15 of the most OTT Calgary Stampede 2024 foods that you need to try (PHOTOS)
How many of these wild Stampede foods would you try?
Spider bao from The Dumpling Hero. Right: Gold Rush Bucket from Family Squeezed Lemonade
One of the best things about the Calgary Stampede is the over-the-top foods. Every year, the Midway is awash with unique bites that you won't find anywhere else in the city. We tracked down some of the wildest food options at the 2024 Calgary Stampede.
If you need to fuel up while taking in all the Stampede action, you have a ton of OTT food options to try. From deep-fried pickles on a stick to watermelon burgers and drinks that are bigger than your head, these are some of the most extravagant foods to try at this year's Stampede.
Cheeseburger Ice Cream
Price: $13
One of the oddest dishes on offer at the Calgary Stampede is the Cheeseburger Ice Cream by Concessions Inc. It features barbecue and vanilla-flavoured ice cream served in a cone rimmed with hot cheese and sesame seeds and garnished with a pickle and an onion ring. Surprisingly, many people say it's not a bad mix.
Flamin' Hot Cheetos Pickle Pizza
Price: $10
This isn't the first rodeo for Rick's Pizza and its famous pickle pizza. However, this year Rick's is kicking it up a notch. You can now grab slices featuring creamy dill sauce, dill pickle slices, mozzarella, and crunchy Flamin' Hot Cheetos. The slices go for $10 a pop. If you're not a fan of the flourescent red Flamin' Hots, you'll be happy to know you can still get regular pickle pizza without the Cheetos.
Cowboy Candy Colossal Onion
Price: $18
One concession stand that many Stampede goers are thrilled to see back is Colossal Onion. The company serves up massive deep-fried onions served with cheese sauce. The star dish this year is the Cowboy Candy Colossal Onion, which gets a sweet and spicy twist with the addition of candied jalapeños. It's also sprinkled with bacon bits and chives.
Golden Spider Bao
Price: $26
If you're craving Asian cuisine at The Stampede, make your way to The Dumpling Hero food truck for the Golden Spider Bao. The dish features fluffy bao buns stuffed with an entire deep-fried soft-shell crab. It gets extra flavour from luscious salted egg yolk sauce, black and white sesame seeds, and crunchy cucumbers.
Watermelon Burger
Price: $19
At first glance, the Watermelon Burger by Concessions Inc. looks like an odd mix. It consists of a burger patty topped with spinach, feta and mint, all of which is sandwiched between two watermelon slices. The "burger" is then drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkled with sesame seeds. While most people who've tried it say it's difficult to eat, more than a few say the flavours actually work well together.
Gold Rush Bucket
Price: $26
It's easy to work up a thirst at the Calgary Stampede what with all the running around under the hot sun. One beverage that's sure to quench that thirst is the Gold Rush Bucket from Family Squeezed Lemonade. This monster drink features an enormous bucket of refreshing lemonade with aloe juice, freshly cut lemons and ice. It's garnished with a slice of cactus and topped with edible gold flakes and a mini cowboy hat.
Blue Takis Corn Dog
Price: $11
If you're familiar with Takis, you'll know that these Mexican snacks consists of rolled-up corn chips flavoured with some pretty high-intensity seasonings. Since they're made of corn, it stands to reason that they'd probably taste good on a corn dog. But what if the Takis are a vibrant blue hue? The Blue Takis Corn Dog by GTC Concessions features a corn dog rolled in Takis Blue Heat dust, giving it a fiery chili pepper and lime flavour.
S'mores Funnel Cake
Price: $14
Out of all the sweet treats on offer at the Stampede, the S'mores Funnel Cake is one of the most substantial. The decadent dessert consists of deep-fried dough topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, toasted marshmallows, graham cracker crumbs, and powdered sugar. The piece de resistance is a graham cracker balanced on top. It's sticky, messy, and oh-so-sweet.
Korean Waffle Burger
Price: $17
If the watermelon burger sounds a bit too healthy for your taste, you might want to set your sights on the Korean waffle burger from Burger Joint. This beast of a burger features a beef patty piled high with cheese, kimchi, baby greens, tomato, pickled onions and pickled radishes. It's drizzled with Korean barbecue sauce and then sandwiched between two hefty waffles.
Twisted Pickles
Price: $12
Pickle lovers will find tons of fun foods featuring pickles at the 2024 Calgary Stampede. New to the Midway this year are the Twisted Pickles by Our Carnival Kitchen. These gargantuan pickle snacks feature deep-fried dill pickles on sticks. You can get them in two flavours: Dilly Ranch or Flamin' Hot Cheetos.
Long John Donut Grilled Cheese
Price: $18
Can't decide whether you want a sweet or savoury Stampede treat? With the Long John Donut Grilled Cheese you can have both at the same time. Just like the name suggests, this gooey grilled cheese sandwich features chocolate-glazed donuts instead of bread. You can have it with your choice of bacon or pulled pork. As an added bonus, the sandwich also comes with fries.
Cowboyaki
Price: $12
The Happy Fish food truck puts a spin on traditional Japanese takoyaki with its Cowboyaki created especially for the Stampede. Usually, takoyaki features bite-sized pieces of octopus that are battered and fried. Happy Fish uses giant pieces of octopus, meat floss, cabbage and pickled ginger fried into balls. It's topped with strips of nori seaweed, sweet takoyaki sauce, mayo and more meat floss.
Mexican Street Corn Ice Cream
Price: $13
The Mexican Street Corn Ice Cream by Concessions Inc. is another odd mash-up that you wouldn't think works very well, but many people seem to like it. The soft-serve ice cream has notes of vanilla and sweet corn. It's served in a cone rimmed with parmesan and mayo and topped with a sprinkling of spicy Tajin. Garnishes include a baby sweet corn and a lime.
Ultimate Pickle Poutine
Price: $17
Poutine is a classic Stampede bite, and this year there are tons to choose from. If you're looking for a unique twist on poutine, try the Ultimate Pickle from The Poutine King. It starts with the usual base of fries, cheese and gravy. However, The Poutine King takes it to the next level with sweet and sour pickle slices, a deep-fried pickle, some greens, and a drizzle of creamy jalapeño lime aioli.
Chicken 65 Bao Buns
Price: $16
The Chicken 65 Bao Buns by Mumbai Bites may not be the most OTT food at the Calgary Stampede this year, but they deserve a mention because they won the Best New Food award for 2024. For $15, you get three fluffy bao buns filled with chunks of crispy chicken slathered in a tangy sauce. While you're at the food truck, you may want to give the Momos on a Stick a try as well.