Editing Calgary Stampede

{{short description|Annual rodeo, exhibition, and festival in Canada}}
{{About|the festival and rodeo|the Canadian Football League team|Calgary Stampeders|the 1925 Western film|The Calgary Stampede}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{featured article}}
{{pp-pc}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name               = Calgary Stampede
| logo               = Calgary Stampede Logo.svg
| logo_alt           = A stylized wordmark saying "Calgary Stampede" below a C lazy-S logo.
| image              = StampedeRodeo2002.JPG
| alt                = A cowboy in a black vest and hat struggles to hold onto his horse as it bucks in midair.
| caption            = [[Saddle bronc and bareback riding|Bareback bronc]] rider at the Stampede rodeo
| location           = [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada
| founded            = {{start date and age|1886}} (Exhibition)<br />1912 (Stampede)<br />1923 (Exhibition and Stampede)
| dates              = 10 days, starting the first Friday of July (second Friday if the first Friday is [[Canada Day]] or the day after Canada Day)<br /><br />
2025: July 4–13
| genre              = [[Rodeo]] and [[fair]]
| attendance         = 1,477,953 (2024)<br/>1,477,953 (record – 2024)<ref name="2024Attendance">{{citation |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/10624015/calgary-stampede-attendance-record-2024/ |title=2024 edition of Calgary Stampede sets all-time attendance record |publisher=[[Global News]] |date=2024-07-15 |access-date=2024-07-15}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.calgarystampede.com}}
}}

The '''Calgary Stampede''' is an annual [[rodeo]], [[fair|exhibition]], and [[festival]] held every July in [[Calgary]], [[Alberta]], Canada.  The ten-day event, which bills itself as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth",<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/yahoo-stampede-parade-kicks-off-greatest-outdoor-show-on-earth-1.771039 |title=Yahoo! Stampede parade kicks off 'greatest outdoor show on earth' |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2008-07-04 |access-date=2011-07-09 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109222900/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2008/07/04/stampede-parade.html |url-status=live }}</ref> attracts over one million visitors per year and features one of the world's largest rodeos, a [[parade]], [[Midway (fair)|midway]], [[stage show]]s, [[concert]]s, agricultural competitions, [[chuckwagon racing]], and [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] exhibitions. In 2008, the Calgary Stampede was inducted into the [[ProRodeo Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/rodeo-committees/calgary-stampede/|title=Calgary Stampede - Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|work=Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame|access-date=2017-04-12|language=en-US|archive-date=2017-04-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170412143140/http://www.prorodeohalloffame.com/inductees/by-category/rodeo-committees/calgary-stampede/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The event's roots are traced to 1886 when the Calgary and District Agricultural Society held its first fair. In 1912, American promoter [[Guy Weadick]] organized his first rodeo and festival, known as the Stampede. He returned to Calgary in 1919 to organize the Victory Stampede in honour of soldiers returning from [[World War I]]. Weadick's festival became an annual event in 1923 when it merged with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition to create the '''Calgary Exhibition and Stampede'''.

Organized by thousands of volunteers and supported by civic leaders, the Calgary Stampede has grown into one of the world's richest rodeos, one of Canada's largest festivals, and a significant tourist attraction for the city. Rodeo and chuckwagon racing events are televised across Canada. However, both have been the target of increasing international criticism by [[animal welfare]] groups and politicians concerned about particular events as well as [[animal rights]] organizations seeking to ban rodeo in general.

Calgary's national and international identity is tied to the event. It is known as the "Stampede City", carries the informal nickname of "Cowtown", and the local [[Canadian Football League]] team is called the [[Calgary Stampeders|Stampeders]]. The city takes on a party atmosphere during Stampede: office buildings and storefronts are painted in cowboy themes, residents don [[western wear]], and events held across the city include hundreds of pancake breakfasts and [[barbecue]]s.

==History==
[[File:Program for 1912 Calgary Stampede.jpg|thumb|right|The Program for the 1912 Calgary Stampede featuring the [[The Big Four (Calgary)|Big Four]]: Burns, Lane, Cross, and McLean. This poster is part of the collection of the [[Glenbow Museum|Glenbow Archives]].|alt=A poster featuring a man riding a bucking horse on an open prairie field. In each corner is a photograph of four different middle-aged well-dressed gentlemen.]]
The Calgary and District Agricultural Society was formed in 1884 to promote the town and encourage farmers and ranchers from eastern Canada to move west. The society held its first [[fair]] two years later, attracting a quarter of the town's 2,000 residents.<ref name="GuysDream">{{citation |last=Dudley |first=Wendy |title=Guy's Stampede dream |work=Calgary Herald |date=1997-07-03 |page=SS2}}</ref> By 1889, it had acquired land on the banks of the [[Elbow River]] to host the exhibitions, but crop failures, poor weather, and a declining economy resulted in the society ceasing operations in 1895.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=26}}</ref> The land passed briefly to future [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[R. B. Bennett]] who sold it to the city. The area was called [[Beltline, Calgary|Victoria Park]], after [[Queen Victoria]], and the newly formed Western Pacific Exhibition Company hosted its first agricultural and industrial fair in 1899.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=27}}</ref>

The exhibition grew annually, and in 1908 the Government of Canada announced that Calgary would host the federally funded [[Dominion Exhibition]] that year. Seeking to take advantage of the opportunity to promote itself, the city spent [[Canadian dollar|C$]]145,000 to build six new pavilions and a racetrack.<ref name="Dixon29">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=29}}</ref> It held a lavish parade as well as [[rodeo]], horse racing, and [[trick roping]] competitions as part of the event.<ref name="GuysDream" /> The exhibition was a success, drawing 100,000 people to the fairgrounds over seven days despite an economic recession that afflicted the city of 25,000.<ref name="Dixon29" />

[[Guy Weadick]], an American trick roper who participated in the Dominion Exhibition as part of the [[Miller Brothers 101 Ranch]] Real Wild West Show, returned to Calgary in 1912 in the hopes of establishing an event that more accurately represented the "wild west" than the shows he was a part of.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=30}}</ref> He initially failed to sell civic leaders and the Calgary Industrial Exhibition on his plans,<ref name="CHWeadickVision">{{citation |last=Seskus |first=Tony |url=https://calgaryherald.com/homes/stampede/6479984/story.html |title=Guy Weadick's grand vision |work=Calgary Herald |date=2012-04-30 |access-date=2012-06-09 |archive-date=2012-06-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120618200017/http://www.calgaryherald.com/homes/stampede/6479984/story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but with the assistance of local livestock agent H. C. McMullen, Weadick convinced businessmen [[Patrick Burns (politician)|Pat Burns]], [[George Lane (politician)|George Lane]], [[Archie McLean (politician)|A. J. McLean]], and [[A. E. Cross]] to put up $100,000 to guarantee funding for the event.<ref name="GuysDream" /> The [[Big Four (Calgary)|Big Four]], as they came to be known, viewed the project as a final celebration of their life as cattlemen.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=5}}</ref> The city built a rodeo arena on the fairgrounds and over 100,000 people attended the six-day event in September 1912 to watch hundreds of cowboys from Western Canada, the United States, and Mexico compete for $20,000 in prizes.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=32}}</ref> The event generated $120,000 in revenue and was hailed as a success.<ref name="GuysDream" />

Weadick set about planning the 1913 Stampede, promoting the event across North America. However, the Big Four were not interested in hosting another such event.<ref>{{harvnb|Kennedy|1965|p=22}}</ref> Businessmen in [[Winnipeg]] convinced Weadick to host his second Stampede in their city, but the show failed financially. A third attempt held in [[New York (state)|New York]] State in 1916 suffered the same fate.<ref name="Kennedy23">{{harvnb|Kennedy|1965|p=23}}</ref> Weadick returned to Calgary in 1919 where he gained the support of [[E. L. Richardson (sports executive)|E. L. Richardson]], the general manager of the Calgary Industrial Exhibition. The two convinced numerous Calgarians, including the Big Four, to back the "Great Victory Stampede" in celebration of Canada's soldiers returning from World War I.<ref name="Kennedy23" />

===Calgary Exhibition and Stampede===
While the 1919 Stampede was successful, it was again held as a one-time event. Richardson was convinced that it could be a profitable annual event but found little support for the concept within the board of directors of the Calgary Industrial Exhibition. However, declining attendance and mounting financial losses forced the exhibition board to reconsider Richardson's proposals at their 1922 annual meeting.<ref name="Kennedy28">{{harvnb|Kennedy|1965|p=28}}</ref> Richardson proposed merging the two events on a trial basis. Weadick agreed, and the union created the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede.<ref name="Dixon36">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=36}}</ref>

[[File:1923 Calgary Stampede parade.jpg|thumb|1923 Stampede parade|alt=Hundreds of men on horseback march down a city street as people observe from the sidewalks and rooftops.]]
The combined event was first held in 1923. Weadick encouraged the city's residents to dress in western clothes and decorate their businesses in the spirit of the "wild west".<ref name="GuysDream" /> Civic leaders truly supported the event for the first time: Mayor [[George Harry Webster|George Webster]] followed the costume suggestion and allowed downtown roads to be closed for two hours each morning of the six-day event to accommodate street parties.<ref name="Dixon36" /> The new sport of [[chuckwagon racing]] was introduced and proved immediately popular.<ref>{{citation |title=2009 Calgary Stampede Evening Show Program |publisher=Calgary Stampede |page=8}}</ref> 138,950 people attended and the event earned a profit.<ref name="Dixon36" /> Over 167,000 people attended in 1924 and the success guaranteed that the Stampede and Exhibition would be held together permanently.<ref name="Dixon38">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=38}}</ref>

Attendance grew annually throughout the 1920s, peaking at 258,496 in 1928, but the onset of the [[Great Depression]] resulted in attendance declines and financial losses. After consecutive years of losses in 1930 and 1931, the exhibition board was forced to make cutbacks, a decision that strained the relationship between the board and Weadick.<ref name="Kennedy41">{{harvnb|Kennedy|1965|p=41}}</ref> Furthering the divide was Weadick's growing resentment of the board's control of what he considered his event. The issue came to a head in 1932 when Weadick and Richardson engaged in a loud argument over the situation, ending with Weadick's threat to quit entirely.<ref>{{harvnb|Livingstone|1996|p=110}}</ref> One month later, the exhibition board announced that it had relieved him of his duties.<ref name="Kennedy41" /> Angered by the decision, Weadick sued the exhibition board for $100,000, citing breach of contract and unfair dismissal.<ref>{{harvnb|Livingstone|1996|p=111}}</ref> His claim was upheld in courts, but he was awarded only $2,750 plus legal fees.<ref>{{harvnb|Kennedy|1965|p=42}}</ref> Embittered by the events, Weadick remained at odds with the board for 20 years until he was invited to the 1952 Stampede as an honoured guest and parade marshal.<ref>{{harvnb|Livingstone|1996|p=120}}</ref>

At least seven movies were filmed at the Stampede by 1950. The most profitable, the 1925 [[silent movie|silent film]] ''The Calgary Stampede'', used footage from the rodeo and exposed people across North America to the event.<ref name="Foran10">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=10}}</ref> [[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]] stars and foreign dignitaries were attracted to the Stampede; [[Bob Hope]] and [[Bing Crosby]] each served as parade marshals during the 1950s,<ref name="Dixon42">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=42}}</ref> while Queen [[Elizabeth II]] and Prince [[Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh|Philip]] made their first of two visits to the event as part of their 1959 tour of Canada.<ref>{{citation |url=http://archives.cbc.ca/on_this_day/07/09/ |title=A royal Calgary Stampede |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |access-date=2010-05-18 |archive-date=2011-06-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629022020/http://archives.cbc.ca/on_this_day/07/09/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Queen also opened the 1973 Stampede.<ref name="Dixon43">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=43}}</ref>

