Calgary Stampede in Canadian Texas

Calgary Stampede is an annual cowboy festival which was first held in Calgary, Canada, in 1912. The usual time for the event is the middle of July. This is the period when every Calgary citizen feels a bit like a cowboy. Almost all the people, even office workers who work for large companies and wear costumes all year round, are dressed in western style: those are not only jeans, shirts and jackets (which everybody loves here so much), but also cowboy straps, bandanas and bolo-ties - leather laces with a buckle, cowboy boots with horseshoes and Stetson hats with wide brims.
There are several shops - for instance, "Riley & McCormick", which sell cowboy clothes and various Indian souvenirs. And those are wonderful shops, you just have to see them. Of course, they sell those goods all year round, but Stampede is their big time, especially if to consider the fact that a great amount of tourists come to the city in July to see the celebrations, and, of course, everyone wants to buy the proof that he was a cowboy.
The Stampede Parade is usually held Downtown on Friday and starts at 9 am. Many companies even let their workers leave workplaces for half a day, when the parade takes place. Special stands are also erected for some people (usually old ones), but many visitors come with their own chairs or even rugs. People come here with their families and bring chips and other food with them.
The parade starts with a man walking on stilts, followed by policemen on their bikes. Among the other parade's participants are the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in their beautiful uniform and a "cart" with an inscription "The Greatest Show on Earth" on it. This is how proud of this event the citizens are. Lots of various performances and concerts are held in Stampede park and all round the city, in which artists and orchestras from all over Canada, USA, England, Scotland, Germany and even Australia take part.
Unlike those who only feel like cowboys, real cowboys take part in rodeos, horse-riding events, mustang taming and other competitions to show their skills during the Stampede week. But in contrast to bullfights in Spain, no one is killed here. Competitions take place in a huge Stampede Park whereas a little square downtown turns into Rope Square where various artists, singers, ensembles and orchestras give their performances.
Moreover, in the morning (from 7:30 to 10:00) many cafes offer free Stampede breakfast - usually pancakes with bacon or maple syrup and coffee. For many people who work in the city centre breakfast therefore consists of pancakes. Another popular attraction is a cart, coach or van ride.
Every evening from about 23:15 till midnight you can enjoy Stampede park fireworks, which are really stunning!
All this lasts for the whole week. Enjoy your time!
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