First Flip pancake breakfast marks unofficial start to Stampede 2023
It's time to dust off your cowboy boots and hats, because the Calgary Stampede is rapidly approaching.
Though the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth doesn't officially kick off until Friday, Thursday's First Flip pancake breakfast marked the unofficial beginning of the annual celebration.
From 7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, people headed down to Stephen Avenue in front of the Telus Convention Centre to enjoy free flapjacks and live entertainment.
The first pancake breakfast was held 100 years ago. Since then, they have been an aspect of the Stampede that picked up steam, spreading to every corner of the city.
This year, the First Flip event included live performances by the Blake Reid Band, followed by roving entertainment from the Green Fools Entertainment Society.
Mayor Jyoti Gondek joined Premier Danielle Smith and Canada's Minister of Tourism Randy Boissonnault for brief remarks at 8:30 a.m., followed by some time on the grill.
The First Flip event was hosted by Calgary Economic Development, Tourism Calgary, the Telus Convention Centre, Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Calgary and Calgary Arts Development, Platform Calgary, with support from the Calgary Marriott Downtown Hotel, Hyatt Regency Calgary and The Printing House.
The breakfast precedes Sneak-a-Peek at the Calgary Stampede, which sees visitors treated to half-price admission from 5 p.m. until midnight on Thursday.
If you visit the Stampede this year, there is a fresh menu of unique foods to try.
For those brave enough to push their taste buds to the limit, there will be ketchup and mustard ice cream, Kool-Aid chicken burgers and elk pepperoni pizza, among other creations, available for purchase.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Family of toddler found dead at small-town Ont. daycare no closer to answers after year of investigation
A year has passed since two-year-old Vienna Irwin was found on the property of a home-based daycare in small-town Ontario, but her family says they are no closer to answers of what happened that day.
Fire at a baby care centre kills 7 infants in India's capital, a fire officer says
A fire broke out in a baby care center in India's capital Saturday night, killing seven infants, a fire service officer said.
UN migration agency estimates more than 670 killed in Papua New Guinea landslide
The International Organization for Migration on Sunday increased its estimate of the death toll from a massive landslide in Papua New Guinea to more than 670 as emergency responders and traumatized relatives gave up hope that any survivors will now be found.
More seniors are using homeless shelters. Here's why, according to experts
One of the country’s homeless shelters has seen an uptick in the number of people through its doors, including more older adults over 50.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
No sign Canada has a plan to reach NATO defence spending target: U.S. NATO ambassador
The U.S. ambassador to NATO says she has seen no indication that Canada has a plan to reach the NATO spending target of two per cent of GDP on defence.
Man or machine? Toronto company finds a way to determine how real audio clips are
The Toronto-based research arm of life sciences technology firm Klick Health has found a way to analyze voices in a manner that’s so granular, it can tell whether it's a person or an artificial intelligence-powered machine.