It’s time for the Calgary Stampede!

Billing itself as “The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth,” this year’s Stampede is taking over Calgary until July 12th.

If you’re a newcomer settling into Calgary, don’t plan on getting much done over the next 10 dia. Nearly all of Calgary will be out at the city’s biggest party!

So what’s the Stampede all about?

Even as Calgary has become increasingly urban, the biggest event of the year still has its roots in cowboy culture. The Stampede is a rodeio, County Fair, e festa louca rolado em um.

What few people know, no entanto, é que the Stampede has a U.S. connection. Here’s an excerpt from my book, Viver no Exterior em Portugal, que explica:

A debandada, que começou em 1912, era a visão de uma expat americano. Nascido em Rochester, Nova Iorque, Guy Weadick became a vaudeville and rodeo performer who appeared across North America.

Em Calgary, ele H. C. McMullen, a livestock agent for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and they hatched a plan for a “wild west” show. They secured funding from several local businessmen, eo Stampede foi lançado.

The Stampede opens with a huge parade through downtown. Other attractions include chuck wagon races, calf roping, bull riding, cavalo mostra, a carnival midway, and concerts by big-name entertainers. This year’s headliners incluir Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, e George Strait.

The Stampede typically draws more than 100,000 people per day, so pull on your boots and come on down!

Photo by sundeepg (Flickr)