Called the greatest outdoor event on Earth, The Calgary Stampede is a rodeo, an exhibition, and a festival held every July in Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta. The ten-day festival attracts 1,5 million visitors for a reason—it is one of the world's largest and richest rodeos. The Calgary Stampede also features a parade, the midway with dozens of rides, live music concerts and lively entertainment shows, fantastic food, agricultural competition, and chuckwagon racing. For many Canadians visiting Calgary Stampede has become a family tradition. General admission to Calgary Stampede is $18.
The Stampede Rodeo has the world’s best riders and animals. At 1:30 pm cowboys and cowgirls display their skills and grit, with fierce competition building up by Showdown Sunday.
Calgary is often associated with the event and is known in Canada as the "Stampede City". Its Canadian Football League team is called the Stampeders. The city gets really busy and is immersed in a joyful atmosphere during the Stampede. Cowboy themes and barbecues can be seen everywhere. However, some animal rights groups protest against the festival and call on the government to ban rodeos.
The event dates back to 1886 when the first fair in Calgary was held by the District Agricultural Society. In 1912, Guy Weadick organized his first Stampede during the fair. It became an annual event in 1923 held simultaneously with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition.