===Expansion===
The discovery of the [[Leduc No. 1]] oil well in 1946 and major reserves in the [[Turner Valley, Alberta|Turner Valley]] area southwest of the city ushered in a period of growth and prosperity. Calgary was transformed from an agricultural community into the oil and gas capital of Canada.<ref name="Gray136">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=136}}</ref> The city's population nearly doubled between 1949 and 1956, and Calgary's immigrant population not only embraced the Stampede, but encouraged friends and family in their home towns to do the same.<ref name="Gray136" /> The 1950s represented the golden age of the Calgary Stampede.<ref name="Gray137">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=137}}</ref>
[[File:Stampede grounds entrance (18963502424).jpg|thumb|Stampede grounds, 1953]]
Attendance records were broken nearly every year in the 1950s and overall attendance increased by 200,000 from 1949 to 1959.<ref name="Gray144">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=144}}</ref> The growth necessitated expansion of the exhibition grounds.<ref name="Dixon43" /> The 7,500-seat [[Stampede Corral]] was completed in 1950 as the largest indoor arena in Western Canada.<ref name="Foran12">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=12}}</ref> It housed the [[Calgary Stampeders (ice hockey)|Calgary Stampeders]] hockey team, which was operated by the Board of Governors and won the [[Western Hockey League (1952–1974)|Western Hockey League]] championship in 1954.<ref name="Gray142">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=142}}</ref> Acts such as the [[Minnesota Orchestra|Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra]] and [[Louis Armstrong]] played the Corral, although the arena's poor acoustics were a frequent concern to organizers and patrons.<ref name="Gray140">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=140}}</ref>

Improvements were made to the grandstand and the race track was rebuilt in 1954.<ref name="Gray143">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=143}}</ref> The Big Four Building, named in honour of the Stampede's benefactors, opened in 1959 to serve as the city's largest exhibition hall in the summer,<ref name="Dixon42" /> and was converted into a 24-sheet [[curling]] facility each winter.<ref name="Gray143"/> The improvements failed to alleviate all the pressures growth had caused: chronic parking shortages and inability to accommodate demand for tickets to the rodeo and grandstand shows continued.<ref name="Gray143" />

Attendance continued to grow throughout the 1960s and 1970s, topping 500,000 for the first time in 1962 and reaching 654,000 in 1966. Organizers expanded the event from six days to nine in 1967 and then to ten the following year.<ref name="Dixon43" /> The Stampede exceeded one million visitors for the first time in 1976.<ref name="GuysDream" /> The park, meanwhile, continued to grow. The Round-Up Centre opened in 1979 as the new exhibition hall, and the [[Olympic Saddledome]] was completed in 1983.<ref name="Dixon44">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=44}}</ref> The Saddledome replaced the Corral as the city's top sporting arena, and both facilities hosted [[ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics|hockey]] and [[figure skating at the 1988 Winter Olympics|figure skating]] events at the [[1988 Winter Olympics]].<ref name="Dixon44" />

Maintaining the traditional focus on agriculture and western heritage remained a priority for the Calgary Stampede as the city grew into a major financial and oil hub in Western Canada.<ref name="Dixon44" /> "Aggie Days", a program designed to introduce urban schoolchildren to agriculture was introduced in 1989 and proved immediately popular.<ref name="Dixon44" /> A ten-year expansion plan called Horizon 2000 was released in 1990 detailing plans to grow Stampede Park into a year-round destination for Calgarians;<ref name="GuysDream" /> an updated plan was released in 2004.<ref name="Dixon45">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=45}}</ref> The Calgary Exhibition and Stampede organization dropped the word "exhibition" from its title in 2007, and has since been known simply as the Calgary Stampede.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=ix}}</ref> Attendance has plateaued around 1.2 million since 2000,<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-attendance-falls-slightly-1.806251 |title=Calgary Stampede attendance falls slightly |work=[[CBC News]] |date=2009-07-13 |access-date=2010-05-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717023107/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-attendance-falls-slightly-1.806251 |archive-date=July 17, 2009 }}</ref> however the Stampede set an attendance record of 1,409,371 while celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2012.<ref name="2012Attendance">{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-sets-new-attendance-record-1.1193512 |title=Calgary Stampede sets new attendance record |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2012-07-16 |access-date=2012-07-17 |archive-date=2012-07-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120717083123/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/07/16/calgary-stampede-attendance-record.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Flooding ===
[[2013 Alberta floods|Severe flooding]] in Calgary two weeks before the July 5 opening of the 2013 Stampede caused significant damage to the grounds. Stampede officials promised, however, that the event would be staged as planned.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-to-go-on-come-hell-or-high-water-1.1338657 |title=Calgary Stampede will go ahead despite flooding |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2013-06-24 |access-date=2013-06-24 |archive-date=2013-06-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624230352/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/06/24/canada-calgary-stampede-alberta-flood.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Some of the main events, and all concerts, scheduled for the Saddledome were cancelled due to flood damage to the facility, while other events were relocated to other locations.<ref>{{cite news |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |url=https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Kiss+Jepsen+McGraw+Dixie+Chicks+Saddledome+concerts/8607227/story.html |title=Kiss, Jepsen, Dixie Chicks, Saddledome concerts cancelled by Calgary Stampede |work=Calgary Herald |date=2013-07-02 |access-date=2013-07-02 |archive-date=2013-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707012553/http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Kiss+Jepsen+McGraw+Dixie+Chicks+Saddledome+concerts/8607227/story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== COVID-19 pandemic ===
{{As of|alt=On April 23|2020|04|23}}, the 2020 Stampede was cancelled for the first time in almost a century due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref name="covidglob">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6815098/covid-19-2020-calgary-stampede-update/|title=2020 Calgary Stampede cancelled for first time in over 100 years amid COVID-19|website=Global News|language=en|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-date=2020-04-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200427155848/https://globalnews.ca/news/6815098/covid-19-2020-calgary-stampede-update/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-calgary-stampede-cancelled-as-covid-19-restrictions-expected-to-extend/|title=Calgary Stampede cancelled as COVID-19 restrictions set to extend into summer|access-date=2020-04-26|archive-date=2020-04-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424203702/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-calgary-stampede-cancelled-as-covid-19-restrictions-expected-to-extend/|url-status=live}}</ref> Community-oriented events held in compliance with Alberta public health orders were organized on the original dates of the Stampede, including pop-up [[drive-through]]s offering pancakes and midway food staples, and maintaining the event's [[fireworks]] show.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Villani|first=Mark|date=2020-07-03|title=No parade? No problem: Western traditions alive despite 2020 Calgary Stampede cancellation|url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/no-parade-no-problem-western-traditions-alive-despite-2020-calgary-stampede-cancellation-1.5009330|access-date=2020-07-04|website=CTV News Calgary|language=en|archive-date=2020-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704235926/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/no-parade-no-problem-western-traditions-alive-despite-2020-calgary-stampede-cancellation-1.5009330|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="covidglob" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=First-ever Calgary Stampede drive-thru pancake breakfast puts the boots to COVID-19 gloom|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7139251/calgary-stampede-drive-thru-pancake-breakfast/|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Global News|language=en|archive-date=2020-07-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200707232747/https://globalnews.ca/news/7139251/calgary-stampede-drive-thru-pancake-breakfast/|url-status=live}}</ref> The cancellation made a significant economic impact, as recent editions had contributed $540 million to the province's economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-covid-19-2020-announcement-1.5542680 |title=Calgary Stampede cancelled for first time in almost a century |date=23 April 2020 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=23 April 2020 |quote= |archive-date=24 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200424022958/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-covid-19-2020-announcement-1.5542680 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="covidglob" />

In April 2021, Alberta's chief medical officer of health [[Deena Hinshaw]] projected that the province could lift some of its restrictions on gatherings by late-June, while Premier Jason Kenney stated that the province could begin doing so once at least two thirds of its residents have been [[COVID-19 vaccine|vaccinated]]. However, soon afterwards, the province began to enact stricter public health orders to control a major ongoing wave of infections.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|last=Romero|first=Diego|date=2021-04-06|title=Alberta returns to Step 1 of restrictions as COVID-19 variant cases rise|url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-returns-to-step-1-of-restrictions-as-covid-19-variant-cases-rise-1.5376344|access-date=2021-04-07|website=Edmonton|language=en|archive-date=2021-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407030548/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-returns-to-step-1-of-restrictions-as-covid-19-variant-cases-rise-1.5376344|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 14, the Stampede announced that it did plan to hold an in-person event for 2021, but that the structure of the event would have to be "very different" to comply with whatever public health orders will be in effect by then.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Organizers hold out hope for a 'very different' Stampede this summer|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/stampede-planning-incredibly-fluid-as-uncertainty-plagues-the-summer-events-industry-across-alberta|access-date=2021-05-15|website=calgaryherald|language=en-CA|archive-date=2021-05-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515162911/https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/stampede-planning-incredibly-fluid-as-uncertainty-plagues-the-summer-events-industry-across-alberta|url-status=live}}</ref> On May 26, the Alberta government announced a revised "Open for Summer" plan for easing public health orders, which would allow the majority of restrictions to be lifted two weeks after 70% of eligible residents receive at least one vaccine dose (provided that hospitalizations continue to decline). It was later announced that restrictions would be fully lifted on July 1.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Antoneshyn|first=Alex|date=2021-06-18|title=Alberta to lift COVID-19 restrictions on Canada Day|url=https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-to-lift-covid-19-restrictions-on-canada-day-1.5476187|access-date=2021-06-20|website=CTV News Edmonton|language=en|archive-date=2021-06-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619230925/https://edmonton.ctvnews.ca/alberta-to-lift-covid-19-restrictions-on-canada-day-1.5476187|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dormer|first=Dave|date=2021-05-26|title=Reopening in Alberta begins June 1 with outdoor dining, all restrictions could be lifted by July|url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/reopening-in-alberta-begins-june-1-with-outdoor-dining-all-restrictions-could-be-lifted-by-july-1.5443070|access-date=2021-05-26|website=CTV News Calgary|language=en|archive-date=2021-05-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210526200842/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/reopening-in-alberta-begins-june-1-with-outdoor-dining-all-restrictions-could-be-lifted-by-july-1.5443070|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Pancakes but no parade: What's likely on the table for the 2021 Calgary Stampede?|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7895794/calgary-stampede-2021-covid-19-restrictions-eased/|access-date=2021-05-31|website=Global News|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-06-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210602214619/https://globalnews.ca/news/7895794/calgary-stampede-2021-covid-19-restrictions-eased/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Despite the lifting of public health restrictions, measures such as [[social distancing]] would still be encouraged, and the capacity of Stampede Park would therefore be controlled.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2021-07-08 |title=Get a glimpse of what the Calgary Stampede will look like this year |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/stampede-calgary-pandemic-safety-measures-1.6093292 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709051149/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/stampede-calgary-pandemic-safety-measures-1.6093292 |archive-date=2021-07-09 |access-date=2021-07-09 |website=CBC News}}</ref> There would be pre-purchased entry to the grounds and reduced capacity for events. Citing that participants would not have enough time to prepare for the Stampede on short notice due to other chuckwagon racing events leading up to it being cancelled, the Rangeland Derby was cancelled for the second year in a row.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Admission to Nashville North (which would be an open-air stage rather than a tent) required [[proof of vaccination]] or a negative [[COVID-19 rapid antigen test|rapid test]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2021-07-06|title=Calgary Stampede music venue Nashville North to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination or rapid test|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-vaccination-1.6092353|access-date=2021-07-09|website=CBC News|archive-date=2021-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210708140811/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-vaccination-1.6092353|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> As the Mayor of Calgary did not issue a permit for it to occur on public streets,<ref name=":2" /> the Stampede parade was downsized and held as a broadcast-only event within Stampede Park, with [[Behind closed doors (sport)|no public spectators admitted]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Floats, horses and plenty of yahoos at scaled-down 2021 Calgary Stampede - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8006585/2021-calgary-stampede-parade-live/|access-date=2021-07-09|website=Global News|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-07-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210709115728/https://globalnews.ca/news/8006585/2021-calgary-stampede-parade-live/|url-status=live}}</ref> To compensate for the cancellation of the Rangeland Derby, [[bronc riding]] events were added to the rodeo's evening sessions.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-06-23|title=New bronc riding sport will replace chuckwagon races in Calgary Stampede evening show|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-bronc-riding-1.6077244|access-date=2021-07-10|website=CBC News|archive-date=2021-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625214015/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-bronc-riding-1.6077244|url-status=live}}</ref>

