Stampede Park! We’ve got LMFAO and the Cherrytree Pop Alternative Tour rockin’ at the Stampede Corral plus more hockey than you can shake a (hockey) stick at with World Juniors and NHL action all happening on Park this week.
Details on that and more here:
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
December 17th, 2011 by Amelia Crowshoe
Growing up within the Piikani-Blackfoot culture I was taught that its values originated within a spirit of love and compassion for your family and community, and for humanity in general. So it was very exciting for me, Candice, Jessica and Dani to have the opportunity to give back to the community and volunteer at Operation Christmas Child on December 8th.
The moment you step in the processing centre, an absolutely spirit of giving and the holidays overwhelms you. To see so many volunteers lovingly opening each box for inspection…many wearing Santa hats, how can you not feel like you actually stepped into Santa’s workshop!
After our volunteering shift, we were given a tour of the facility where we learned that this organization also takes on emergency relief situations and projects for clean water in needing countries.
It’s not too late to spread the holiday spirit! You can pack a shoe box online at samaritanspurse.ca/shoebox.
Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world. I invite you to experience a truly rewarding experience. It is a project the whole family can do together.
December 15th, 2011 by Danielle Gariepy, 2012 Stampede Princess
Our hearts were bursting with excitement and Christmas spirit as we carefully inspected and packed Christmas shoes boxes that are soon to reach deserving children around the world. The girls and I had a ton of fun helping out with the Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child campaign on December 8th. It was exciting to see all the fun toys and gifts that some lucky children will get for Christmas! We were inspired and decided that we needed to go shopping and fill a shoe box of our own. It was great to work with all the other volunteers and meet some of the people that work behind the senses with Samaritan’s Purse. We learned that this organization does so much more than just fill Christmas shoe boxes. Samaritan’s Purse also takes on projects that involve community development, emergency relief and projects for clean water in needing countries. Helping out with the shoe boxes was a great way to give back to the community during the holiday season! I would recommend volunteering for Operation Christmas Child to anyone; it was so much fun, and very rewarding!
December 12th, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
Prince returns to Calgary on his first multi-city national tour since 2002.
Details on that and more here:
- Prince: Welcome 2 Canada, Prince! Multiple award-winning American singer, songwriter and musician Prince will be embarking on his first multi-city Canadian tour since 2002 with the Welcome 2 Canada tour and will be stopping in Calgary on Wednesday, December 14. The concert starts at 8 p.m. at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster.
- WHL Hockey: The Calgary Hitmen take on the Regina Pats this week at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Puck drop is at 8 p.m. on Friday, December 16, and tickets for the game are available through Ticketmaster.
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
December 6th, 2011 by Jessica Manning, 2012 Stampede Princess
As you all may have heard, the ladies and I just returned home from our trip to Vancouver! While we were away, we were working together with the Calgary Grey Cup Committee to celebrate this year’s Grey Cup by helping out with the pre-game festivities. When we learned of the trip we would be taking with this very special committee, we really didn’t realize what we were getting ourselves into…
As it turned out, we had a fantastic time, and I was especially surprised and touched by the visit we all made to a high needs school in Vancouver called Admiral Seymour Elementary. Most of the students at this school are from families with very little money, and until a very special teacher wrote a pleading letter to a Vancouver newspaper, these kids were going to school without breakfast, proper jackets or socks, and with holes in their shoes. When I read this it broke my heart.
It was wonderful to see how the community really stepped up to help out these kids by donating food, clothes, money and other necessities. We were able to brighten the students’ day by visiting their school with the Grey Cup Committee including a few clowns, their official band High Steppin Daddy, and their mascot Charlie Horse. We danced with the kids, the other Royalty and I showed them a line dance, and Amelia, the Indian Princess demonstrated her jingle dress dancing.
It was so incredible to see all of the happy little faces wearing the cardboard white hats that they had each decorated earlier in the week. I am so proud to have been able to give these children from such difficult circumstances something to smile and laugh about. To be completely honest, I was in tears for most of our visit to Admiral Seymour. Seeing these children and understanding where they were coming from made me feel more grateful than ever to be in my position as a Stampede Princess. I am even more grateful for all of the wonderful experiences and opportunities; we are truly blessed. Even more, I have never been given such a clear perspective on how the little things in life are the important ones; the thing that make you smile and brighten your day. These children were so excited to meet us and so grateful for everything. I had no idea that an autographed postcard of the Stampede Royalty could inspire such joy.
