Calgary Stampede is the
Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth, and is the biggest event of the year in southern Alberta. It attracts a million visitors annually.
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.
Everything You Need to Know About the Calgary Stampede