The decision to go on with the Stampede was met with mixed reactions, including concerns that it could become a [[superspreading event]] because Alberta's reopening criteria were based only on the first vaccine dose and not being fully vaccinated. There was also criticism from the chuckwagon racing community over the cancellation of the Rangeland Derby.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Calgary Stampede unveils modified 2021 plans; cancels Rangeland Derby|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7900070/calgary-stampede-rangeland-derby-covid-coronavirus-vaccination/|access-date=2021-05-30|website=Global News|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-05-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210528220846/https://globalnews.ca/news/7900070/calgary-stampede-rangeland-derby-covid-coronavirus-vaccination/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-28|title='A big blow to the sport:' Chuckwagon racers surprised, confused after Calgary Stampede cut event|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-chuckwagon-drivers-confused-calgary-stampede-cut-event-1.6044807|access-date=2021-05-30|website=CBC News|archive-date=2021-05-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529201231/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-chuckwagon-drivers-confused-calgary-stampede-cut-event-1.6044807|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> On July 27, [[Alberta Health Services]] stated that it had only officially attributed 71 cases of COVID-19 to the Stampede, out of a total attendance of 528,998.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-07-27|title=Stampede not a super-spreader event: Alberta Health|url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-not-a-super-spreader-event-alberta-health-1.5525751|url-status=live|access-date=2021-07-28|website=CTV News Calgary|language=en|archive-date=2021-07-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728203307/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-not-a-super-spreader-event-alberta-health-1.5525751}}</ref>

==Events==

===Parade===
[[File:Mounties at the Calgary Stampede Parade 2011.jpg|thumb|RCMP members in the Stampede Parade]]
The parade serves as the official opening of the Stampede and begins shortly before 9 a.m. on the first Friday of the event.<ref name="CTVParade">{{citation |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/2009-calgary-stampede-parade-1.413401 |title=2009 Stampede parade |publisher=CTV News |date=2009-07-03 |access-date=2010-05-28 |archive-date=2013-10-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029210357/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/2009-calgary-stampede-parade-1.413401 |url-status=live }}</ref> Each year features a different parade marshal, chosen to reflect the public's interests at that time. Politicians, athletes, actors and other dignitaries have all served as marshals.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=14}}</ref> The event features dozens of marching bands, over 150 floats and hundreds of horses with entrants from around the world,<ref name="CTVParade" /><ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/hot-sunny-parade-kicks-off-calgary-stampede-1.872918 |title=Hot, sunny parade kicks off Calgary Stampede |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2010-07-09 |access-date=2011-07-08 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109222531/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/09/calgary-stampede-parade.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and combines western themes with modern ones. Cowboys, First Nations dancers and members of the [[Royal Canadian Mounted Police]] in their red serges are joined by clowns, bands, politicians and business leaders.<ref name="Foran74">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=74}}</ref> The first Stampede parade, held in 1912, was attended by 75,000 people, greater than the city's population at the time.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=11}}</ref> As many as 350,000 people attended the parade in 2009,<ref name="CTVParade" /> while the presence of [[Prince William, Duke of Cambridge|Prince William]] and [[Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge|Catherine]], Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, at the 2011 parade as part of their [[2011 royal tour of Canada|tour of Canada]] increased attendance to a record estimate of 425,000.<ref>{{citation |last=Schneider |first=Katie |url=http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/07/09/tourism-officials-tally-royal-boost |title=Tourism officials tally royal boost |work=Calgary Sun |date=2011-07-09 |access-date=2011-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813230356/http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/07/09/tourism-officials-tally-royal-boost |archive-date=2011-08-13 }}</ref>

The parade was downsized and closed to the public in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":5" />

===Rodeo===
{{further|List of Calgary Stampede Rodeo Champions}}
[[File:Barrel-Racing-Szmurlo.jpg|200px|thumb|A cowgirl races around a barrel|alt=A woman on horseback makes a sharp turn around a white barrel.]]

The rodeo is the heart of the Calgary Stampede.<ref name="Dixon78">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=78}}</ref> It is one of the largest,<ref name="Baker">{{citation |last=Baker |first=Linda |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/business/21calgary.html |title=A boom in office towers in Calgary |work=The New York Times |date=2009-01-20 |access-date=2010-05-16 |archive-date=2017-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004040447/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/21/business/21calgary.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the most famous event of its kind in the world.<ref name="Foran205">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=205}}</ref> With a prize of $100,000 to the winner of each major discipline and $1,000,000 total on championship day alone, it also offers the richest payout.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=ce1fbe0d-d4ff-4f0d-b3ff-cec5311a633b |title=$1 million Sunday lives up to its billing at Stampede |publisher=CanWest Media |date=2008-07-14 |access-date=2010-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110112909/http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/story.html?id=ce1fbe0d-d4ff-4f0d-b3ff-cec5311a633b |archive-date=2012-11-10 }}</ref> Cowboys consider performing in front of over 20,000 fans daily to be the highlight of the rodeo season.<ref name="Dixon78" />

There are six major disciplines&nbsp;– [[bull riding]], [[barrel racing]], [[steer wrestling]], [[calf roping|tie down roping]], [[saddle bronc and bareback riding]]&nbsp;– and four novice events&nbsp;– junior [[steer riding]], novice bareback, novice saddle bronc and wild pony racing.<ref>{{citation |url=http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/rodeo/ |title=Rodeo |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2010-05-21 |archive-date=2011-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707043614/http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/rodeo |url-status=live }}</ref> Each event is organized as its own tournament, and the cowboys and girls are divided into two pools. The first pool competes each night for the first four nights, and the second each night for four nights following. The top four in each pool advance to the Sunday final, and the remainder compete on Saturday for a wild card spot in the final. The competitor with the best time or score on Sunday wins the $100,000 grand prize.<ref>{{citation|title=2009 Calgary Stampede Media Guide |publisher=Calgary Stampede |url=http://news.calgarystampede.com/Theme/Calgary/files/doc_downloads/2009_media-guide_final_small.pdf |page=75 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201024623/http://news.calgarystampede.com/Theme/Calgary/files/doc_downloads/2009_media-guide_final_small.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-01 }}</ref>

Most livestock for the rodeo events come from the {{convert|22,000|acre|km2|adj=on}} Stampede Ranch located near the town of [[Hanna, Alberta|Hanna]].<ref name="Dixon67">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=67}}</ref> The ranch was created in 1961 as a means of improving the quality of bucking horses and bulls and to guarantee supply.<ref>{{citation |url=http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/rodeo/ranch/ |title=Stampede Ranch |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2011-06-04 |archive-date=2011-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611050041/http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/rodeo/ranch/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The first of its kind in North America,<ref name="Dixon67" /> the Stampede Ranch operates a breeding program that produces some of the top rodeo stock in the world and supplies rodeos throughout southern Alberta, and as far south as [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]].<ref>{{citation |last=Hanson |first=Cheri |title=At home on the range |work=Calgary Herald |date=2002-07-04 |page=SE10}}</ref>

===Rangeland Derby===
[[File:Stampede chuckwagon race.JPG|thumb|Chuckwagon races are a popular attraction.|alt=Four wagons driven by teams of four horses race down a dirt track. Several riders on horseback follow as a crowd of spectators looks on from behind a guardrail.]]
Weadick is credited with inventing the sport of [[chuckwagon racing]] in 1923, inspired either by seeing a similar event in 1922 at the [[Gleichen, Alberta|Gleichen Stampede]] or watching impromptu races as he grew up.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.wpca.com/history.aspx |title=History |publisher=Western Professional Chuckwagon Association |access-date=2011-01-09 |archive-date=2010-12-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101226173117/http://wpca.com/(S(v0mizw2pbc1zrxm5cdihja55))/history.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> He devised the sport to be a new and exciting event for the newly joined Exhibition and Stampede.<ref name="CH1960Chucks">{{citation |last=Primrose |first=Tom |work=Calgary Herald Magazine |date=1960-07-09 |page=1}}</ref> Weadick invited ranchers to enter their wagons and crews to compete for a total of $275 in prize money.<ref name="CS history">{{citation |url=http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/gmc-rangeland-derby/history.html |title=Chuckwagon races&nbsp;– History |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2012-06-06 |archive-date=2012-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601221742/http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/gmc-rangeland-derby/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Officially called the Rangeland Derby, and nicknamed the "half-mile of hell"<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/calgarys-half-mile-of-hell/article787609/ |title=Calgary's half-mile of hell |work=The Globe and Mail |access-date=2010-05-21 |date=2009-07-08 |archive-date=2012-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025082629/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/calgarys-half-mile-of-hell/article787609/ |url-status=live }}</ref> or the "dash for cash",<ref>{{cite web |title=Logan Gorst wheels to first GMC Rangeland Derby victory at Stampede |url=https://calgarysun.com/sports/other-sports/logan-gorst-wheels-to-first-gmc-rangeland-derby-victory-at-stampede |website=Calgary Sun |publisher=www.calgarysun.com |access-date=2019-07-24 |archive-date=2019-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724170803/https://calgarysun.com/sports/other-sports/logan-gorst-wheels-to-first-gmc-rangeland-derby-victory-at-stampede |url-status=live }}</ref> chuckwagon racing proved immediately popular and quickly became the event's largest attraction.<ref name="CH1960Chucks" /> While only six teams raced in 1923,<ref name="Gray64">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=64}}</ref> today's Rangeland Derby consists of 36 teams competing for $1.15 million in prize money.<ref>{{citation |url=http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/gmc-rangeland-derby/ |title=GMC Rangeland Derby |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2012-06-06 |archive-date=2012-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120531214541/http://cs.calgarystampede.com/events/gmc-rangeland-derby/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Joe Carbury]] was the voice of the Rangeland Derby for 45 years, until 2008. His distinctive voice and signature phrase of "and they're offfffffff!" to announce the start of a race made him a local legend,<ref>{{citation |last=Stewart |first=Monte |title=Joe Carbury |work=Calgary Herald |date=1994-07-13 |page=D3}}</ref> and earned him induction into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame in 2003.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.albertasportshalloffame.com/component/zoo/item/carbury-joe |title=Joe Carbury |publisher=Alberta Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2011-07-25 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929110511/http://www.albertasportshalloffame.com/component/zoo/item/carbury-joe |archive-date=2011-09-29 }}</ref>

The chuckwagon drivers auction advertising space on their wagons before each year's Stampede. The first advertisement on the tarp cover of a chuckwagon was made in 1941, and Lloyd Nelson was the last person to win the Rangeland Derby without a sponsored wagon, doing so in 1956. The current practice of selling advertising via a tarp auction began in 1979.<ref name="Foran247">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=247}}</ref> The revenue generated by the auctions, a record $4 million for the 2012 Stampede,<ref>{{Citation |last=Kaufmann |first=Bill |title=Yee-haw! 100 years of the best hoedown around |work=Calgary Sun Stampede 100th Anniversary |date=June 2012 |page=2}}</ref> is considered an indicator of the strength of Calgary's economy.<ref>{{citation |last=Lewis |first=Nick |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=4c5dd667-6bf2-420a-a78d-50ef7db4cf0a |title=Tarp auction tells tale of Calgary's economy |work=Calgary Herald |date=2009-03-19 |access-date=2010-05-21 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120902094047/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=4c5dd667-6bf2-420a-a78d-50ef7db4cf0a |archive-date=2012-09-02 }}</ref>

