Tag: writing

Why the Calgary Stampede Is Still My Favourite Time of Year (The 2026 Deep Dive)

.Reading time 16 minutes.

A few years ago I wrote about why the Calgary Stampede is my favourite time of year, and I stand by every single word. But I was a baby blogger back then, and honestly, I rushed it. So consider this the director’s cut. The grown-up, fully-caffeinated, “I have now done Stampede from basically every angle a person can” version.

Quick refresher for the new folks here: I was born and raised in Calgary, spent my first 26 years there (with a detour to Turkey and a semester in Spain), and I have now lived in Toronto for almost nine years (Gasp*). And every single July, like clockwork, my whole body remembers what the first week of the month is supposed to feel like. The thing about leaving the place that made you is that you stop taking its weird, wonderful traditions for granted. So let me try, one more time, to put 10 days of organized chaos into words.

First, the basics: when, where, what

The 2026 Stampede runs July 3 to 12 (Sneak-a-peek starts Thursday, July 2nd). Ten days. The official kickoff is the Stampede Parade on the morning of Friday, July 3, and this year the Parade Marshals are Team Canada Olympians Courtney Sarault and Mikaël Kingsbury (a very fun, very Canadian choice).

Hot Tip: If you go to the parade, you can walk straight to Stampede Park afterward and get in FREE from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free admission to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth is not a thing you leave on the table.

Daytime is for the rodeo (1:30 p.m. every day) and the midway, which is exactly the artery-clogging, slightly-sketchy-ride, beer-garden-adjacent fairground experience you want it to be. Evenings are for the Evening Show at 7:15 p.m., which I will get to, because it deserves its own moment.

The community spirit

Let me remind everyone that Calgary is best described as the lovechild of Texas and Florida, except with free healthcare. And watching that city come together to dance, drink, and celebrate year after year is one of the most genuinely beautiful things I know.

I have done Stampede as a kid, a teenager, a bartender, a corporate event planner, a sponsor, an attendee, a passenger in the parade and just a regular ol’ guest. Every version is a good time. A few things that make the community spirit real:

The breakfasts. Free pancake breakfasts pop up all over the city for 10 straight days. My little brother and his friends used to map out a route to hit as many as humanly possible. Most are pancakes and juice. The overachievers bring bacon, eggs, sausages, mimosas, and caesars. Plan accordingly.

The uniform. Cowboy hats and boots everywhere, and most importantly the white cowboy hat with the red band, which is basically Calgary’s flag. As for my uniform, it’s a sundress or denim dress and cowboy boots.  

The corporate parties. I will say it plainly: a good Stampede work party beats any holiday party I have ever attended. My old stomping grounds were Cowboys and Ranchman’s, and the energy is just different.

Come hell or high water. After the 2013 flood devastated the city core and the Stampede grounds, thousands of volunteers showed up to make sure the show went on anyway. I watched it happen. It is the single best argument for what this city actually is underneath the hats.

The music

If you know me, you know I love country music. I do not care how you feel about it, country warms my soul, especially on a hot summer night. I was raised on it (alongside 60s and 70s soul, Dean Martin, and Frank Sinatra), and I will dance to it, sing to it, and yes, drink to it.

The genius of Stampede is that the whole city “goes country” for 10 days, but there is truly something for everyone. Here is how I think about the stages:

The free-with-admission stages. The Coca-Cola Stage is family friendly and all ages. Nashville North is the 18+ party tent and it is where my heart lives. The Big Four Roadhouse rounds things out with country and rock. All three are included with your Park admission, so you do not need a separate concert ticket to have an incredible night.

Nashville North in 2026. This is the lineup I am most excited about. Tucker Wetmore, Russell Dickerson, Ella Langel, Bailey Zimmerman, Jon Pardi, James Barker Band, the list goes on. If you only do one tent the whole Stampede, make it this one.

Hot Tip: Get to Nashville North EARLY. The lines can be genuinely brutal once the sun goes down. Show up before you think you need to, thank me later.

The off-park institutions. Cowboys runs its big Music Festival, and Wildhorse Saloon is its own ecosystem of dance floor, barbecue, and bars. First Friday at Wildhorse is a personal tradition I do not break.

The 2026 lineup, venue by venue

Okay, the part you actually came for. Here is the full 10-day grid across the five venues I plan my whole Stampede around. My picks are in red. (Times and openers shift, so always double check before you commit your night to anything.)

