our Calgary rotation
notes from many summers at Spruce Meadows
There’s something comforting about returning to a horse show you know well and have been coming to for years. Especially for a show with a set “circuit,” it becomes easier to settle into a rhythm and find routine on the road. Calgary is one of those destinations for us and part of the reason we love showing at Spruce Meadows.
Where to stay:
In all our years coming to Spruce Meadows, the selection of accommodations has not changed much. Usually we’ll stay at the Wingate by Wyndham Calgary South or the Courtyard by Marriott Calgary South, which are both easy choices, 8-12 minutes from the horse show. The Residence Inn by Marriott or local Airbnbs are also common options for horse show folk. For the most luxurious choice, Azuridge Estate Hotel is set in the mountains and has suites, dining, and spa experiences that feel like a real vacation destination. (It’s about 20 minutes from the Spruce Meadows, but a bit farther from downtown Calgary than most accommodations.)
During a Spruce Meadows summer, it’s very common that we’re at the show until (or through) dinner time and Cattle Baron has become a reliable staple on those days. Bonus points because they let us put playoff-basketball on their bar TVs.
Steady favorites:
Ten Foot Henry - farm to table, we really love it here, but it’s hard enough to get a res, so book early
Major Tom - downtown, overlooking the whole city, verrry good food and nice for a group
Native Tongues - very casual Mexican
Caesar’s Steakhouse - classic white-tablecloth steakhouse, a dependable res
Broken Plate - casual Greek spot, tzatziki, saganaki, blah blah
Model Milk - locally sourced menu, easy group spot
Pigeonhole - small plates, sister restaurant to Model Milk
Newer (to us) but notable additions to our dining rotation:
Ryuko - our favorite sushi option in the area, casual and easy to get into, there’s a location closer to the show/hotels that’s also on UberEats (important)
Cassis Bistro - consistently great French food
Calcutta Cricket Club - Indian (same restaurant group as Native Tongues)
UNA pizza - our go to for an order-in night
Shokunin - upscale Japanese
Honorable mention to Teatro for its locally sourced Italian set in a bank-vault-turned-wine-cellar.
As far as the horse show goes
The new Foxtrot Cafe is your best bet for a coffee, pastry (shoutout egg sandwich on a croissant) or quick lunch in between classes. Their associated Foxtrot restaurant overlooking the International Ring is where you can have a sit down meal. In reality, it’s hard to find many healthy food options on the grounds, so we’ll often pick up from Freshii (smoothies, salads, DIY bowls).
With some time off, you’ll find us:
Driving to Banff for a change of scenery. The views are worth the drive.
There are also some good nature trails nearby in Fish Creek Provincial Park.
Exploring the Chinook mall. We always find good things in the Aritzia here, stop at A-OK Cafe for a matcha, and likely hit Sephora and Candy Heaven. A new find this year is “Kiokii and…” for Asian skincare products and cosmetics.
Shopping at Holt Renfrew or VSP Consignment (both Toronto favorites too)
Getting a manicure at Organic Nail Lounge
Based on zero personal experience, there are also good golf courses in the area and people like the Launchpad golf range (which is like TopGolf / DriveShack).
We can’t cover Calgary without mentioning the Stampede. The annual Calgary Stampede is essentially a week-long takeover of the city…the world’s largest outdoor rodeo, a music festival, a carnival, food and shopping markets, cultural celebrations, etc. etc.
For other ways to pass time outside of the horse show
we like Breathe Hot Yoga (good massages too)
It’s so fun to try different snacks when traveling, hit up Safeway for some Canadian favorites like Coffee Crisp, Bits&Bites (aka Canadian chex mix), Maynards fuzzy peaches and wine gums, and Smarties (not the U.S. kind)
We always end up revisiting old favorites and settling into familiar routines in places like Calgary. That means we’re bound to miss some new spots. Share what you know!
Adrienne, Alex, and Lucy