The Rangeland Derby was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

===Exhibition===
[[File:Blacksmith.JPG|thumb|right|Blacksmiths demonstrate their skills at the 2010 championship|alt=Two men lean over an anvil. One is holding down a red-hot piece of metal with tongs while the other prepares to strike with a large hammer.]]
When the agricultural exhibition was first launched in 1886, Alberta was an overwhelmingly rural province. Today, agricultural producers make up less than two percent of the province's population, but the exhibition remains an integral part of the Calgary Stampede.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=106}}</ref> Nearly 70% of all Stampede visitors visit the Agriculture Zone for the displays and demonstrations as well as western events.<ref name="Dixon107">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=107}}</ref> Numerous competitions are held as part of the exhibition. The American [[National Cutting Horse Association]] sanctions a World Series of [[Cutting (sport)|Cutting]] event,<ref>{{citation |url=http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/444-cutting-horse-competition.html |title=Cutting Horse Competition |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2011-06-07 |archive-date=2011-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110801211221/http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/444-cutting-horse-competition.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and the World Championship Blacksmith Competition used to be held, attracting top [[blacksmith]]s from around the world.<ref name="Dixon107" /> Farm and ranch demonstrations feature numerous breeds of livestock along with [[Herding dog|stock dog]] trials and [[team penning]] competitions.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=110}}</ref>

Additionally, the exhibition serves to educate the public about Alberta's ranching and agricultural heritage along with modern food production displays through events like Ag-tivity in the city.<ref>{{citation |url=http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/429-agrium-ag-tivity-in-the-city.html |title=Agrium Ag-tivity in the City |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2010-05-25 |archive-date=2011-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708111841/http://ag.calgarystampede.com/events/429-agrium-ag-tivity-in-the-city.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The Stampede works with Alberta [[4-H]] clubs to encourage youth participation in agricultural pursuits.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=112}}</ref>

===Midway===
The Calgary Stampede [[carnival|midway]] has been operated by [[North American Midway Entertainment]], and its predecessor [[Conklin Shows]], since 1976.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=118–119}}</ref> The midway is the only part of the event operated on a for-profit basis.<ref name="Foran113">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=113}}</ref> It is considered an essential component of the Stampede, but is separate from the predominantly western theme.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=112–113}}</ref> The midway opens on the Thursday night before other events begin, known as "sneak-a-peek" night.<ref>{{citation |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-sneak-a-peek-1.666969 |title=Stampede Sneak-a-Peek |publisher=CTV Calgary |date=2011-07-07 |access-date=2012-06-06 |archive-date=2018-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918004123/https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-sneak-a-peek-1.666969 |url-status=live }}</ref> In addition to the traditional rides and carnival games, the midway features four concert areas. Nashville North, a large party tent, made its debut in 1993 as a [[country music]] venue. It was followed one-year later by what is now known as the [[Coca-Cola]] Stage that offers music acts across a variety of genres.<ref>{{Citation |last=Kaufmann |first=Bill |title=North-ern exposure |work=Calgary Sun Stampede 100th Anniversary |date=June 2012 |page=31}}</ref> The Saddledome hosts headlining acts, including [[Garth Brooks]] and [[The Beach Boys]], who were booked for the Stampede's 100th anniversary in 2012.<ref>{{Citation |last=Wood |first=Damien |title=Music to our ears |work=Calgary Sun Stampede 100th Anniversary |date=June 2012 |page=44}}</ref> In 2018, the Stampede's newest concert venue, The Big Four Roadhouse, opened for Stampede-time and year-round events.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Big Four Roadhouse - Where food, drinks, music & games collide for the ultimate social experience|url=http://www.calgarystampede.com/coca-cola-stage|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Calgary Stampede|language=en|archive-date=2020-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126101356/https://www.calgarystampede.com/coca-cola-stage|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Market===
The Stampede Market is located in the [[BMO Centre]] on the northwest corner of the park.<ref name="StampedePark" /> It offers {{convert|38000|m2|sqft}} of retail space and in 2019 began highlighting local artisans.<ref name="CHMarket">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5464077/calgary-stampede-the-market-local-vendors/|title=The Market at Calgary Stampede opening doors for local vendors &#124; Globalnews.ca|website=Global News|access-date=2020-12-08|archive-date=2020-11-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118162546/https://globalnews.ca/news/5464077/calgary-stampede-the-market-local-vendors/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Western Oasis, a subsection of the market, offers cowboy and western-themed artwork, bronze statues, craftwork, foods and wine.<ref name="StampedePark" /> Lured by the opportunity to show their wares to the one million people who attend the Stampede, some vendors wait years before gaining admittance, and those that do consider it one of the prime events of the year.<ref name="CHMarket" />

==Stampede Park==
[[File:Saddledome from Calgary Tower.JPG|thumb|right|350px|Stampede Grounds as seen from the [[Calgary Tower]]. The [[Saddledome]] is on the left, and the race track and grandstand are in the distance to the right.|alt=A downward-looking image of numerous buildings. A large arena is situated to the left, behind a building with a green peaked roof. To the right in the distance is a dirt race track.]]
Stampede Park is located southeast of [[Downtown Calgary]] in the [[Beltline, Calgary|Beltline District]] and is serviced by [[Calgary Transit]]'s [[C-Train|light rail system]]. Permanent structures at the site include the Saddledome, Big Four Building, [[BMO Centre]]&nbsp;– a convention and exhibition facility&nbsp;– Cowboys Casino, the [[Stampede Grandstand]], the agriculture building, and a number of facilities that support the exhibition and livestock shows.<ref name="StampedePark">{{citation |title=Stampede Park |work=Calgary Sun |date=2011-07-08 |pages=2–3}}</ref>

The park remains at its original location, though attempts were made to relocate. In 1964, the Stampede Board made plans to purchase former military land ([[Currie Barracks]]) in southwest Calgary near [[Glenmore Trail]] and 24 Street and relocate the park there. A fully developed plan was released in 1965, and while it had the support of the civic and federal governments, intense opposition from nearby residents quashed the proposal.<ref name="Gray152">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=152}}</ref> Space concerns remained a constant issue, and a new plan to push northward into the Victoria Park community beginning in 1968 initiated a series of conflicts with the neighbourhood and city council that persisted for decades.<ref name="Gray158">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=158}}</ref>

While Victoria Park fell into steady decline, it was not until 2007 that the final buildings were removed, paving the way for both an expansion of Stampede Park and an urban renewal program for the area.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/archives/story.html?id=ed77fced-1555-4793-b89b-a7aa1154a53e |title='We've erased Victoria Park' |work=Calgary Herald |date=2007-05-15 |access-date=2011-01-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110112328/http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/archives/story.html?id=ed77fced-1555-4793-b89b-a7aa1154a53e |archive-date=2012-11-10 }}</ref> With the land finally secured, the Stampede organization<!--does the entity have a name other than the event name?--> embarked on a $400-million expansion that is planned to feature a new retail and entertainment district, an urban park, a new agricultural arena and potentially a new hotel. The expansion was originally planned to be complete by 2011, but delays and an [[Late-2000s recession|economic downturn]] have pushed the expected completion of the project back to 2014.<ref>{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |title=Calgary Stampede Park moves ahead with $400-million expansion |work=Calgary Herald |date=2010-11-09 |page=D3}}</ref>

Stampede Park has long been a central gathering place for Calgarians and tourists. In addition to attendance at the Calgary Stampede, over 2.5 million people attend other sporting events, concerts, trade shows and meetings on a grounds that hosts over 1,000 events annually.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=115}}</ref>

==People==
[[File:Patsy Rodgers stage coach 1a.jpg|thumb|right|[[Patsy Rodgers]] was the first Stampede Queen in 1946 and is seen here as the 2008 Stampede Parade marshal.|alt=An elderly woman wearing a cowboy hat and blue shirt waves to unseen spectators.]]
Each year, a queen and two princesses are selected as Stampede royalty. They are chosen via a contest open to any woman between the ages of 19 and 24 who resides in Alberta.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.stampedequeensalumni.com/Default.aspx?cid=17&lang=1 |title=The origins of the Stampede Queen and Princess Contest |publisher=Calgary Stampede Queens' Alumni Association |access-date=2011-07-30 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716125830/http://www.stampedequeensalumni.com/Default.aspx?cid=17&lang=1 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> An emphasis is placed on horsemanship skills and ability to serve as ambassadors for both the Stampede and the city.<ref name="Dixon127">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=127}}</ref> The first Stampede Queen, Patsy Rodgers, was selected in 1946 while the princesses were first chosen the following year.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=126}}</ref> The royal trio serve one-year terms during which they will make hundreds of appearances throughout southern Alberta and across North America. They then become members of the Calgary Stampede Queens' Alumni Association, founded in 1971.<ref name="Dixon127" /> The association organizes fundraisers and events in support of organizations that work with special needs children.<ref>{{citation |last=Ho |first=Clara |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3c87eaf6-685e-470b-b02e-28b9dd50342e |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118220302/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=3c87eaf6-685e-470b-b02e-28b9dd50342e |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-18 |title=Would-be cowgirls get taste of Stampede |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-11 |access-date=2012-06-06 }}</ref>

===First Nations participation===
During each Stampede, the five nations of the [[Treaty 7]]–the [[Tsuu T'ina Nation|Tsuu T'ina]], [[Northern Peigan|Piikani]], [[Nakoda (Stoney)|Stoney]], [[Kainai Nation|Kainai]] and [[Siksika Nation|Siksika]]–create a camp on the bank of the [[Elbow River]] in the southern section of Stampede Park, originally known as the Indian Village, but renamed Elbow River Camp in 2018.<ref name=":6" /> They erect [[tipi]]s, organize [[pow wow]]s, offer arts and crafts, and re-enact elements of their traditional lifestyle.<ref name="CSIndianvillage">{{citation |url=http://www.indianvillage.ca/Default.aspx?cid=5&lang=1 |title=About Indian Village |publisher=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2011-06-18 |archive-date=2012-03-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120325210203/http://www.indianvillage.ca/Default.aspx?cid=5&lang=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Each year, an Indian Princess is selected from one of the five nations to represent the Treaty 7 as part of the Stampede's royalty.<ref>{{citation |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-queen-and-princesses-chosen-1.559248 |title=Stampede Queen and Princesses chosen |publisher=CTV News |date=2010-10-03 |access-date=2011-06-18 |archive-date=2014-08-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810231006/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/stampede-queen-and-princesses-chosen-1.559248 |url-status=live }}</ref> The village is among the Stampede's most popular attractions.<ref name="CHIndianVillageMoving">{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |title=Indian Village headed for bigger home |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-13 }}</ref>

[[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] people had been frequent participants in the city's exhibitions since they were first held in 1886, taking part in parades and sporting events and entertaining spectators with traditional dances. By 1912 however, pressure from agents of the [[Indian and Northern Affairs Canada|Department of Indian Affairs]] to suppress their historic traditions and to keep them on their farms nearly ended native participation.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=48–52}}</ref> Weadick hoped to include native people as a feature of his Stampede, but Indian Affairs opposed his efforts and asked the [[Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn|Duke of Connaught]], Canada's [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]], to support their position. The Duke refused, and after Weadick gained the support of political contacts in Ottawa, including future [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[R. B. Bennett]], the path was cleared.<ref name="Foran55">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=54–55}}</ref>