Quick money note: Nashville North and the Coca-Cola Stage are free with your Park admission, so they are the easiest yes of the whole festival. Cowboys Music Festival, the Saddledome series, and Wildhorse are ticketed separately. And yes, for the friend who swears they hate country: A$AP Rocky on July 4 and Alanis Morissette on July 11. So if your friend keeps saying “but I don’t like country,” this is your rebuttal. Plus there is the “Badlands” but as Mufasa said to Simba…we don’t go there. 

The tents, the parties, and how I play the week

The tents are the soul of the thing. Stampede during the day is rodeo and pancakes and sunshine. Stampede at by mid afternoon and into the night is the tents, and each one has its own personality. 

  • Cowboys is big, loud, throwback chaos in the best way. They are celebrating 30 years. I was a regular and a bartender for many of those.
  • Nashville North is the country heartbeat and where I will inevitably end up two-stepping with strangers who feel like old friends by last call. 
  • Wildhorse is the dance-floor-and-higher end food institution.Most 30+ year olds will congregate here because there is actually seating!
  • Ranchmans as we know it will be no more. This will be our last hoorah at this location. Cue “This Bar” by Morgan Wallen.

And there is always a buzzy new tent or two worth poking your head into.

Here is roughly how my friends and I run the week, because a plan is the only thing standing between you and a 10-day blur:

First Friday is Wildhorse. Always. This is the one my girls and I do every single year, no debate, no rescheduling. If you only build one tradition into your Stampede, make it a standing Friday-night plan with your people.

First Saturday is Cowboys. This is the night you let it be a little chaotic. Big crowd, big throwbacks, no expectations except a good story by the end of it.

Sunday is Nashville North for Russell Dickerson. My country tent night, and the whole reason I will be there early enough to skip the line drama (get there earlier than feels reasonable, I cannot stress this enough).

Monday is the Ranchman’s pole climb. (a Vanessa favourite)

Okay. My personal favourite event, and a perfect storm of three of my favourite things: firemen, country music, and drinks.

Every year the Calgary firefighters race rodeo cowboys to the top of a metal pole for charity, benefiting the burn unit. You can bid on the climbers in advance, the crowd skews delightfully female, it is all for a great cause, and the eye candy is, frankly, for everyone. It is a TENT POLE EVENT and I will not be taking questions.

Fun Fact: One year one of my best friends was a climber, so I made him a sign. Then another buddy entered at the last minute and I had to make a second sign. And then it kinda became my thing. The things we do for our people.

Then the back half of the week opens up, and honestly that is when the best spontaneous nights happen. I will be at Cowboys a LOT during week two, because the second-week lineup is stacked. Two I am genuinely counting down to: Ella Langley on July 10, which will be my third time seeing her and somehow I am more excited than the first two, and Jon Pardi on July 11. Jon Pardi? At Stampede? Are you kidding me. He is the best and I will hear no arguments.

One more grown-up move: somewhere in the middle of all of it, I always sneak away to the mountains for a day. Banff, Canmore, a hike, a lake, a long quiet breath of mountain air. Stampede is a marathon of noise and people and caesars, and a single day of detox in the Rockies is the thing that lets me come back and do the second half properly. Consider it part of the itinerary, not a break from it.

The rodeo, the chucks, and the grandstand

Every afternoon at 1:30, the best rodeo athletes in North America compete for real prize money across the classic events, all building toward Championship Sunday. If you have never seen a live rodeo, it is genuinely thrilling, and the stadium energy is unmatched.

Then the Evening Show at 7:15 is the real spectacle: the Rangeland Derby Chuckwagon Races (this one is for my gamblers, pick a wagon and put a couple dollars on it), the ENMAX Relay Races, and then the Grandstand Show, which in 2026 features Alberta’s own High Valley alongside the Young Canadians. It closes with fireworks every single night.

Hot Tip for the tent crowd: the nightly fireworks are a great way to gauge what time it is when you have fully lost track inside Nashville North.

On animal care, because people always ask: I have toured the barns, I have had friends compete, and from everything I have personally seen, the animals are cared for with real love and attention. And if you want the wholesome version, the petting farm has horses, goats, cows, pigs, and sometimes actual fresh babies.

