Calgary Stampede: The Greatest Outdoor Show On Earth

The Calgary Stampede is an outdoor exhibition and rodeo held every July. For those 10 days, Calgary becomes a cowboy city. Everyone dresses western, people hand out free pancake and bacon breakfasts every morning, and there's a general feeling of festivity.

Having never seen a rodeo (or a horse up close for that matter), Esther and I decided to head down to the rodeo on a Saturday to see what all the fuss was about. We bought tickets online and headed down on the C-Train to Stampede Park!

Although it rained the night before, Stampede Park was packed with people determined to enjoy their day. The park itself is like a very big PNE/Playland/fun fair, with a multitude of food & game stalls. They even have beer gardens for adults to enjoy a nice cool one and soak in the atmosphere.

The rodeo itself was pretty cool, especially for a first timer. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Waiting for the rodeo to begin

The rodeo itself.

Cow milking demonstration haha!