THE GREATEST OUTDOOR SHOW ON EARTH
Location: Calgary, Canada
Date: June
Description: The story of the first Calgary Stampede goes back over 100 years and tells how the celebration of typical cattlemen life in the wild west was established. The first Stampede was focused mainly on the competition in rodeo arena, but since the main thought behind it was celebration and preservation of certain type of life and its values, it soon begun to absorb another aspects.
Much more than a ten-day long celebration with midway rides and bucking broncos, the Calgary Stampede is a gathering place that hosts, educates, and entertains visitors from around the world.
The outdoor rodeo competition is still the main programme today – consisting of bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, saddle bronc, bareback or barrel racing. But it is not the only spectacular event that takes place during the ten days – the festival itself starts with the kick-off in the form of a parade, which includes 30 marching bands, 40 floats, 750 horses and over 4 000 people. The Stampede is also one of Canada’s largest music festivals, with five stages and 300 performers. There are more than 100 food vendors with all types of food, from the most typical one like BBQ or doughnuts to the craziest combos as mac and cheese stuffed burgers. If you want to blend in with the crowd, some denim, cowboy boots or iconic white cowboy hat are necessary to your outfit. For those who are interested in culture and history, there is Indian Village on the bank of the Elbow River, where you can find teepees with art pieces and jewellery, dancing, singing and much more from the traditional indigenous lifestyle. This village is created by the families from the first five nations of Treaty 7 and belongs to the Stampede’s most popular attractions. The important goals of the festival are also sustainable development and community spirit – The Calgary Stampede promotes volunteerism, provides opportunities for youth and supports agriculture and economics of the city.
Link: Official website