[[File:Indian Village.png|thumb|[[Tipi]]s at the Elbow River Camp|alt=A row of several conical canvas dwellings, each decorated in traditional native themes, including animals and bright colours.]]
Hundreds of Indigenous peoples, representing six tribes, participated at the 1912 Stampede. They camped in tipis and wore their finest traditional regalia, making them among the most popular participants in the parade.<ref name="Foran55" /> Tom Three Persons, of the Blood (Kainai) tribe, emerged as one of the Stampede's first heroes, amazing spectators with a winning performance in the saddle bronc competition.<ref name="GuysDream" /> He was the only Canadian champion of the first Stampede and became the first person to successfully ride Cyclone, a notorious horse that had thrown over 100 riders during its career.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=305}}</ref>

The federal government of Prime Minister [[Robert Borden|Borden]] attempted to prevent a repeat occurrence, modifying the ''[[Indian Act]]'' in 1914 to make it illegal for Indigenous peoples to participate in fairs or parades without permission from the local [[Indian Agent (Canada)|Indian Agent]].<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=56}}</ref> The new law ended native participation in the Calgary Exhibition, but when Weadick returned in 1919, he successfully fought for their return to the fairgrounds.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=57}}</ref> The Indian Affairs Department under the government of Prime Minister [[William Lyon Mackenzie King|Mackenzie King]] attempted again to ban native participation in 1925 without success.<ref name="Gray80">{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=80}}</ref> While conflicts between the Stampede and Indian Affairs continued until 1932, the Indian Village remained, and has remained, a staple on the grounds.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=60}}</ref>

First Nations members and the Stampede board have occasionally met with conflict. The original location of the Indian Village was on low-lying ground that frequently flooded, a problem that was not resolved until 1974 when the village was moved to its current location.<ref name="Foran65">{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=65}}</ref> Complaints about low appearance fees paid to tipi owners, lack of input on committees related to their participation and accusations that natives were being exploited have periodically been made throughout the years.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|pp=65–67}}</ref> The Stoneys famously boycotted the 1950 Stampede following a rule change that cancelled a policy giving any Indigenous person free admittance upon showing their treaty card. The event that year was marred by violent thunderstorms, which led to apocryphal stories that the band had performed a rain dance in an effort to ruin the fair.<ref name="Foran65" />

Despite the conflicts, the native communities around Calgary have been enthusiastic supporters of the Stampede and the Indian Village.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=67}}</ref> The tipi owners have been long-term participants&nbsp;– many are third or fourth generation&nbsp;– and the Stampede has helped preserve and display First Nations cultures to the public.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=68}}</ref> The village again relocated in 2016, doubled in size and featured a new exhibit displaying the partnership between the city, local First Nations and the Stampede.<ref>{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampedes-indian-village-moving-to-new-location-next-year |title=New, larger site awaits Indian Village |work=Calgary Herald |date=2015-07-06 |access-date=2015-07-08 |archive-date=2015-07-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707220702/http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampedes-indian-village-moving-to-new-location-next-year |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the 2018 Stampede, it was announced that the name of the area would be changed to reflect "reconciliation and increased understanding of Indigenous peoples as modern and strong and resilient"; after a voting process among the camps, it was announced on the final day of the Stampede that the Indian Village would be renamed "Elbow River Camp".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/4327622/name-change-calgary-stampede-indian-village/|title=Name change coming for Calgary Stampede's Indian Village|last=de Castillo|first=Carolyn Kury|publisher=[[Global News]]|date=July 12, 2018|access-date=July 12, 2018|archive-date=July 13, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180713052431/https://globalnews.ca/news/4327622/name-change-calgary-stampede-indian-village/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news|last=Junker|first=Anna|date=July 15, 2018|title=Indian Village no more: Stampede mainstay now dubbed Elbow River Camp|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/indian-village-no-more-stampede-mainstay-now-dubbed-elbow-river-camp|work=Calgary Herald|location=Calgary, Alberta, Canada|access-date=July 15, 2018|archive-date=July 15, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715210510/https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/indian-village-no-more-stampede-mainstay-now-dubbed-elbow-river-camp|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Employment and volunteerism===
[[File:Calgarystampede.jpg|thumb|right|The Stampede Showband performs on stage|alt=Approximately 50 people in red, black and white uniforms stand on a stage as a team of riders on horseback carry Canadian Flags in the background.]]
Operation of the park throughout the year requires 300 full-time and 1,400 part-time employees. An additional 3,500 seasonal workers are hired for the Stampede itself.<ref name="Dixon127" /> The seasonal positions are often filled by Calgary's youth, and for many, represents their first paying jobs.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=128}}</ref>
The organization is maintained by a legion of volunteers, however.<ref>{{harvnb|Gray|1985|p=184}}</ref> Over 2,000 volunteers sit on 50 committees responsible for all aspects of the Stampede's operation.<ref>{{citation |title=2009 Annual Report to the Community |publisher=Calgary Stampede |page=11}}</ref>  Chief among them are the board of directors. The board is made up of 25 individuals; 20 elected from amongst the shareholders, three representing the city, one the province and the most recent president of the Stampede board.<ref>{{citation |last=Gray |first=Mitchell |title=A few minutes with the boss |work=Calgary Herald |date=2002-07-04 |page=SE9}}</ref> Nearly half of all volunteers have served for more than 10 years, and some as long as 60.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=123}}</ref>

===Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede===
When the Calgary Stampede brought in [[The Rockettes]] from New York City in 1964 as part of the grandstand show, they auditioned young local dancers to participate as the "Calgary Kidettes". The group was meant to be a one-time addition to the show, but proved popular with spectators,<ref name="Dixon116">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=116}}</ref> and returned for three subsequent years.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f2NkAAAAIBAJ&pg=828,3156127 |title=More top talent signed for big grandstand show |work=Calgary Herald |date=1966-05-10 |access-date=2011-04-17 |page=45 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231220/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=f2NkAAAAIBAJ&pg=828%2C3156127 |url-status=live }}</ref> By 1968, the Kidettes were renamed the Young Canadians of the Calgary Stampede and remained part of the nightly grandstand show, growing into a headline act by the 1970s.<ref name="Dixon116" /> The group was modeled on the American group [[Up with People]] but with a style reflecting the pioneer culture of Alberta and Western Canada. The Young Canadians made television and live appearances throughout North America and attracted large crowds every year at the Calgary Stampede.<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=725kAAAAIBAJ&pg=3669,451041 |title=Young Canadians taking tunes to many exhibitions |work=Calgary Herald |date=1973-07-03 |access-date=2011-04-17 |page=16A |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231100/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=725kAAAAIBAJ&pg=3669%2C451041 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1982, the [[Stampede Foundation]] set up the Young Canadians School of Performing Arts to offer professional training to singers and dancers between the ages of 7 and 19, paid for by scholarships from the Stampede organization.<ref>{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=117}}</ref> Two of the founders of the Young Canadians were director Randy Avery and choreographer Margot McDermott who remained with the group throughout the 1970s and 80s.

==== Sexual abuse class action lawsuit and settlement ====
In 2017, a [[Class action|class action lawsuit]] with over 70 class members was launched alleging that the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede Limited and the Calgary Stampede Foundation were negligent over their failure to alert police despite being aware of sexual abuse in The Young Canadians. In 2018, a staffer with The Young Canadians was criminally convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually exploiting six members of the group between 1992 and 2014. In June 2023, the defendants reached a settlement in which they accepted liability and would pay all damages resulting from their negligence, with [[punitive damages]] to be determined later.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Villani |first=Mark |date=July 26, 2023 |title='We are deeply sorry': Calgary Stampede admits liability in decades-long sex assaults involving Young Canadians performers |work=[[CTV News]] |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/we-are-deeply-sorry-calgary-stampede-admits-liability-in-decades-long-sex-assaults-involving-young-canadians-performers-1.6495227 |access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref> In June 2024, the $9.5 million dollar settlement was approved by the [[Court of King's Bench of Alberta]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 28, 2024 |title=Calgary judge approves $9.5M settlement in Young Canadians abuse lawsuit |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-class-action-lawsuit-settlement-1.7250505 |access-date=July 4, 2024 |work=[[CBC News]] }}</ref>

===The Stampede Showband===
The Stampede Showband was created in 1971 to serve as the organization's musical ambassadors. The troupe features over 150 members between the ages of 16 and 21, and has been named the world champion of marching show bands seven times, lastly being in July, 2023.<ref name="Dixon119">{{harvnb|Dixon|Read|2005|p=119}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About The Showband |url=http://www.stampedeshowband.com/showband/about.html |website=Calgary Stampede Showband |publisher=www.stampedeshowband.com |access-date=August 13, 2019 |archive-date=August 1, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801221529/http://www.stampedeshowband.com/showband/about.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Micheal |date=July 24, 2023 |title=Calgary Stampede Showband claims 7th world championship title |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/calgary-stampede-showband-world-championship-title}}</ref> The group has performed all over the world, in front of royalty and world leaders,<ref name="Dixon119" /> and at the opening ceremonies of the [[1988 Winter Olympics]].<ref>{{citation |last=Janofsky |first=Michael |url=https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB071FFC3F5A0C778DDDAB0894D0484D81 |title=An emotional opening in Calgary; Games begin on high note |work=The New York Times |date=1988-02-14 |access-date=2011-04-17}}</ref> In 2019, the Showband performed the national anthem at the [[107th Grey Cup]] accompanied by Young Canadians singer, Lindsey Kelly. The Showband performs year round, and make over 100 appearances during the Stampede alone.<ref name="Dixon119" /> They performed in the [[Tournament of Roses Parade]] in [[Pasadena, California]] for the third time in 2012 as part of the Stampede's 100th anniversary celebrations.<ref>{{citation |title=Calgary Stampede Showband in Rose Bowl Parade |work=Calgary Herald |date=2012-01-03}}</ref> The Showband also performed "[[O Canada]]" every night during the chuckwagon races with the member of the Young Canadians singing the anthem in English and French. The Stampede Showriders were created in 1985 as a precision [[equestrian drill team]] and colour guard that accompanies the Showband.<ref name="Dixon119" />

===Calgary Stampede Talent Search===
The Calgary Stampede Talent Search was created in 1981<ref>{{cite web |title=Talent Search History |url=https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/history |website=calgarystampede.com |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202742/https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/history |url-status=live }}</ref> as an annual competition for amateur artists (aged 13 to 21). Junior performers (aged 6 to 12) are showcased every evening as well. The competition takes place during the stampede and is intended to discover and develop talented young southern Albertans.<ref>{{cite web |title=Calgary Stampede Talent Search |url=https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/overview |website=calgarystampede.com |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008202742/https://talentsearch.calgarystampede.com/overview |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Animal welfare==
[[File:Stampede Protest.png|thumb|right|Anti-rodeo protesters picket outside an entrance to the Stampede grounds|alt=A small group of people holding signs that feature captions like "Animals suffer at the Calgary Stampede" and "Animal cruelty is not entertainment"]]
The Stampede has attempted to balance rodeo tradition against the concerns of [[animal welfare]] groups who argue that the sport is inhumane.<ref name="MacLeansSteer">{{cite news |last=Cosh |first=Colby |url=http://www.macleans.ca/2010/07/08/easy-does-it-cowboy/ |title=Easy does it, Cowboy |work=Maclean's Magazine |date=2010-07-08 |access-date=2011-08-14 |archive-date=2011-01-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110120153015/http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/07/08/easy-does-it-cowboy/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Gerson |first=Jen |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=af58ed27-dae1-44d5-be1e-b7560df5878e |title=Lonely but steadfast anti-rodeo activists say support growing |work=Calgary Herald |date=2010-07-04 |access-date=2011-04-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905142148/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=af58ed27-dae1-44d5-be1e-b7560df5878e |archive-date=2012-09-05 }}</ref> Officials defend the sport, calling the animals the "stars of the show" and stating that the Stampede is "passionate about the proper treatment of animals".<ref name="RodeoBan">{{citation |last=Tetley |first=Deborah |url=http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=1738deb8-9e62-4095-bb73-ad2548506f1e&k=43157 |title=Rodeo ban renews Stampede criticism |work=Calgary Herald |date=2007-05-24 |access-date=2011-04-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110112916/http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/story.html?id=1738deb8-9e62-4095-bb73-ad2548506f1e&k=43157 |archive-date=2012-11-10 }}</ref> The Calgary Humane Society has found itself at odds with other organizations by choosing to work with the Stampede to ensure that stress on the animals is kept to a minimum.<ref name="DividedHumane">{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/anti-rodeo-ad-divides-humane-societies-1.777244 |title=Anti-rodeo ad divides humane societies |work=CBC News|date=2009-06-29 |access-date=2011-04-16}}</ref> It is one of two such groups, in addition to veterinarians, who are on hand to monitor the rodeo.<ref name="RodeoBan" />

