The Calgary Stampede is an annual rodeo, exhibition and festival held every July in Calgary, Canada. The ten-day event attracts over one million visitors per year and features a parade, midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon racing and First Nations exhibitions. The first Stampede was held in 1912, organized by American promoter Guy Weadick and supported by four area ranchers as a celebration of their lifestyle. A second Stampede was held in 1919 and it became an annual event in 1923 when it merged with the Calgary Industrial Exhibition. It is one of Canada's largest festivals and has become synonymous with Calgary's identity. It is a significant tourist attraction for the city which takes on a party atmosphere: businesses decorate their buildings in cowboy an