Calgary Stampede a Celebration of Western Culture

Flag bearers start the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary on July 7, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

What’s billed as the biggest outdoor show on earth kicked off on July 7. The Calgary Stampede is a 10-day celebration of Western culture.

The big event on opening day was the Stampede parade. And this year’s Parade Marshall was astronaut Jeremy Hansen, who is slated to be the first Canadian to go to the moon as part of the Artemis II mission, possibly sometime next year. Mr. Hansen rode at the head of the parade, on a horse named Cisco.

“This may be my first @calgarystampede, but not for my trusty ride Cisco,” the astronaut posted on Twitter. He added in another tweet, “Thank you to everyone involved in this event and for your trust as I took on this meaningful role.”

An estimated 300,000 people lined the streets to take in the parade, which is the second largest in North America. People line up for hours to get a good spot.

There are more than 4,000 participants, including more than 200 horses, who did everything from pulling covered wagons to carrying knights in armour. And dozens of floats and vehicles.

The parade’s celebrity judge was Ashley Callingbull, a model and actress from Alberta’s Enoch Cree Nation. Her pick for best float was the Calgary Korean Association.

“The winner is the Calgary Korean Association,” she said in a short video posted to Twitter. “They had amazing performances, it was so colorful, so detailed and they had great crowd interaction—it was such a great job.”

A knight in shining armour rides a steed during the Calgary Stampede parade in Calgary on July 7, 2023. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Organizers say the parade takes months of planning.

There are dozens of events every day for the stampede, from traditional Western events like chuckwagon racing and rodeo to powwows, grandstand performances, midway rides, food, and much more.

One iconic image of the Stampede is politicians flipping pancakes. And this year is a milestone of sorts. It was 100 years ago, in 1923, that along with chuckwagons the Stampede saw its first pancake breakfast.

“In 1923, the racers of the Calgary Stampede’s first chuckwagon races gathered for what would become the first pancake breakfast. Over the next hundred years, thousands of volunteers have made millions of pancakes to honour our heritage and build our community,“ said a short history on the Stampede’s website.

Chuckwagon races are also celebrating 100 years at the Stampede.

“The world’s first Chuckwagon Race was staged here at the Calgary Stampede in 1923. A true throwback to the wild west, the event was inspired by the tradition of cowboys breaking camp and racing home. And while some of the rules have since changed, the rush has never left,” said the Stampede’s website.

It’s a massive event that in 2022 attracted over 1.2 million people. It generates hundreds of millions of dollars in business, and creates some 3,500 seasonal jobs, and around 1,500 full-time jobs.

Volunteers are also a big part of the event. More than 2,500 are needed every year, and they host events across the city.

There is a major focus on agriculture, with events from the world stock dog championships to heavy horse pulls and vintage tractor competitions.

The stampede began more than a century ago. The first agricultural exhibition in Calgary was in 1886, and the Stampede rodeo began in 1912. Since then, it has grown to be a major attraction, bringing in people from across the world.

“The Calgary Stampede celebrates the people, the animals, the land, the traditions and the values that make up the unique spirit of the west,” said the Stampede’s website. “The Calgary Stampede contributes to the quality of life in Calgary and southern Alberta through our world-renowned Stampede, year-round facilities, western events and several youth and agriculture programs.”