I am so grateful to the Calgary Grey Cup Committee for inviting us to take part in this incredible experience. The extremely generous members of the committee also raised fifteen hundred dollars amongst themselves that they donated to the school during our visit!
I would like to thank the Grey Cup Committee, the teacher, Carrie Gelson who’s letter to the Vancouver Sun brought us to this school, and most of all the students. They have changed my perspective and changed my life, and I hope we have helped them in our own small way as well.
Sincerely
Princess Jessica
December 5th, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
As we start getting more settled into winter, the old cold-weather staple of hockey is prominent this week at Stampede Park, along with the holiday lights that facilities staff have been working hard on putting up these last few weeks and now adorn the grounds.
Details on that and more here:
- NHL Hockey: The Calgary Flames play thrice this week at the Scotiabank Saddledome. First, they take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, December 6 followed by the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday, December 8 with both games starting at 7 p.m. The Flames finish off the week with an old-fashioned Battle of Alberta as they take on the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, December 10 at 8 p.m. Tickets for all three games are available through Ticketmaster.
- WHL Hockey: Meanwhile, the Calgary Hitmen take on the Prince Albert Raiders on Friday, December 9 at the Saddledome as well. The game starts at 7 p.m. and tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
- SlimCore Wellness Revolution: Ready to finish this year with a bang and then transform your life in 2012? Wellness Revolution 2011 has something for everyone with local speakers that are experts in nutrition, dieting and eating habits, exercise, marketing and business as well as insights into becoming a healthier and stronger you in 2012. Saturday, December 10 in the Boyce Theatre. Tickets available online.
- Stampede Casino: Open all year-round and featuring all your favourite slots, tables, a 24 hour poker room, as well as excellent food and special events throughout the year, there’s always something going on down here so why not drop by for a visit? Here’s a taste of what’s happening this week:
- UFC 140: Catch UFC 140 from Toronto in the Big Sky Showroom on Saturday, December 10 featuring Jon “Bones” Jones vs. Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets available through Stampede Casino Guest Services.
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
December 2nd, 2011 by Danielle Gariepy, 2012 Stampede Princess
Despite the rain, The Grey Cup Parade in down town Vancouver was one I will never forget! It was great to see such bright faces on the Saturday morning, drowning out the gloomy sky. CFL fans were dressed in their best as they all lined the streets of Vancouver, taking in the spirit of the Grey Cup festivities. To be a part of this celebration was a very exciting and thrilling feeling! The girls and I were extremely lucky and were able to participate in the parade, Stampede style, on horseback! Scott and Pam Phillips from Maple Ridge BC, were kind enough to provide us with some trusty horses to ride through the parade. We were bundled up; hot paws in our boots, heavy rain slickers over our winter coats and red mittens did the trick to keep us warm on the route. Big smiles and lots of waving also kept us warm as we rode through the rain. Despite the weather, the girls and I were so happy to bring a little Stampede spirit to the big city of Vancouver, and to all the CFL fans from across Canada. We had so much fun in Vancouver, and it was all thanks to the Calgary Grey Cup Committee!! The Committee was so generous to the trio and the Indian princess. They really made this trip special for us through all the opportunities they provided, including riding horses in the parade!! As a first timer to the BC coast, I was thoroughly impressed. And not everyone can say that they were in the grey cup parade during their first visit to Vancouver. Thanks again to the Calgary Grey Cup Committee for such a memorable time!
December 1st, 2011 by Candice Lee, 2012 Stampede Queen
All I can say about this photo is that I LOVE these girls. When I was chosen to be part of the royalty this year, I was excited about joining the group of volunteers that live and breathe the Calgary Stampede. I was also excited for the opportunity that I would be given to build new friendships. Jessica, Dani, Amelia, and I have already had fun, serious, and goofy moments that I will treasure forever. This past weekend (Wednesday – Sunday) the girls and I had the opportunity to join the Calgary Grey Cup committee in Vancouver for the 99th Grey Cup. Not only did we get to flip our first pancakes and practice line dancing in the restricted space of a hotel room, we got to have some bonding time.
