While the first full-scale Stampede since the start of the pandemic doesn’t officially begin until Friday’s parade, people dusted off their boots and donned their cowboy hats to hit the ground running early. Hundreds of people lined up outside the park’s north entrance to be among the first to head to the rides and food midway. A storm that was rolling through much of Alberta hit the Stampede grounds, sending people running for cover. Before the storm hit, print-goers from around the world were eager to experience the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. Ninfa Delgado and her family traveled from Mexico and will spend several days down at the gardens. “My dad, he’s kind of a cowboy in Mexico, so he really wants to come see the shows and the Stampede,” she said. They are in Canada for the first time and plan to experience as much as they can during the 10 days of the Stampede. Besides checking out the shows and food, there is one main event they traveled for. “The rodeo … (we want to) see the rodeo and have fun,” Juan Delgado said. The Stampede officially kicks off Friday with the parade, and then the gates will open for the first of ten days of the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