[[Chuckwagon racing]] is a particular source of controversy. The [[World Professional Chuckwagon Association]] has called the Stampede's Rangeland derby "a half-mile of hell", and 65 horses had been killed in the event from 1986 to 2015.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-07-13 |title=Calgary Stampede: Why horses die on the 'half-mile of hell' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33511970 |access-date=2024-07-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> Animal rights groups protest the event, arguing that the sport causes undue suffering for the horses.<ref>{{citation |last=Fong |first=Petti |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/837719--stampede-shuts-down-but-animal-rights-debate-lingers |title=Stampede shuts down but animal rights debate lingers |work=Toronto Star |date=2010-07-19 |access-date=2011-01-09 |archive-date=2010-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723160930/http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/837719--stampede-shuts-down-but-animal-rights-debate-lingers |url-status=live }}</ref> Racers admit the sport is dangerous, but defend their sport amidst the controversy, arguing that the animals are well cared for, and that allowing them to race saves many horses from prematurely going to slaughter.<ref>{{citation |last=Spencer |first=Donna |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/article/837399 |title=Horse deaths have many questioning Stampede chuckwagon races |date=2010-07-19 |access-date=2011-01-09 |work=Toronto Star |archive-date=2011-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722152704/http://www.thestar.com/sports/article/837399 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Bull-Riding-Szmurlo.jpg|thumb|A bull rider in action; supporters of the rodeo argue the livestock is well cared for|alt=A man attempts to hang onto a rope tied around a bucking bull, while a rodeo clown and several cowboys look on.]]
Following a particularly deadly series of accidents in 1986 where nine horses were killed in chuckwagon racing incidents alone&nbsp;– including five horses in one spectacular crash&nbsp;– humane society officials, fans and even some drivers called for major changes to the races, while others called for the sport to be banned entirely.<ref>{{citation |last=Cunningham |first=Jim |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=89lkAAAAIBAJ&pg=6278%2C2016115 |title=Tragic chuckwagon races bring call for tougher rules |work=Calgary Herald |date=1986-07-15 |access-date=2011-04-23 |pages=A1–A2 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231057/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=89lkAAAAIBAJ&pg=6278%2C2016115 |url-status=live }}</ref> Numerous rule changes were announced prior to the 1987 event. The Calgary chapter of the [[Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals]] accepted the changes, stating it would not call for the sport to be banned given that Stampede officials had moved to improve animal safety,<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rooxAAAAIBAJ&pg=860,3110392 |title=Rules toughened at chuckwagon races |work=Montreal Gazette |date=1986-11-06 |access-date=2011-04-23 |page=B6 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231057/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rooxAAAAIBAJ&pg=860%2C3110392 |url-status=live }}</ref> further changes were announced in 2011.<ref>{{citation |last=Fisher |first=Scott |title=Stampede tightens race rules |work=Calgary Sun |date=2011-02-15 |page=10}}</ref>

Tie down roping is a particular focus of efforts to eliminate the event.<ref name="TieDownRopingProtest">{{citation|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/07/calf-roping-at-the-calgary-stampede-should-it-be-banned.html |title=Calf roping at the Calgary Stampede: Should it be banned? |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2010-07-08 |access-date=2011-04-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110119071204/http://www.cbc.ca/news/pointofview/2010/07/calf-roping-at-the-calgary-stampede-should-it-be-banned.html |archive-date=January 19, 2011 }}</ref> The Stampede altered its policies in 2010 to enforce the rules of the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.<ref name="2011RuleChanges">{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/chuckwagons-rodeo-getting-new-rules-stampede-1.1041817 |title=Chuckwagons, rodeo getting new rules: Stampede |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2011-02-23 |access-date=2011-08-14 |archive-date=2012-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110053544/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/story/2011/02/23/calgary-stampede-chuckwagon-rules-changes.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Additionally, the Stampede was the first rodeo to introduce a no-time penalty for competitors who make a dangerous tackle in the steer wrestling event.<ref name="MacLeansSteer" /> Several more changes were made in 2011, the rule changes were announced after six animals died at the 2010 Stampede and were met with mixed reactions from both cowboys and animal welfare groups.<ref>{{citation |last=Storry |first=Lea |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=00227e33-899b-4ce8-8245-9eb5bccf27c3 |title=Safety rules beefed up for Calgary Stampede events |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-02-24 |access-date=2011-04-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120905143024/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=00227e33-899b-4ce8-8245-9eb5bccf27c3 |archive-date=2012-09-05 }}</ref>

Such changes have not eliminated all risks; periodic accidents have continued to result in the deaths of horses and livestock.<ref name="CBCAccidents">{{citation|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/calgary_stampede/ |title=Deadly accidents at the Calgary Stampede |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2005-07-04 |access-date=2011-04-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101031053747/http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/calgary_stampede/ |archive-date=October 31, 2010 }}</ref> One of the deadliest incidents in Stampede history occurred in 2005 when, late in a trail ride meant to help celebrate the province's centennial, a group of about 200 horses became spooked and in the melee nine horses were killed after they were pushed off a city bridge into the [[Bow River]].<ref name="2005TRDeaths">{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/9-horses-die-during-calgary-stampede-drive-1.543012 |title=9 horses die during Calgary Stampede drive |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2005-07-04 |access-date=2011-04-23 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109185031/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2005/07/04/stampede-050704.html |url-status=live }}</ref> While similar trail rides had been completed without incident in the past,<ref name="2005TRDeaths" /> Stampede officials announced they would not attempt any further rides unless they could ensure the safety of the horses.<ref>{{citation |last=D'Aliesio |first=Renata |title=Stampede will not rule out city rides |work=Calgary Herald |date=2005-12-17 |page=B1}}</ref>

Animal welfare groups have called animal deaths "depressingly predictable" and seek a boycott of the rodeo.<ref>{{cite news|last=Montgomery |first=Shannon |url=http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1141121 |title=Calgary Stampede head says horse deaths, midway accident not 'catastrophic' |publisher=Brunswick News, Inc. |date=2010-07-19 |access-date=2011-08-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111150055/http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1141121 |archive-date=January 11, 2012 }}</ref> In the United Kingdom travel agencies have been asked to stop offering tourism packages to the Stampede, and in 2010, 92 members of the UK Parliament signed an [[Early Day Motion]] asking their Canadian counterparts to ban rodeo.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-rodeo-condemned-by-u-k-mps-activists-1.937882 |title=Calgary rodeo condemned by U.K. MPs, activists |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2010-07-08 |access-date=2011-04-18 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109184948/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/08/calgary-stampede-rodeo-uk-mps-motion.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/252 |title=Early Day motion 252&nbsp;– Rodeo events and animal welfare |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |access-date=2011-11-01 |archive-date=2011-11-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111122040027/http://www.parliament.uk/edm/2010-12/252 |url-status=live }}</ref> Several groups petitioned the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to cancel their planned attendance in 2011.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/06/10/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-urged-to-avoid-cruel-rodeo-on-canada-visit-by-animal-rights-group-115875-23192884/ |title=Prince William and Kate Middleton urged to avoid 'cruel' rodeo on Canada visit by animal rights group |work=Daily Mirror |date=2011-06-10 |access-date=2011-06-25 |archive-date=2011-06-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613100553/http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/06/10/prince-william-and-kate-middleton-urged-to-avoid-cruel-rodeo-on-canada-visit-by-animal-rights-group-115875-23192884/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{citation |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/europe/the-royal-wedding/politics-and-protocol/peta-urges-william-and-kate-to-skip-planned-visit-to-stampede/article2082220/?from=sec431 |title=PETA urges William and Kate to skip planned visit to Stampede |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2011-06-30 |access-date=2011-07-02 |archive-date=2012-01-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120112093545/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/europe/the-royal-wedding/politics-and-protocol/peta-urges-william-and-kate-to-skip-planned-visit-to-stampede/article2082220/?from=sec431 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, the couple attended and participated in a private demonstration of rodeo and chuckwagon events.<ref>{{citation |last=McMurray |first=Jenna |title=Stampede welcomes royalty as Will and Kate don their duds |work=Calgary Sun |date=2011-07-08 |page=3}}</ref>

=== Casualties ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Details
!Reference
|-
|2024
|3 horses, Chuckwagon race ; 1 steer, steer wrestling
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-14 |title=Another horse euthanized after suffering fracture during chuckwagon races at Calgary Stampede |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/another-horse-euthanized-after-suffering-fracture-during-chuckwagon-races-at-calgary-stampede-1.6963579 |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Calgary |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|2023
|1 horse, Chuckwagon race
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Horse euthanized following injury during Calgary Stampede chuckwagon race {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9834658/9834658-horse-dead-stampede-chuckwagon/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|2022
|1 horse, Chuckwagon race
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chuckwagon horse euthanized after Calgary Stampede race {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8992377/chuckwagon-horse-euthanized-calgary-stampede-race-2022/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|2019
|6 horses, Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race
|<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=David |date=July 15, 2019 |title=2019 Calgary Stampede ties as 2nd deadliest year for chuckwagon horses |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-stampede-animal-horse-deaths-total-1.5212439 }}</ref><ref name=":7">{{Cite news |last=Hudes |first=Sammy |date=July 15, 2019 |title=Stampede promises 'thorough review' of chuckwagon safety after deaths of six horses |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/chuckwagon-rig-goes-down-on-last-night-at-the-races}}</ref>
|-
|2018
|1 horse
|<ref name=":7" />
|-
|2017
|1 horse
|<ref name=":7" />
|-
|2016
|no casualties
|<ref name=":7" />
|-
|2015
|4 horses
|<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=2015-07-13 |title=Calgary Stampede: Why horses die on the 'half-mile of hell' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33511970 |access-date=2024-07-15 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
|2014
|1 horse Chuckwagon race; 1 steer, steer wrestling
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-07-10 |title=Calgary Stampede chuckwagon horse's death reignites debate over animal cruelty |url=http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/calgary-stampede-chuckwagon-horse-death-reignites-debate-over-001514081.html |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Yahoo News |language=en-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Highlights from the 2014 Calgary Stampede - Calgary {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/1449054/highlights-from-the-2014-calgary-stampede/ |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=Global News |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
|2010
|6 horses, Rangeland Derby chuckwagon race
|<ref name=":7" />
|}

== Broadcasting ==
Live coverage of the rodeo and Rangeland Derby competitions were broadcast by the [[CBC Sports]] website and [[Sportsnet One]]. [[CBC Television]] carried daily, late-night highlight shows, and coverage on the weekend.<ref name="Broadcast2019">{{cite web |title=CBC Calgary Stampede Broadcasts |url=https://www.calgarystampede.com/stampede/broadcast |work=Calgary Stampede |access-date=2019-07-05 |archive-date=2018-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180716053043/https://www.calgarystampede.com/stampede/broadcast |url-status=live }}</ref> Supplemental coverage was, until 2013, seen on CBC's former sister cable network [[Cottage Life (TV channel)|Bold]].<ref name="5-year">{{cite web |url=http://cs.calgarystampede.com/stampede-social/broadcast.html |title=Broadcast schedule |publisher=Calgary Stampede |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130707005611/http://cs.calgarystampede.com/stampede-social/broadcast.html|archive-date=2013-07-07 |access-date=2012-06-06}}</ref> In 2019, U.S. sports channel [[CBS Sports Network]] aired nightly half-hour recaps covering the Stampede's rodeo (under the ''[[Professional Bull Riders|PBR]] Summer of Rodeo'' banner), while [[CBS]] broadcast a one-hour highlight show of the championship on July 21.<ref>{{cite web |title=PBR launches "Summer of Rodeo Series," available on CBS Sports |url=https://www.pbr.com/article/389441/pbr-launches-summer-rodeo-series-available-cbs-sports |website=Professional Bull Riders |access-date=July 13, 2019 |archive-date=July 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190712041333/https://www.pbr.com/article/389441/pbr-launches-summer-rodeo-series-available-cbs-sports |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2021, rodeo coverage moved to Sportsnet in Canada and [[The Cowboy Channel]] in the United States.

