The history of why the Calgary Stampede wasn't always an annual event
Every summer, the Calgary Stampede rolls into town as one of the most exciting annual events, but it wasn’t always like that. While the Stampede was established in 1912, it didn’t become an annual event until 1923.
According to the Calgary Stampede Collection and Archives, the first Stampede was never meant to be a recurring event. It was conceived as a large-scale, one-time celebration of Western culture, backed by a group of businessmen, now known as the Big Four.
While the first event was a success, there was no clear plan in place to guarantee it could be repeated year after year. In the years after, Stampede founder Guy Weadick attempted to recreate the concept elsewhere, including a 1913 event in Winnipeg, but it didn’t have the same outcome as Calgary’s version.
melissamn/Shutterstock
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Unlike Winnipeg, Calgary had a strong ranching and agricultural identity, which helped the concept thrive locally but made it difficult to replicate anywhere else.
Then came the First World War in 1914, which took away attention and resources from large public events like the Stampede. While Calgary’s Industrial Exhibition continued through the war, the Stampede itself did not return as a regular event.
The second official stampede happened in 1919 and was dubbed the Victory Stampede. It was held to mark the end of the war and welcome home returning soldiers. While it drew strong interest, it was treated as a commemorative event rather than the start of a yearly tradition.
Provincial Archives of Alberta/Flickr
The real turning point came in 1923, when the Calgary Industrial Exhibition merged with the Stampede due to a lack of finances and attendance. The Calgary Industrial Exhibition had the established infrastructure, financial resources, and annual schedule that the Stampede needed to flourish.
From there, it stuck. The merger created what would later become the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and set it on the path to becoming a permanent part of the city’s summer.
Are you looking forward to the Calgary Stampede this year? Let us know in the comments.