In between photos, line dancing, and eating pancakes and sausage, we had moments in the car, hotel, and secretly at events that we joked and laughed about. These kind of moments were the ones I was looking forward to having and making this year. We had a few spare hours to burn which we immediately used to go to Granville Island and Stanley Park. Both were the perfect places to pick, being able to see the urban-city vibe at Granville Island and Vancouver’s rural beauty of Stanley park and the ocean was a real treat.
We had two pancake breakfasts at BC Place where we got to flip and serve pancakes and meet the locals, it was awesome! To be able to help the Calgary Grey Cup Committee bring Calgary to other people across Canada made our position as the Royalty feel real.This group of men and women are amazing people and can make anyone feel at home. They truly bring Calgary’s hospitality and genuine kindness to people from all over the world.
Thank you so much Calgary Grey Cup Committee for letting us be part of this experience with you, it not only brought us four closer but gave us a good look at how much Calgarians love to give back and live out that western heritage and values.
November 28th, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
This week at Stampede Park sees the continuation of the American Apparel Warehouse Sale, the return of the Festival of Crafts, and the ever-popular Calgary Hitmen Teddy Bear Toss!
Details on that and more here:
- American Apparel Warehouse Sale: American Apparel is bringing their Warehouse Sale tour to Calgary! Tens of thousands of American Apparel garments can be found up to 90% off. Inventory will be constantly replenished throughout the sale, but get their early for the best selection! November 24-29 in the Big Four Building, Hall B from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
- NHL Hockey: The Calgary Flames play twice this week as they continue to climb up the ranks of the NHL’s Northwest Division. First, the Flames take on the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, November 29 at 7:30 p.m., followed by the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, December 1 at 7 p.m. Both games take place in the Scotiabank Saddledome, and tickets for both are available through Ticketmaster.
- Festival of Crafts: The 25th annual Festival of Crafts Art & Craft Sale will amaze you with over 250 specialty boutiques all under one roof! Experience the art of shopping like no other from Canada’s leading artists, artisans and designers. Discover everything from fashions, jewellery, art, sculpture, home decor items and many other fantastic works. December 1- 4 in the BMO Centre. Admission is available at the door.
- CKOC All Breed Dog Show: The Calgary Kennel and Obedience Club will be hosting their Winter Show this week. Featuring three All Breed Championship shows along with other events. December 2 – 4 in the Big Four Building, Lower Level.
- WHL Hockey: The Calgary Hitmen also play twice this week at the Scotiabank Saddledome. First, they take on the Spokane Chiefs on Friday, December 2 at 7 p.m., followed by the Medicine Hat Tigers on Sunday, December 4 at 4 p.m. for their annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans are encouraged to bring a small or medium sized stuffed toy to the game and toss it on the ice when the Hitmen score their first goal, so that the toys can then be redistributed to many local charities. Tickets for both games are available through Ticketmaster.
- Stampede Casino: Open all year-round and featuring all your favourite slots, tables, a 24 hour poker room, as well as excellent food and special events throughout the year, there’s always something going on down here so why not drop by for a visit? Here’s a taste of what’s happening this week:
- Stampede Casino Presents – Burlesque in the Big Sky Showroom: Burlesque in the Big Sky Showroom starring Annick, Melody and Jessika. Sexy cabaret style dance, vocals and live performance. Don’t miss a show you will never forget! Doors open at 9:30 p.m. and the show starts at 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 and are available at the door or at Stampede Casino Guest Services.
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
November 21st, 2011 by Amelia Crowshoe
Danitada!
Happy November to all you faithful Stampede blog readers, we are officially one month closer to Christmas and Stampede 2012!
The Trio and I are soon on our way to Vancouver for the 2011 Grey Cup celebrations. I am so excited to take a break from the cold weather and represent our great city, the Calgary Stampede and the Treaty 7 tribes at the Indian Village. During the 5 days the royalty will be promoting the City of Calgary at numerous events and taking part in our first official parade! I would like to give a great big thank you to the members of the Calgary Grey Cup Committee for hosting us. They are a wonderful, hardworking and fun bunch of people who do such a great job every year. Their passion and excitement for the sport and for our City is outstanding. I am thrilled for my first out-of-province trip to Vancouver and to represent our community under such a major national spotlight.
