First Flip breakfast returns to Stephen Avenue as Calgary Stampede season officially kicks off
Thursday's downtown pancake breakfast drew federal Finance Minister Champagne, Premier Smith, and Mayor Farkas to launch the 2026 Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth.
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The smell of pancakes filled Stephen Avenue on Thursday as the First Flip breakfast returned, marking the official start of the 2026 Calgary Stampede season.
The downtown event drew Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne, Premier Danielle Smith, and Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas, each taking a turn flipping flapjacks. The breakfast celebrates what has grown from a six-day rodeo and exhibition in 1912 into a world-class event attracting more than a million visitors annually for rodeo competitions, chuckwagon races, agricultural showcases, concerts, and cultural celebrations.
"We're here for the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth," Champagne said.
Farkas called welcoming the world as mayor "a dream come true for a Calgary kid," and offered tongue-in-cheek advice to both Smith and Champagne, telling them to "keep it down after midnight"—a playful reference to a now-resolved dispute with the premier over Stampede-related noise levels.
The pancake breakfasts that happen across the city before and during Stampede are central to the tradition, bringing neighbours, families, and visitors together. The Sneak-A-Peek returns Thursday evening, offering the first chance to take in Stampede sights and sounds. The Stampede itself runs July 3-12, with free pancake breakfasts occurring throughout the city and during the event. A free breakfast locator tool is available online to browse events by location and date.
