There are lots of ways to get free food throughout Stampede Week.

Stampede Breakfasts

The signature event of the Calgary Stampede is the chuckwagon races. Since the chuckwagon carried the cook's stove and other supplies, it was natural to offer chuckwagon breakfasts during Stampede. Now you can hardly avoid the free food during Stampede Week, especially at breakfast. Most Stampede breakfasts will offer a minimum of pancakes, syrup, and a fruit drink; some may also have sausages, bacon, eggs, juice, and/or hash brown potatoes. The bigger breakfasts also offer free entertainment. Many churches, mosques, and community associations may hold small pancake breakfasts for their members, visitors, and neighbours. In 2007, a CBC radio panel judged listener nominations, and declared the Stampede Breakfast to be one of the Seven Wonders of Calgary.

Check the local newspapers immediately before and during Stampede Week for more Stampede breakfasts, as well as free promotional Stampede dinners of hot dogs, hamburgers, or chili offered by local businesses. You can also check at the websites  www.flapjackfinder.com and www.stampedebreakfasts.com. The following list includes the most well-established events.

Multi-Day Breakfasts 

Rope Square: The favorite of the downtown office workers, the many free morning events at Rope Square start with a chuckwagon breakfast, off the back of the actual chuckwagons which will race later that day. Begins on the first Saturday of Stampede, followed by the first Monday through to the final Saturday.

Stampede Caravan: Visits two different suburban shopping malls each day. See website for schedule. Stampede Caravan breakfasts include a lot of free entertainment and activities: live country music, pony rides, a petting zoo, trick roping, face painting, clowns, Native hoop dancing. There may also be special celebrities such as the Stampede Queen and Princesses, rodeo cowboys, etc.

Calgary Co-op: a different Calgary Co-op grocery store location each day. See website for schedule.

Just One Day

First Thursday of Stampede (Sneak-a-Peek): CBC Calgary has been holding a Stampede breakfast for over 25 years. See local celebrities, take in free entertainment.

First Friday (Parade Day): Nobody--everyone's supposed to be at the parade!

First Saturday: Chinook Centre

First Sunday: Stampede Grounds (free breakfast ticket given with first 20,000 free admissions between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., for Family Fun Day) .

First Wednesday: Stampede Grounds (free with admission), from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for Kids' Day.