CALGARY - Canadian Rockies: Including Banff and Jasper National Parks - page 464

(403/234-9110, www.afrikadey.com ), with performances and workshops by Africaninflu-
enced musicians and artists, and screenings of African-themed films.
MM Calgary Stampede
Every July, the city's perennial rough-and-ready cow town image is thrust to the forefront
when a fever known as Stampede hits town. For 10 days, Calgarians let their hair
down—business leaders don Stetsons, bankers wear boots, half the town walks around in
too-tight denim outfits, and the rate of serious crime drops. Nine months later, maternity
hospitals report a rise in business. For most Calgarians, it is known simply as The Week
(always capitalized). The Stampede is many things to many people but is certainly not for
the cynic. It is a celebration of the city's past—of endless sunny days when life was bron-
cos, bulls, and steers, of cowboys riding through the streets and saloons on every corner.
But it is not just about the past. It's the cow town image Calgarians cherish and the frontier
image that visitors expect. On downtown streets, everyone is your neighbor. Flapjacks and
bacon are served free of charge around the city; normally staid citizens shout “Yahoo!” for
no particular reason; Indians ride up and down the streets on horseback; and there's drink-
ing and dancing until dawn every night.
The epicenter of the action is Stampede Park, immediately south of the city center,
where more than 100,000 people converge each day. The park hosts the world's richest
outdoor rodeo and the just-as-spectacular chuck wagon races, where professional cowboys
from all over the planet compete to share $1.6 million over 10 days. But Stampede Park
offers a lot more than a show of cowboy skills. The gigantic midway takes at least a day to
get around: A staggering number of attractions, displays, and free entertainment cost only
the price of gate admission; and a glittering grandstand show, complete with fireworks,
ends each day's shenanigans.
HISTORY
Early in the 20th century, Guy Weadick, an American cowpoke, got the idea that people
would pay to see traditional cowboy skills combined with vaudeville showmanship. In
1912, with the backing of local businessmen, Weadick put on a show billed as The Last
and Best Great Western Frontier Days, a reference to the fact that many Albertans thought
the local cattle industry was near its end. An estimated 60,000 people lined the streets for
the parade, and 40,000 attended each day of rodeo events. This turnout was amazing, con-
sidering that barely more than 65,000 people lived in Calgary at the time. The highlight of
the event was on the final day, when Tom Three Persons, a little-known Blood Indian rider