Translated into any alien language, these words spell
FUN.
The Stampede isn't
a tourist attraction; it is
the tourist attraction in Calgary. Though Calgary has many other things which attract many thousands to the city each year, it is The Stampede which draws tourists in the hundreds of thousands.
K was lucky enough to grow up 30 miles from the Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, and it really was a big deal. It was the event of the year in southern Alberta. From the time K was kneehigh to a grasshopper it has drawn a million visitors annually. K's family, and most families in the area, tried to attend every year. In later years, if K was unable to attend during the day, he would always go to the grounds or to Scotchman's Hill, just east of the grounds, every evening to watch the fireworks.
Since 1923 it has been the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, with the annual Calgary Agricultural Exhibition and the Stampede becoming one.
The first rodeos in Calgary were rather impromptu affairs taking place in the late 1800s. It was left to
Guy Weadick, American Cowboy and Trick Roper, to get the Calgary Stampede ball rolling in 1912. It has been an annual event since. In 2012, during the 10 day Stampede,
1,409,371 people entered the Stampede grounds.
The Stampede is more than just an event to Calgarians. It is an identity. Known worldwide, in any corner of the world, if one says "Calgary" and the listener knows anything at all about the city, they will usually reply "Stampede". Dignitaries the world over own cherished White Cowboy Hats, presented upon their arrival in Calgary, a tradition that actually started with football, the Calgary Stampeders, and the 1948 Grey Cup... ...but that's another story. The hats are made in Calgary by Smithbilt and are symbolic of Calgary's "Cowtown" and "Stampede" heritage.
Stampede time is celebration time, time for free pancake breakfasts in every corner of the city, square dancing in the streets, free music festivals scattered about, riding horses down Fifth Avenue, wearing the obligatory western garb to "work" (not much actual work gets done in the city of over One Million people during Stampede), barbecues, cowboys, First Nations Powwows, parades, parties, fireworks, screamin' on the Midway Rides, Chuckwagon Races, Horse Racing, Rodeo, Agricultural Fair, and just general whoopin' an' hollerin' for 10 whole days. If this doesn't sound like your idea of a good time, then stay far, far away, for the din could keep you awake for 240 straight hours.
B is an AmeriCanadian who grew up in California. Since she was a kid, she had wanted to attend two events - The rodeo in Pendleton, Oregon, and the Calgary Stampede. Well, she has the Pendleton Rodeo to look forward to yet, but since she's been in Canada, she's managed to get to the Stampede twice, in 2000 and again in 2010, to see the 98th Stampede.
For more pics see: Calgary Stampede