How to actually do Stampede as an adult

Here is the thing nobody tells you. Stampede hits completely differently when you are grown. As a kid it is mini donuts and the midway. As an adult, the move is to stop trying to do everything and instead build each day around ONE thing you genuinely care about. That is the whole secret, and it is exactly how I mapped out my week above: anchor the nights that matter, leave room to be spontaneous, and protect one quiet day in the mountains.

I actually built myself a little day-by-day calendar this year so I would stop overcommitting, and it has already saved me from three scheduling disasters in my own head.

The adult Hot Tips, all in one place:

  • Wear the boots that are actually broken in. Cute new boots are a trap and a blister factory.
  • Hydrate between the tequila and beer. You are not 22. Electrolytes are your BEST FRIEND.
  • Day Drinking > Night Drinking.
  • Eat a real breakfast (see: free pancakes) before a long day on the grounds. Mimosa’s are allowed.
  • Pace the day. Afternoon rodeo, dinner break, then your evening tent. You cannot sprint a 10-day marathon. (Believe me – I have tried)
  • Pick your priority, build the rest of the night around it, and let the FOMO go.

The adult HotTips, all in one place:On top of all of it, Stampede is just a great excuse for backyard barbecues with the people you love and a few slow drinks under a big Alberta sky. So if you have been waiting for a sign to finally come experience the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, this is it.

See you in the chaos. Yahoo.

Reinventing Yourself: Why Pressing Pause Might Be the Best Way to Hit Play Again

.Reading time 11 minutes.

If you’ve ever felt like you were living life on a treadmill, cranked up to a speed that’s just a little too fast girl, you are not alone. For years, I thought the answer to feeling stuck was to sprint faster, work harder, and answer emails at lightning speed. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t. But as someone who once took a solid four-year break from the dating world to heal, re-center, and rediscover my own groove, I’ve learned that sometimes, the best way to move forward is to hit pause. Because, as it turns out, reinvention isn’t always about dramatic changes it’s often found in those small, daily habits that give us space to breathe, reflect, and actually enjoy this chaotic ride called life.

So, whether you’re navigating a layoff, grief, the end of a relationship, or just trying to figure out how to thrive in a city like Toronto (where a condo costs more than your childhood home), here’s what I’ve discovered about the art of self-reinvention and why pressing pause might just be the best way to press play again.

The Power of the Pause: Why I Stopped Running on Empty

There’s a reason why most self-help books tell you to “take time for yourself” is because it works. I used to think that slowing down meant falling behind, that if I wasn’t constantly moving, I’d miss out. But after losing my brother, I realized I needed to hit pause…not just on love, but on the constant race to “keep up.” And it’s in that pause that I found space to actually listen to myself.

Taking time away from dating and focusing on healing wasn’t easy, but it was necessary. I poured my energy into my work, sure, but I also learned how to pour into myself. And while it might sound cliché, there’s nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning and realizing you don’t have to rush out the door for brunch plans you didn’t even want to make. Turns out, sometimes self-care is about giving yourself permission to just be.

The Secret to Working for Myself Before Working for Anyone Else

Here’s a little truth bomb I wish I’d known years ago: before I could work for someone else, I had to learn how to work for myself. And no, I don’t mean quitting my job and becoming a full-time influencer (though hey, if you’re into that, more power to you). I mean creating a routine that made me the priority, even if it was just for an hour or two each morning.

Before I head into the office (or, you know, shuffle from my bedroom to the home office in my favorite sweater dress), I make time for what matters to me. For me, that means starting my day with movement whether it’s a Peloton ride, yoga, or a quick strength session to remind myself that my body can do hard things. After that, I tend to my 20ish plants (and yes, they each have a name and a specific watering schedule). There’s just something grounding about seeing those little green guys thrive, even when I can’t keep track of my own laundry schedule.

And then there’s my morning ritual: a big cup of bone broth, my favorite music playing in the background, and a few deep breaths before I even think about checking my teams or slack. I promise you, the emails can wait. This little slice of “me time” has become my non-negotiable. It’s like putting on your own oxygen mask before helping someone else, except the oxygen mask is actually a steaming cup of collagen-rich goodness that makes you feel like you can tackle the world or at least the latest Zoom meeting.

Little Acts of Self-Reinvention: The Not-So-Dramatic Truth

When people think about reinvention, they often picture a movie montage: quitting a toxic job, cutting off all your hair, and moving to Bali (okay, maybe that last one’s just me). But the truth is, most reinventions happen in the small moments; like deciding to walk to work instead of cramming into a packed subway car or learning how to make a bomb iced mocha at home instead of spending $7 every day at the trendy café down the street.

