Vacationers who find themselves on Canadian rail tours this summer can saddle up for the Calgary Stampede and celebrate western culture at its finest. The Stampede, entering its centennial year, is a volunteer-supported, non-profit community organization that preserves and promotes the values and heritage of the western lifestyle. The 10-day celebration holds four western values at its core: western hospitality, integrity, pride of place and commitment to the community.

The festival will take place from July 6-15, hosting a wide variety of activities and events for all to enjoy. The Stampede invites only the worthiest rodeo athletes to take part in the 10-day competition, all the way down to the finals on Showdown Sunday. The final competitions result in over $1,000,000 in giveaways.

Parades, a derby competition and an all-new grandstand show are a handful of the exciting spectacles that will entertain incoming visitors making a stop in Calgary on their Canadian train trips. The Stampede will also offer an agricultural showcase, displaying the finest farm animals, tractors and interactive agricultural activities for young ones to enjoy.

Calgary's emphasis on farm life with this annual celebration ultimately helps to connect urban and rural audiences and promote agriculture to the youth of Alberta and Western Canada. Visitors should remember to bring their cowboy hats on this wild, western Canadian journey.