With a stormy but successful Sneak-A-Peak Thursday now in the books, the Calgary Stampede officially got underway today. And while the first full-scale Stampede in more than two years is exciting in and of itself, we are also looking forward to finally getting our hands on all of the weird midway foods on offer for 2022.
With that in mind, we decided to ask a few of our favourite recognizable Calgarians which edible oddities they are looking most forward to over the next 10 days. From Kraft Dinner soft serve to deep fried Oreos and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, here’s what they had to say.
Carmen Cheng - Deep-fried Mochi
"I love a good mochi dish, especially if they can achieve a chewy texture from the rice cake and a crispy crunchy exterior. It’s also not a visit to Stampede without eating something fried."
- Food writer Carmen Cheng
Devin Cooper - Steve-O’s Flamin’ Hot Chicken Sando
“I was looking through the whole list of new midway food, which is always an adventure-and-a-half, and… well…. I love hot chicken sandwiches but, I feel like if Steve-O is a part of a creation, it has to be some sort of wild! So for me, this year I’m most looking forward to Steve-O’s Flamin’ Hot Chicken Sando. I can’t wait to try it!"
- Country singer Devin Cooper
Sue Deyell - Glazed Donut Grilled Cheese
"Imagine, strutting your stuff in your cowboy boots and hat with this carbed-up comfort food in hand. It’s the perfect mix of gooey cheesy goodness and the sugary sweet we all crave. A couple of Glazed Donut Grilled Cheese sandwiches might make your Stampede jeans fit a little tighter, but I have no doubt it’ll be well worth it!"
- 770 CHQR morning show co-host Sue Deyell
Ryan Massel - Kraft Dinner Soft Serve
"The Calgary Stampede always has the craziest foods and I can’t wait to try them all, but as a kid I lived on [Kraft Dinner]. The neon orange powdered packet mixed with homogenized milk made the creamiest concoction. So what could be better than my childhood fave, now froze into a Kraft Dinner Soft Serve?"
- Lifestyle blogger and writer Ryan Massel
Chinenye Otakpor - Octopus Rangoon
"As I am a big fan of seafood, the Octopus Rangoon and Korean Squid Ink Corndog stood out to me right away! It's a tough choice, but if I have to pick just one, I am looking forward to trying the octopus the most on the Stampede grounds this year."
-Fashion influencer Chinenye Otakpor
Karla Marx - Deep-Fried Oreo Mini Donuts
"My official answer is the Deep-Fried Oreo Mini Donuts! I have a huge sweet tooth and think these look amazing. However, I also sometimes make questionable life choices, so there's a chance I might be eating the Mac N Cheese Soft Serve. Why am I like this?"
-Drag and burlesque performer Karla Marx
Jess Hoy - Glazed Donut Grilled Cheese
"I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the Glazed Donut Grilled Cheese! It gives me hope because it was an option like 8 years ago and then it disappeared until now. If the donut grilled cheese can come back maybe one year the deep fried Pop-Tarts will return. I miss you deep fried Pop-Tarts."
- Wild 95.3 morning co-host Jess Hoy
Alex Hughes - Maple-Glazed Bacon Oreo Donuts
"I am all about the sweet and salty combination and I can’t wait to hit the midway to try the Maple Glazed Bacon Oreo Donuts. They'll be the perfect pick-me-up and energy boost (read: sugar rush) in-between my Stampede shows!”
-Country singer Alex Hughes
Christy Farrell - Flamin' Hot Cheetos Fries
"I'm a classic girl at the Stampede and usually go for a classic corn dog, but this year there's a couple of Flamin' Hot Cheetos items that have caught my eye. Fry Guys has the Flamin' Hot Cheetos Fries and I can't wait to try those...and then I'm going for the famous Steve-o's Fried Chicken burger!"
- 101.5 Today Radio morning co-host Christy Farrell
