It’s billed as the greatest annual outdoor show on earth.
The Calgary Stampede, in the western province of Alberta, is also billed as a showcase of western Canadian culture.
Originally created as a wild west rodeo, it has long since expanded into an exhibition, and its own festival.
There are horses, bulls, livestock, midway rides, Canadian and internationally famous entertainers, craft exhibits, aboriginal cultural displays, an amazing variety of exhibits, cowboy skills competitions, other competitions, parades, and so much more. This year there will also be a tribute to the Canadian Navy in its 100th year.
Its roots go back to 1886 as the Calgary Agricultural Fair which was organized until 1895. Other western exhibitions were held in the following years, with growing popularity.
However, a few wanted to see a more “wild west” type of event and an organized rodeo and festival was created several years later in 1912 which American promoter Guy Weadick called the “Stampede”.
Weadick returned to Calgary to organize a special edition in 1919 to celebrate soldiers returning from the First World War, called it the “Victory Stampede”
Weadick was convinced it could become an annual event and in 1923, faced with declining attendance, the Calgary Industrial Exhibition agreed to a trial merger. Weadick convinced city council to support it and encouraged citizens to dress in “western” garb.
Introduction of a “chuck wagon” racing event increased popularity, and after a decline during the Great Depression, the event continued to grow.
Attendance topped one million back in 1974, and has never looked back.
It is now known internationally as a major worldwide destination.
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