Attracting over one million visitors per year, the Calgary Stampede is one of world's richest rodeos and the main attraction for Calgary.
Billed as ‘The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth’, the Calgary Stampede is an annual 10 day rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Featuring one of the world's largest rodeos, a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibition, it is no surprise that the Calgary Stampede is one of Canada's largest festivals.
Rodeo and chuckwagon racing events are televised across Canada which has defined Calgary’s national and international identity as the ‘Stampede City.’
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Calgary (informally nicknamed Cowtown) comes alive during the Calgary Stampede with the city taking on a party atmosphere. The festival spirit can be seen with office buildings and storefronts painted in cowboy themes, residents and visitors alike dressing in western wear (typically represented by Wrangler jeans and cowboy hats). Parade day is an unofficial holiday with many companies giving employees time off work to attend.
Hundreds of free pancake breakfasts, barbecues and events are held across the city. Pubs and bars erect party tents which can draw up to 20,000 people per day.
The largest event is the famous Chinook Centre pancake breakfast serving more than 60,000 people each year. Held at the local Chinook Centre shopping mall, the one-day event enlists the help of over 400 volunteers to feed the massive crowds the famous breakfast attracts. It is estimated over 200,000 pancakes are consumed during the 10 day event.