Calgary Stampede and Exhibition

The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede is an annual exhibition or exposition held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for ten days in July. It is Calgary's most popular tourist attraction, featuring a rodeo competition, midway, stage shows, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon races, and First Nations exhibitions, among other attractions. The Calgary Stampede begins with a downtown parade; daily free pancake breakfasts are served throughout the city by all sorts of organisations. The Calgary Stampede is the largest outdoor show on earth, and attracts over a million visitors annually.

History

The show had its origins in the Calgary Industrial Exhibition, an agricultural show which was initially held in 1886, soon after the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the city. However the Stampede proper with its "Wild West" theme was first staged, separately in 1912. It was not held during the First World War, although the Industrial Exhibition was. In 1923 the Stampede and the Exhibition were merged into a single event which has been held every year since.