==Community==
The festival spirit during Stampede extends throughout the city. Parade day serves as an unofficial holiday as many companies give employees half or full days off to attend.<ref>{{harvnb|Reasons|1984|p=103}}</ref> People of all walks of life, from executives to students, discard formal attire for casual western dress, typically represented by [[Wrangler (jeans)|Wrangler jeans]] and [[cowboy hat]]s.<ref>{{citation |last=Williamson |first=Kerry |title=Hats, boots, jeans&nbsp;– now you're ready! |work=Calgary Herald |date=2002-07-04 |page=SE10}}</ref> Many Calgarians have reduced productivity during the event because they take a relaxed attitude towards their usual workplace and personal responsibilities.<ref>{{harvnb|Reasons|1984|p=104}}</ref> However, the community and corporate events held during the Stampede create [[social network]]ing opportunities and help newcomers acclimatize to the city.<ref name="GMFocus100">{{citation |last=Laird |first=Gordon |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/what-the-100-year-old-calgary-stampede-means-to-canada/article4382104/ |title=What the 100-year-old Calgary Stampede means to Canada |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2012-06-30 |access-date=2012-07-02 |page=F1 |archive-date=2012-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701181155/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/what-the-100-year-old-calgary-stampede-means-to-canada/article4382104/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Stampede is an important stop for political leaders as part of their annual summer tours of the country, sometimes called the [[barbecue circuit]].<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/7-things-politicians-said-between-pancakes-at-the-stampede-1.1296022 |title=7 things politicians said between pancakes at the Stampede |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2012-07-12 |access-date=2012-07-25 |archive-date=2012-07-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723160742/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/07/12/pol-list-politicians-stampede-oilsands.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Pancake breakfasts===
[[File:Chinook Stampede Breakfast.png|thumb|right|250px|The Chinook Centre pancake breakfast serves more than 60,000 people each year.|alt=Several thousand people stand in lineups while volunteers serve food. A large shopping mall stands in the background.]]
The pancake breakfast is a local institution during Stampede.<ref name="SwervePancake">{{citation |last=Brooker |first=Kevin |title=Man vs. Pancake: How the breakfast was won&nbsp;... right here |work=Swerve Magazine |publisher=Postmedia Network |date=July 2011 |pages=37–41}}</ref> Dozens are held throughout the city each day, hosted by community groups, corporations, churches, politicians and the Stampede itself.<ref name="SwervePancake" /> The tradition of pancake breakfasts dates back to the 1923 Stampede when a chuckwagon driver by the name of Jack Morton invited passing citizens to join him for his morning meals.<ref name="ChinookPancake">{{citation |last=Fortney |first=Valerie |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=3e3f954c-1270-48a7-8b2f-b0f8d4913351&p=1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130118160624/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=3e3f954c-1270-48a7-8b2f-b0f8d4913351&p=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-18 |title=Chinook Centre hosts 50 years of breakfast fun |work=Calgary Herald |date=2010-07-08 |access-date=2010-07-10 }}</ref>

The largest is the breakfast hosted at the [[Chinook Centre]] shopping mall. Four hundred volunteers are required to feed over 60,000 people who attend the one-day event that had its 50th anniversary in 2010.<ref name="ChinookPancake" /> Other groups, such as the Calgary Stampede Caravan, feed as many as 120,000 people over ten days.<ref>{{citation |last=Dormer |first=Dave |url=http://test.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede/2010/07/09/14659826.html |title=120,000 expected at Stampede breakfasts |work=Calgary Sun |date=2010-07-09 |access-date=2011-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509072039/http://test.calgarysun.com/news/Stampede/2010/07/09/14659826.html |archive-date=2012-05-09 }}</ref> The rising popularity of the [[barbecue grill]] in the 1960s and the city's population boom at the time brought with it the growth of community and company barbecues throughout the city during Stampede.<ref name="Gray137" /> Community booster groups have exported the tradition across the country as a symbol of Calgary's hospitality. Among them are the Calgary [[Grey Cup]] Committee, whose volunteers have hosted pancake breakfasts on the day of the [[Canadian Football League]] championship game for over three decades, sometimes in spite of poor weather conditions for the annual November contest.<ref>{{citation |last=Bielski |first=Zosia |url=http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=769f6b8d-2ed6-4b17-a67f-f33ef3df54c4 |title=The breakfast must go on |work=National Post |date=2007-11-23 |access-date=2011-07-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324105046/http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/story.html?id=769f6b8d-2ed6-4b17-a67f-f33ef3df54c4 |archive-date=2016-03-24 }}</ref>

===Stampede parties===
The size and number of parties each year during Stampede is viewed as an indicator of Calgary's economic strength.<ref name="CHParties">{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |title=Economy spurs higher interest in Stampede corporate parties |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-08 |page=B3}}</ref> Corporations and community groups hold lavish events throughout the city for their staff and clients,<ref name="CHParties" /> while bars and pubs erect party tents, the largest of which draws up to 20,000 people per day.<ref>{{citation |url=https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/party-tents-popping-up-1.666287 |title=Party tents popping up |publisher=CTV News |date=2011-07-05 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304033301/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/party-tents-popping-up-1.666287 |url-status=live }}</ref> Paul Vickers, who owns several establishments in the city, estimates that he makes up to 20 percent of his annual revenue during the ten days of Stampede alone.<ref>{{citation |last=Pitts |first=Gordon |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/energized-by-oils-resurgence-calgary-gets-ready-to-cash-in/article2087977/ |title=Energized by oil's resurgence, Calgary gets ready to cash in |work=The Globe and Mail |date=2011-07-06 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-date=2011-07-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711002106/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/energized-by-oils-resurgence-calgary-gets-ready-to-cash-in/article2087977/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some parties have become known for heavy drinking and relaxed morals,<ref name="CBCBuckles">{{citation|last=Rutherford |first=Kristina |url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/calgarystampede/blog/2010/07/buckle-bunnies-whiskey-and-stampede-rumours.html |title=Buckle bunnies, whiskey and Stampede rumours |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2010-07-18 |access-date=2014-03-02 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109224534/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/calgarystampede/blog/2010/07/buckle-bunnies-whiskey-and-stampede-rumours.html |archive-date=November 9, 2012 }}</ref> so much so that one hotel's satirical ad promising to safely store a patron's wedding ring during Stampede was widely viewed as a legitimate offer.<ref name="WFPDebauchery">{{citation |last1=Graveland |first1=Bill |last2=Montgomery |first2=Shannon |url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/calgary-stampede-debauchery-divorce-disease-50532497.html?path=/canada&id=50532497 |title=Calgary Stampede: Debauchery&nbsp;... divorce, disease |work=Winnipeg Free Press |date=2008-07-11 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-date=2012-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120324020914/http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/calgary-stampede-debauchery-divorce-disease-50532497.html?path=%2Fcanada&id=50532497 |url-status=live }}</ref> The parties are not without consequences, as lawyers have noted a significant increase in divorce filings in the weeks following the Stampede, primarily on claims of infidelity.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/07/03/Divorce-rate-rises-after-Calgary-Stampede/UPI-26711246645077/ |title=Divorce rate rises after Calgary Stampede |publisher=United Press International |date=2009-07-03 |access-date=2011-07-12 |archive-date=2011-02-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110221100733/http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/07/03/Divorce-rate-rises-after-Calgary-Stampede/UPI-26711246645077/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Clinics see an increase in people seeking testing and treatment for [[sexually transmitted disease]]s,<ref name="WFPDebauchery" /> and Calgary is said to experience an annual baby boom each April&nbsp;– nine months after the event.<ref name="CBCBuckles" />

==Relationship with the city==
[[File:Stampede Midway 2011.png|thumb|The midway with downtown and the [[Calgary Tower]] in the background|alt=Crowds of people wander around booths selling carnival food. A merry-go-round is in the foreground to the left, and several skyscrapers stand in the background.]]
The Stampede has become inexorably linked to the city's identity. Calgary has long been called the "Stampede City",<ref>{{citation |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RC9kAAAAIBAJ&pg=7044,730836 |title=Calgary now is recognized as 'Stampede city' |work=Calgary Herald |date=1953-07-04 |access-date=2011-04-16 |page=19 |archive-date=2021-10-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020231100/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=RC9kAAAAIBAJ&pg=7044%2C730836 |url-status=live }}</ref> and carries the informal nickname of "Cowtown".<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=166}}</ref> The event's iconic status offers Calgary global publicity and plays a significant role in defining the city's image.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=148}}</ref> Calgary's [[Canadian Football League]] team has been called the [[Calgary Stampeders|Stampeders]] since 1945, and it is a name shared by other teams in various sports throughout the city's history, including the [[Calgary Stampeders (ice hockey)|Stampeders hockey team]] that operated in the years following World War II.<ref name="Gray142" />

The Stampede has strong polling support within the province. A 2006 [[Ipsos-Reid]] poll found that 86 percent of Albertans felt that it raised the civic quality of life and considered it one of the region's most important cultural events. Nearly three in four stated they look forward to the annual event.<ref>{{citation |url=http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=3121 |title=Calgary Stampede Still The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth For Albertans |publisher=Ipsos-Reid |date=2006-06-23 |access-date=2011-06-04 |archive-date=2011-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911065349/http://www.ipsos-na.com/news-polls/pressrelease.aspx?id=3121 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, critics argue that it is not a reflection of Alberta's frontier history, but represents a mythical impression of western cowboy culture created by 19th-century wild west shows.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=22}}</ref>

Part of the event's success can be attributed to the close relationship the Stampede has often shared with both the civic government and community leaders. Mayors of Calgary and city aldermen have sat on the Stampede Board of Governors at the same time they occupied public office, and the Stampede's ability to convince wealthy and influential citizens to volunteer their time has allowed the organization to gain a high-profile within the city.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=151}}</ref> The Stampede operates on city-owned land, pays no property tax on its lease, and typically faces little to no political interference from City Hall.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=150}}</ref> It operates as a non-profit entity with all income reinvested into the park. All improvements to the park would revert to city control if the lease were allowed to expire.<ref name="Reasons109">{{harvnb|Reasons|1984|p=109}}</ref>

