Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain: Day 2 at the Calgary Stampede Serves Up Iconic Moments

Day 2 at the Calgary Stampede started off strong and delicious: I actually got to experience in person the pancake breakfast I remember craving when I saw it on Top Chef Season 22, filmed in Canada, at Fluor Rope Square. 

Pancake Breakfast at the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Pancake Breakfast at the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

They opened the morning with a ribbon cutting while High Steppin’ Daddy jammed out nearby and the chefs flipped bacon and pancakes off the back of the famous Chuckwagons. 

Pancake Breakfast at the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancake Breakfast at the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

They’ll be serving up their traditional bacon-pancakes every morning from 8:30-10:30am for the rest of the fair right where the very first Stampede Breakfast took place more than 100 years ago on Stephen Avenue

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
High Steppin’ Daddy perform during the Calgary Pancake Breakfast at Fluor Rope Square during the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Calgary Stampede Princess Breanna Correia attends the Calgary Pancake Breakfast at Fluor Rope Square during the Calgary Stampede on Saturday, July 5, 2025, in Calgary, Alberta. Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

After breakfast, I went on a tour of the Sam Centre, newly reopened in 2024, to learn all about the history of the Stampede from my incredible tour guide, Jennifer Holm, a manager at the museum. In striking contest to being the massive event it is today; the Stampede’s origins are humble – it began as a small agricultural society 113 years ago. Now, a team of over 3500 volunteers put together the rodeo each year.

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Sam Centre at Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Sam Centre at Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

The tour started by viewing “The Branded”, the art of the Calgary Stampede poster exhibit. In 2019, the Stampede inaugurated the Youth Poster Competition where young Canadians submit art paintings and drawings to be featured on the official poster. The winner gets a scholarship to university.

After the museum, l enjoyed an elegant lunch at the Wine Garden at the BMO Centre. Three healthy pours of wine were paired with a smorgasbord of artisanal Canadian cheeses, meats and pasta. It was a luxurious quiet getaway in the middle of the Stampede crowds.

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Lunch was my last moment of sitting down for the rest of the day as I covered all the rodeo excitement. The Calgary Stampede is an invitation only rodeo with a prize pool over $2 million, so the hype here is very real. 

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Cowboys and cowgirls, largely from the US and Canada, face off in various physical tests of skill, determination, style, and control. Throughout the beautiful, picture-perfect sunny afternoon, I saw people performing absolutely insane physical feats as judges followed them as closely as they dared. I saw Bareback Riding, Ladies Barrel Racing, Tie Down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Saddle Bronc Riding, Breakaway Roping and the grand finale of the day Bull Riding.

Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

To get an up close and personal look at the cowboys breaking out of the stalls, I did a behind the scenes VIP Tour of the Chutes, which are the holding pens for the animals and their riders participating in the rodeo. 

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Calgary Stampede Rodeo Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

After the rodeo, I took a tour of the Barn and met some Heavy Horses from the Krebs Family Farm named Remington and Jules. These two angels are the friendliest and biggest horses I have ever seen.

Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
The Krebs family and their horse Jules Krebs attend the Calgary Rodeo during the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

In the evening it was all about the Shania Twain headlining show at the Scotiabank Saddledome on the Stampede Grounds.

Shania Twain performs at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict
Pancakes, Rodeo Thrills, and Shania Twain at Calgary Stampede
Shania Twain performs at the Scotiabank Saddledome during the Calgary Stampede Photo Credit: Amy Harris/The Travel Addict

Shania took the stage in white shorts and sweater and sparkly red boots. She took the stage around 9:15 PM and played an energetic set with all the hits. The sold-out crowd sang along to every song as she played hit after hit, from her newer line dance jam “Giddy Up” to her slower, more heartfelt classics. She closed out the show with her stadium country superhit “Man, I Feel Like a Woman” as every single person yelled the lyrics with her. She is a true icon and a Canadian national treasure.

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Amy Harris
Amy Harris is a writer and photographer who has been traveling for 20 years and flown over 2 million miles to visit over 80 countries on 6 continents. She is a freelance photographer for Invision by Associated Press, AP Images and Rex/Shutterstock. Her work can be seen in various publications and websites including: Rolling Stone, AP Images, National Geographic Books, Fodor’s Travel Guides, Forbes.com, Lonely Planet Travel Guides, JetStar magazine, and Delta Sky Magazine.

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