For me, it was about letting go of the idea that I had to be a certain version of “put together” to be worthy whether that meant in the eyes of a partner, my boss, or even my friends. I stopped trying to be everything to everyone, and I started focusing on what actually made me feel alive. Some days, that’s a killer presentation at work; other days, it’s eating sushi on my couch while binge-watching reality TV. Balance, right?

Creating Space for the Unexpected (Even When Life Forces the Pause)

Funny thing happens when life doesn’t go as planned – you end up discovering parts of yourself you hadn’t met yet. When I was laid off after Thanksgiving, it felt like everything I’d been building suddenly vanished overnight. But instead of rushing to fill the space with noise, I let it be quiet for a while.

And in that stillness, I started to breathe again. I reconnected with the things that make me me – watching my favourite sports teams play without guilt, writing just for the joy of it, making silly, creative content that reminded me not everything has to be so serious. I found excitement in small things again: nailing a new recipe, hitting a PR on the bike, spending a Monday doing absolutely nothing.

It wasn’t the kind of “unexpected” I’d have chosen, but it’s exactly what I needed. Because when everything familiar falls away, you’re left with a blank canvas and sometimes, that’s where the most authentic version of you begins to take shape.

Tangible Tips for Pressing Pause (Without Feeling Guilty)

Look, I get it—if you’re anything like me, the idea of slowing down can feel counterintuitive. But here are a few little ways to start:

  • Start Your Day, Your Way: Even 10 minutes of stretching, journaling, or sipping your coffee or bobe broth in peace can set the tone for the day. Think of it as “me time” insurance.
  • Unplug from the Hustle: It’s okay to let some texts sit unread or to watch a sunset without taking a picture. Trust me, Instagram will survive.
  • Prioritize Joy: Remember when hobbies were just for fun, not side hustles? Bring that back! Whether it’s painting, reading, or making a slow and extravagant meal, find time for things that make you smile.
  • Trust your gut: I’ve been drawn to a few serendipitous events and people over the past few weeks. For example, last week, I entered to participate in this incredible concept of having dinner with 8 strangers hosted by an incredible artist that I have admired for years, and I sat with all of these incredible women and we talked about life and love and our passions and I left feeling genuinely excited for what the universe has in store for me next.

At the end of the day reinventing yourself doesn’t always mean starting over it can just mean slowing down enough to appreciate where you are right now. For me, it was once about learning that I could be my own best company before inviting anyone else into my world. Today, it’s about rest and finding my purpose and passion in life again. It’s about knowing that your journey isn’t defined by how fast you get there, but by how fully you live along the way.

So, to all my fellow thirty-somethings navigating downtown life, busy careers, layoffs, and that elusive work-life balance: remember that it’s okay to hit pause.

Who knows? You might just find that the things you’ve been chasing have a way of finding you when you least expect it. And if not, well, there’s always another plant to adopt.

What little daily rituals have helped you find your own version of “pause”? Drop a comment below, because we could all use some new self-care inspo!

Between Calgary and Toronto: A Love Letter to My Two Homes (and All the People I’ve Collected Along the Way)

.Reading time 10 minutes.

Growing up, I thought I’d find my forever home by the time I hit my mid-twenties. But here I am, 34, and if my life were a travel map, it’d look like a game of hopscotch. I spent my first 26 years in Calgary (minus that year-long detour in Turkey and a semester in Spain where I mostly ate my way through every tapas bar I could find), and now I’ve clocked seven years in Toronto. But honestly? I still haven’t found that elusive “forever” home.

Yet, what I have found is a deep love for both cities and an appreciation for the incredible humans I’ve met along the way—whether they were the kind to shovel snow off my car in Calgary or the kind to share a knowing nod when the Toronto subway is yet again delayed. So, let’s take a little stroll through my two homes, filled with all the quirks, love, and maybe a bit of homesickness, too.

Calgary: The Original Love Story Ah, Calgary. My first true love. Picture this: the majestic Rockies, a Stampede that’s 10% rodeo and 90% deep-fried everything, and winters that test your will to live. This city raised me, taught me how to survive a -30°C day (hint: it involves layers and sheer stubbornness), and gave me my first taste of freedom, driving down Deerfoot with the mountains in my rearview mirror.