Likewise, the Stampede has support from the media,<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=153}}</ref> which has been accused of providing an inordinate amount of positive coverage to the event while trivializing negative aspects.<ref>{{harvnb|Reasons|1984|p=97}}</ref> The local media faced national scrutiny in 2009 when both major newspapers refused to run anti-rodeo ads sponsored by the Vancouver Humane Society.<ref name="DividedHumane" /> While the ''[[Calgary Herald]]'' simply refused to run the ad, the ''[[Calgary Sun]]'' defended its position in an editorial. The ''Sun'' refuted charges it was kowtowing to the Stampede and justified its refusal by claiming "we are Calgarians and allowing a group of outsiders to come in and insult a proud Calgary tradition seemed just plain wrong."<ref>{{citation |last=Norrie |first=Gordon |url=http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/editorial/2009/06/30/9977571-sun.html |title=No sacred cows in our line of work |work=Calgary Sun |date=2009-06-30 |access-date=2011-04-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601171604/http://www.calgarysun.com/comment/editorial/2009/06/30/9977571-sun.html |archive-date=2012-06-01 }}</ref> The ''Herald'' reversed its decision a year later, running a full-page ad sponsored by the Vancouver Humane Society.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/anti-rodeo-ad-runs-in-calgary-paper-1.937884 |title=Anti-rodeo ad runs in Calgary paper |publisher=[[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2010-07-05 |access-date=2011-04-16 |archive-date=2012-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109185052/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2010/07/05/calgary-calf-roping-ad-herald-humane-society-vancouver.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Economic impact and tourism===
[[File:Sale Pelletier ice show.png|thumb|right|[[Jamie Salé]] and [[David Pelletier]] perform at the 2011 ice show in the [[Stampede Corral]]|alt=A male and female figure skater spin around each other on the ice while a band plays in the background.]]
While 70 percent of Stampede attendees are from the Calgary region,<ref>{{citation |last=Guttormson |first=Kim |title=Fuel price hikes hurt prospects for Calgary tourism rebound |work=Edmonton Journal |date=2011-05-12}}</ref> officials work to promote the event across the globe.<ref>{{citation |last=Varcoe |first=Chris |url=http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=5fa24d00-8981-4c0e-ba4a-572bcc835ace&p=2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130119032304/http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=5fa24d00-8981-4c0e-ba4a-572bcc835ace&p=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-19 |title=Calgary looks for niche to tempt tourists from China |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-05-26 |access-date=2011-06-04 }}</ref> As such, the Calgary Stampede is known around the world.<ref>{{citation |last1=Hough |first1=Andrew |last2=Rayner |first2=Gordon |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8546311/Royal-tour-Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridges-14000-mile-first-official-trip.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601232555/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/theroyalfamily/8546311/Royal-tour-Duke-and-Duchess-of-Cambridges-14000-mile-first-official-trip.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-06-01 |title=Royal tour: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's 14,000-mile first official trip |work=The Telegraph |date=2011-05-30 |access-date=2011-06-04}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Al |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-05/22/c_13887973.htm |title=Canadian rodeo a rural experience for urban dwellers |agency=Xinhua News Agency |date=2011-05-22 |access-date=2011-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107212210/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-05/22/c_13887973.htm |archive-date=2012-11-07 }}</ref> The Stampede draws foreign visitors primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and is experiencing growing attendance by tourists from Asia and South America.<ref>{{citation |last=Gandia |first=Renato |url=http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/07/11/stampede-gets-foreign-tourism-boost |title=Stampede gets foreign tourism boost |work=Calgary Sun |date=2011-07-11 |access-date=2011-07-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120601172242/http://www.calgarysun.com/2011/07/11/stampede-gets-foreign-tourism-boost |archive-date=2012-06-01 }}</ref>

A 2019 Conference Board of Canada Report found the annual economic impact of the Calgary Stampede's year-round activities generated $540.8 million across the province of Alberta. The 10-day event accounted for $282.5 million of that amount. In Calgary alone, the year-round activities of the Stampede accounted for $449.8 million. Of that, 227.4 million was generated by the 10-day Stampede.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Economic impact of Calgary Stampede expected to surge amid BMO Centre expansion|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/6242709/calgary-economy-stampede-bmo-centre-expansion/|access-date=2020-12-08|website=Global News|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-11-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119081740/https://globalnews.ca/news/6242709/calgary-economy-stampede-bmo-centre-expansion/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Stampede officials estimated in 2009 that the city of Calgary had a gross economic impact of $172.4 million from the ten-day event alone, with a wider provincial total of $226.7 million.<ref name="CSTourism">{{citation |url=http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/stampede/archive/2009/07/04/stampede-an-event-of-numbers.aspx |title=Stampede an event of numbers |work=Calgary Herald |date=2009-07-04 |access-date=2011-06-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711150854/http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/stampede/archive/2009/07/04/stampede-an-event-of-numbers.aspx |archive-date=2011-07-11 }}</ref> In terms of economic impact, the Stampede is the highest grossing festival in Canada, ahead of Ottawa's [[Winterlude]], the [[Canadian National Exhibition]] in Toronto, and the [[Just for Laughs]] festival in Montreal.<ref>{{citation |last=Backland |first=Jason |url=http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=24740236 |title=Biggest festivals in Canada |publisher=MSN Canada |date=2010-07-04 |access-date=2011-06-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111009153527/http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=24740236 |archive-date=2011-10-09 |url-status=dead }}</ref>  Additionally, Stampede officials estimate that for every dollar spent at Stampede Park, tourists spend $2.65 in the rest of the city.<ref name="CSTourism" /> A poll conducted in 2011 found that 40 percent of Calgarians who intended to attend the Stampede expected to spend $150–$400 over the course of the event, and 7 percent stated that they would spend more than that.<ref>{{citation |last=Toneguzzi |first=Mario |title=Calgarians big Stampede spenders |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-08 |page=D3}}</ref>

===Promoting Calgary===
Civic leaders have consistently noted the Stampede's impact on the city. Mayor [[Andrew Davison]] claimed in 1944 that the event "had done more to advertise Calgary than any single agency", an opinion that has been echoed by his successors.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=152}}</ref> Stampede officials have made similar claims, arguing that the event is one of Canada's most important tourist attractions.<ref>{{harvnb|Foran|2008|p=328}}</ref> The Canadian Tourism Commission placed the event in its Signature Experiences Collection, one of six such events or locations in Alberta.<ref>{{citation |last=Guttormson |first=Kim |title=Calgary Stampede branded in tourism series |work=Calgary Herald |date=2011-07-12 |page=D1}}</ref>

According to [[Ralph Klein]], former mayor of Calgary and premier of Alberta, the Stampede symbolizes the province's spirit. He cited the friendly and welcoming attitude and festival spirit of the city's populace during the event, which community booster groups export around the world.<ref>{{citation |last=Klein |first=Ralph |title=The Stampede adds colour to our towering offices |work=Calgary Herald |date=2005-06-12 |page=A16}}</ref> Among examples cited was the infamous [[36th Grey Cup|1948 Grey Cup]] game in which two trains of Stampeder football fans descended on Toronto and launched an unprecedented series of celebrations before, during and after the game that included riding a horse into the lobby of the [[Fairmont Royal York|Royal York Hotel]].<ref>{{citation|last=Christie |first=Alan |url=http://greycup.cfl.ca/article/the-story-of-the-1948-grey-cup_43629 |title=The story of the 1948 grey Cup |publisher=Canadian Football League |date=2008-10-26 |access-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005064722/http://greycup.cfl.ca/article/the-story-of-the-1948-grey-cup_43629 |archive-date=2011-10-05 }}</ref> The events helped turn the Grey Cup into a national festival and the largest single-day sporting event in the country.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.albertasportshalloffame.com/component/zoo/item/1948-calgary-stampeders-football |title=1948 Calgary Stampeders, football team |publisher=Alberta Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2011-07-23 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929110438/http://www.albertasportshalloffame.com/component/zoo/item/1948-calgary-stampeders-football |archive-date=September 29, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Toth |first=Dan |url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Calgary/2005/05/18/pf-1045006.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120714021258/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Football/CFL/Calgary/2005/05/18/pf-1045006.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=14 July 2012 |title=History for sale |work=Calgary Sun |date=2005-05-18 |access-date=2011-07-23}}</ref>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=23em}}
* [[Calgary White Hat]]
* [[Canadian Finals Rodeo]], Canada's other big rodeo
* [[Canadian Professional Rodeo Association]]
* [[Chuckwagon]]
* [[Festivals in Alberta]]
* [[Festival Western de Saint-Tite]], eastern Canada's largest rodeo
* [[Raymond Stampede]], Canada's oldest rodeo
* [[Reg Kesler]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
;Notes
{{reflist}}

;General
*{{Citation |last1=Dixon |first1=Joan |last2=Read |first2=Tracey |year=2005 |title=Celebrating the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede |publisher=Altitude Publishing Canada Ltd. |location=Canmore, Alberta |isbn=1-55153-939-X}}
*{{Citation |editor-last=Foran |editor-first=Max |year=2008 |url=http://www.aupress.ca/books/120142/ebook/99Z_Foran_2008-Calgary_Stampede.pdf |title=Icon, Brand, Myth:The Calgary Stampede |publisher=Athabasca University Press |location=Athabasca, Alberta |isbn=978-1-897425-05-3}}
*{{Citation |last=Gray |first=James H. |year=1985 |title=A Brand of its Own: The 100 year history of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede |publisher=Western Produce Prairie Books |location=Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |isbn=0-88833-163-0|url=https://cdm22007.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p22007coll8/id/1144379/rec/2 }}
*{{Citation |last=Kennedy |first=Fred |year=1965 |title=Calgary Stampede: the authentic story of the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede, "The greatest outdoor show on earth" 1912–1964 |publisher=West Vancouver Enterprises |location=Vancouver |oclc=465779 |url=https://cdm22007.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p22007coll8/id/947125}}
*{{Citation |last=Livingstone |first=Donna |year=1996 |title=The Cowboy Spirit: Guy Weadick and the Calgary Stampede |publisher=Greystone Books |location=Vancouver |isbn=1-55054-488-8}}
*{{Citation |editor-last=Reasons |editor-first=Charles |year=1984 |title=Stampede City: power and politics in the West |publisher=Between the Lines |location=Toronto |isbn=0-919946-46-1 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/stampedecitypowe0000unse }}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Calgary Stampede}}
* {{Official website|https://www.calgarystampede.com}}
* [http://www.stampedeshowband.com/ Calgary Stampede Showband]
* [https://www.ucalgary.ca/stampede/ Calgary Stampede Archives]
* [http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/celebrations/calgary-stampede-celebrating-canadas-western-heritage/topic---calgary-stampede-celebrating-canadas-western-heritage.html CBC Digital Archives&nbsp;– Calgary Stampede: Celebrating Canada's Western Heritage]

{{coord|51|02|01|N|114|03|14|W|scale:5000_type:landmark_region:CA-AB|display=title|name=Stampede Grounds}}
{{Calgary}}
{{Calgary landmarks|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1912 establishments in Alberta]]
[[Category:Rodeo in Canada]]
[[Category:Equestrian sports competitions in Canada]]
[[Category:Exhibitions in Canada]]
[[Category:Music festivals in Calgary]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1912]]
[[Category:Rodeos]]
[[Category:Sport in Calgary]]
[[Category:Festivals established in 1886]]
[[Category:ProRodeo Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Summer festivals]]
[[Category:Summer in Canada]]
[[Category:Events of National Historic Significance (Canada)]]
[[Category:Culture of Calgary|Stampede]]
[[Category:Events in Calgary|Stampede]]
[[Category:Festivals in Calgary|Stampede]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 1912]]
[[Category:Parades in Canada]]
[[Category:Rodeo venues in Canada]]