Hang onto your cowboy hats folks! If you're heading to western Canada in July or are looking for a unique family vacation, head to Calgary, Alberta for the annual Calgary Stampede. The 10-day event is hard to describe - think of it as part carnival and part rodeo, but unlike anything you've probably seen before (unless you've been there, of course).

The first Stampede was held in 1912, organized by Guy Weadick, a famous working cowboy and vaudeville entertainer who combined both his passions by participating in traveling wild-west shows that were popular during that time. The land that would eventually become the Stampede grounds was actually bought well before Weadick organized the first Frontier Days and Cowboy Championship Contest (later to be re-named the Calgary Stampede). Originally a 94-acre property was purchased to serve as fair grounds for the city. In 1923, Calgary's annunal Industrial Exhibition was rolled into the Stampede, which became known as the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede (the official name it goes by today).

The Stampede features a rodeo, chuckwagon races, as well as rides, food and games and a big grandstand show each night of the event, that culminates in a big fireworks display.

With average attendance of over 100,000 individuals each day at the parade, many of them out-of-town visitors, Stampede organizers formed an environmental committee in 1996 in an effort to address the carbon footprint of such a big event. The committee was formed with the intent of examining the possibility of recycling and adjusting the operational practices in order to protect the local environment. The park features several recycling centres and uses 100 per cent post-consumer paper products whenver possible. To reduce fuel consumption, the park also utilizes appropriately-sized vehicles based on the job they are required for, and environmentally-friendly fuel is used as well.

Check back later this week for more on what the Calgary Stampede does to protect the environment during the actual 10-day event and throughout the rest of the year. Don't live in Calgary? If there are any community events or festivals in your area, inquire about the environmental efforts in place to help mimize their earthly impact. If there aren't any, make some suggestions of initiatives that could be undertaken. A good place to start: forming an environmental committee, even if it only consists of one or two members!

» Calgary Stampede (Official Site)