The Home of Marching Band!

The official kickoff to the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede Parade, was held this past Friday. Each year the Stampede brings back so many great memories for me. As a teenager living only 5 blocks from the Stampede grounds my brother and I would head there with our group of friends and spend hours taking in everything that the Stampede had to offer. As an adult raising my kids I would always make sure that we took a day trip down to the grounds and enjoyed the rides, the exhibits, the shows, the animals and, most of all, the junk food.

As an adult, my most memorable part of the Stampede was always the parade and the 4 years that Meagan marched with the Calgary Round-up and Calgary Stetson Show Bands. In my humble opinion, Calgary is the “home of marching band”! We have some amazingly talented marching bands in Calgary; starting with the Stampede Show band, The Calgary Stetson Show Band, The Calgary Round-up Band and The Bishop Grandin Marching Ghosts, just to name a few. On parade day, Dale and I would haul our lawn chairs down to 6th avenue, find the perfect spot, set ourselves up and wait in anticipation for the band to pass by. Upon seeing the band come into view, I would jump out of my seat and start yelling Meagan’s name and waving frantically for her to notice me…. Never failed, she always turned her head towards the sound of my voice and gave me that cute little smirk (you know, the one that said; “hey Mom this is embarrassing”). Oh how I miss that. We followed her to every parade and show performance that the band participated in – usually 9-10 parades & shows a year and I always made sure that she knew that I was there… Sorry Meagan!

Since Meagan does not participate in the Calgary Stampede parade anymore, I don’t attend it on a regular basis, but I watch it on television and as the band passes I look for other mothers who are doing the same thing and, inevitably, I see one or two….. I really miss those days!  One of the things that Meagan misses the most about Calgary is the Stampede, she has only had the opportunity to attend once since moving to England 4 years ago.

This year as Craig was heading out the door to go to the Stampede grounds for an evening with his friends, I made him pose for a few pics in the back yard (another embarrassing moment ). I got a couple of good ones and thought I’d post them on the blog…..... Sorry Craig!