I also had a wonderful time with my Stampede sisters Candace, Dani and Jessica at the 2011 Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. It was an exciting time filled with royalty, cowboys and lots of laughs. I experienced my first official autograph signing with Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine as well! It was great to mix and mingle with the crowd and get to meet so many happy, smiling and adorable kids. I would like to thank our hosts at Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine who were so great and so supportive – they made my first CFR really special. Thank you to Rob and Marie Tanner and the staff at Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine!
As I travel to every event as the Centennial Indian Princess I am so proud to be a member of the Piikani Nation and represent the Treaty 7 tribes at the Indian Village. I would like to encourage all the young women of Treaty 7 to keep in mind their goals and aspirations so that they may try hard and make them a reality. Never lose faith in your ability to make your dreams come true. First Nations women are beautiful, strong and the heart of their community – we can overcome any obstacle, endure any hardship and maintain our cultural heritage in these modern times. I hope to carry this message with me throughout my year and during my travels as the 2012 Indian Princess.
I hope to see you during the holiday season! Stay warm, keep smiling and don’t forget your wool socks.
Until next time…
Amelia
November 21st, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
It’s quiet week here at Stampede Park, but if you’re looking for some holiday gift ideas, or want to purchase some items for yourself, you definitely won’t want to miss the American Apparel Warehouse Sale happening this week and next.
- American Apparel Warehouse Sale: American Apparel is bringing their Warehouse Sale tour to Calgary! Tens of thousands of American Apparel garments can be found up to 90% off. Inventory will be constantly replenished throughout the sale, but get their early for the best selection! November 24-29 in the Big Four Building, Hall B from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day.
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
November 17th, 2011 by Jessica Manning, 2012 Stampede Princess
Hello to all of our wonderful blog readers! I decided to share with everyone my experiences from the competition that resulted in my new role as one of the 2012 Stampede Princesses!
I am so unbelievably excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity! I wanted to share with any future Royalty contestants a little bit about the competition and what to expect. I believe that the Stampede Royalty program is an amazing program, and I encourage any of the ladies considering running for Stampede Royalty to partake in this great experience. So, here’s a summary of my path to becoming a Centennial Princess!
The Stampede Royalty competition started on September 1st, 2011 when all of the contestants met at Stampede Headquarters to learn exactly what we were getting ourselves into. We were told what the competition would entail; two intensive panel interviews, three riding competitions, a prepared speech competition, many impromptu speeches, mix and mingle events, formal and informal cocktail receptions, a parents reception and a visit to the children’s hospital. All of these events would be judged, and all in the span of only one month! Wow! Needless to say we were all very excited, nervous and a little overwhelmed.
In spite of any initial doubts, the competition really turned out to be a lot of fun! Getting to know the other ladies and the judges during each of the events was a really great experience. I would have to say that the riding competitions, although stressful, were my favorite part of the competition. It really is amazing how much we each learned about our own hidden strengths and our abilities during that month. I realized I could do things like belt my nerves and come up with impromptu speeches, or have calm and meaningful conversations with any of the 17+ judges throughout the competition. The competition occurred in three stages; there was the cut to the top ten, then to the top six, and finally to the 2012 Trio. We were all a bundle of nerves before each cut, and because of some confusion with names, I actually thought that I didn’t make the cut to the top ten! By the time October 2nd came around and the new Trio was to be crowned, the six finalists were all nervous but also very excited. When my name was called, I really was shocked. I have continued to be shocked, and amazed ever since that day by this incredible journey I am now on; everyday is like Christmas!
I am so excited and grateful to be representing the Stampede for this exceptionally special year. I can’t wait to see what amazing things I will experience with my new Stampede sisters Dani and Candice and this year’s Indian Princess Amelia! The lessons we learned throughout the competition have already begun to expand, and by the end of the year, I am confident that our lives will have changed forever!
