For the past week and a half, my entire city has been deep in the grips of cowboy fever. Every July we celebrate something called the Calgary Stampede – a ten day rodeo/fair/ Western-themed, shenanigan-filled, booze-and-pancake-fueled party.
There’s live music, shows, agricultural exhibits, a huge midway with rides and deep-fried everything, and company-sponsored free pancake breakfasts every day of the week. Most downtown businesses and bars transform their storefronts into Wild West style facades – hay bales! Rough-hewn wood! Cowgirl silhouettes! – and the city goes wild.