But Calgary isn’t just about cowboy boots and chinooks (those warm winter winds that feel like a miracle). It’s the kind of place where you can leave your car running to warm up in winter and not worry that it’ll disappear. It’s where people smile at you on the street (even if you’re bundled up like a walking sleeping bag). It’s where I built friendships that go back decades and where people still ask, “You’re really living in Toronto now?” like I’ve joined the dark side.

Sure, sometimes I miss the mountain views and being able to see for miles without a skyscraper in sight. But there’s a certain charm in Calgary’s earnestness, the way everyone shows up for each other—even if it’s just to help push your car out of a snowbank.

That Year in Turkey and a Semester of Tapas: The Side Quests Before we get to my Toronto era, let’s take a quick detour. There was that year in Turkey where I learned how to bargain at the markets and ate baklava like it was a full-time job. And let’s not forget that semester in Spain, which was basically me “studying” Spanish culture through churros and tortilla Española. These side quests taught me that the best way to make friends is to share food—and that sometimes, you need to get a little lost to find yourself.

These adventures gave me a taste of life beyond Alberta, and while I didn’t come back with a forever home, I did return with a sense of wanderlust and the realization that the world is a lot bigger than my childhood cul-de-sac.

Toronto: The City That Stole My Heart (And My Rent Budget) And then, there’s Toronto. If Calgary is my hometown sweetheart, Toronto is the unpredictable fling that turned into something deeper. Sure, it’s got its flaws—like housing prices that make me question my life choices, and the traffic that has me considering a second career as a subway announcer (because, honestly, I think I could do a better job). But for every TTC delay, there’s a new restaurant to discover, a hidden park to explore, or a random street festival that I stumble upon on my way to grab groceries.

Toronto is where I learned how to parallel park without having a mild panic attack. It’s where I discovered that it’s totally normal to pay $7 for a latte, as long as it comes with oat milk and a sprinkle of artisanal foam. And it’s where I’ve met people from every corner of the world, each with their own stories and quirks that make this city feel like a constant adventure.

Toronto has a rhythm to it—a little chaotic, a little intense, but with moments of pure magic. It’s walking through Kensington Market on a Sunday afternoon, discovering the best dim sum in Chinatown, or getting lost in the endless shelves of a secondhand bookstore in the Annex. It’s a city that’s constantly evolving, and somehow, it’s made space for me, too.

Collecting People, One City at a Time The real reason I can’t choose between Calgary and Toronto? It’s the people. In Calgary, my friends have become like family—people who knew me back when I still thought side bangs were a good idea. They’re the ones who show up at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving, even when I’m not in town, and who still text me memes that only make sense if you’ve lived through a prairie winter.

In Toronto, I’ve found a new kind of tribe—people who share my love for urban hikes (a.k.a. wandering through alleys for the best street art), who will happily spend an afternoon café-hopping with me, and who understand the struggle of finding affordable rent in the city’s labyrinth of overpriced condos. It’s a place where I’ve built new traditions, like grabbing sushi takeout and watching the sunset at the waterfront or discovering which of my friends can survive the heat of the latest hipster hot sauce.

And sure, sometimes it’s hard not knowing where I’ll eventually settle down. But there’s a certain beauty in feeling at home wherever you are—in knowing that no matter which city I land in, I’ve got people who’ll make me feel like I belong.

Home Isn’t Just a Place—It’s a Feeling So, maybe I haven’t found my forever home yet. But maybe that’s okay. Maybe home isn’t just about where you live, but about the people who fill those places with meaning—the friends who become your chosen family, the barista who remembers your complicated coffee order, the neighbors who wave as you navigate Toronto’s street parking like a pro.

It’s about finding a little piece of home in every city you visit, whether it’s in the mountain air of Calgary or the eclectic buzz of Toronto. It’s knowing that while I might not have picked a place to plant my roots for good, I’ve created a life that feels full, connected, and a little bit like a cross-country adventure.

Calgary, Toronto, or wherever life takes me next—each place has left its mark on my heart (and probably on my Instagram feed, too). And while I might not know where I’ll end up, I do know that I’m grateful for every friendship, every city skyline, and every moment that’s made me feel at home, even if just for a little while.

Are you a fellow city-hopper or have you found your forever home? Let me know your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to hear where you’ve planted your roots (or where you’re still wandering)!