Sincerely
Jessica Manning
2012 Stampede Princess!
November 16th, 2011 by Danielle Gariepy, 2012 Stampede Princess
Our sponsors spoil us more than Santa himself on Christmas day! Today I
was able to go and visit Amanda from Lushus concepts. Amanda has been
perfecting her service for 12 years now and she really knows what she is
doing when it comes to nails. I like my nails short so I can still rock
climb without damaging them, and of course Amanda was able to accommodate
me. As the third Royal Trio to be blessed with the services from Lushus
Concepts, we get treated so well and they give us that professional finish
feeling. I can’t express how thankful we are for our sponsors, without
them we wouldn’t be able to live the dream of being Calgary Stampede
Royalty.
November 16th, 2011 by Candice Lee, 2012 Stampede Queen
This past weekend Jessica, Dani, Amelia and I got to travel up to Edmonton for the 2011 Canadian Finals Rodeo! I had an amazing time watching the rodeo, walking and shopping through the trade show (dreaming about owning one of the amazing horse trailers one day!), and going to the CPRA Fashion Show and Luncheon! It was wonderful to have some “girl time” at the fashion show to meet and greet with other Royalties that were attending the CFR and to support the Sports Medicine team that take care of our athletes at all the rodeos across Canada.
On the Saturday morning we got to experience our first autograph signing at the Canadian Cowboy Country Magazine stand! I was so grateful to meet all the fans that were out this weekend for the CFR and it was awesome to see the excitement in the little kids eyes when we got to talk to them. I remember being that little girl wanting my photo with our former royalties so that made this experience so much more exciting.
To add to all the fun we had, we also go to watch the Miss Rodeo Canada crowning on Thursday evening. Arleta Bowhay, a former Miss Rodeo Sundre was crowned the 2012 Miss Rodeo Canada. I was so excited to see this crowning and she will be a wonderful representative for the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association. Congratulations Arleta and we are excited to see you on our Visiting Royalty Day at our Centennial Calgary Stampede celebration!
Congratulations to all the athletes, the stock contractors, sponsors, inductees into the Canadian Rodeo Hall of Fame, and Arleta Bowhay that had a great week up at the Canadian Finals Rodeo!
November 14th, 2011 by Reginald Tiangha
Open-sourced musical project Bassnectar makes an appearance at Stampede Park this week, along with the ever-popular Grape Escape.
Details on that and more here:
- 2011 CSUG/SPE Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference: The Canadian Unconventional Resources Conference is a going meeting of the Canadian Society for Unconventional Gas and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. The latest knowledge on discovering, developing, and producing unconventional gas and heavy oil in Canada and the US will be showcased, November 15 – 17 in the BMO Centre. To attend, register here.
- NHL Hockey: The Calgary Flames play twice this week against opponents from the Eastern Conference. First, the Flames take on the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, November 15, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday, November 18. Both games take place at the Scotiabank Saddledome, and the start time for both games is 7 p.m. Tickets available through Ticketmaster.
- WHL Hockey: The Calgary Hitmen also play twice this week at the Scotiabank Saddledome, with both games taking place over the weekend. First, the Hitmen take on the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday, November 19 at 7 p.m., followed by the Saskatoon Blades on Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m. Tickets for both games are available through Ticketmaster.
- The Grape Escape: You don’t want to miss this informative and entertaining evening featuring samplings from over 60 producers of wine, spirits and beer. BMO Centre, Halls D and E, November 18 – 19 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets may be found at all Calgary Co-op Wines & Spirits locations.
- Bassnectar: Bassnectar is an open-sourced musical project that is as diverse as it is heavy, as raw as it is meticulous, and as fierce as it is imaginary. Spanning the spectrum of sonic style, the music covers every genre imaginable and smashes it all into a synthesis of intense, wobbling baselines and hypnotic soundscapes. Saturday, November 19 in the Big Four Building. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets for the show are available through Ticketmaster. 18 years of age or older.
Make sure to sign up to become a Stampede Insider for first-access to exclusive news, contests and other insider information, and be sure to keep an eye on our official Twitter account at @calgarystampede and our official Facebook fan page for giveaways, special announcements, and more! Finally, make sure to visit our website and continue to tune into the official Stampede Blog to learn more about all of the things happening here on Park and beyond!
