今年7月4日是STAMPEDE节开始的第一天，盛大的STAMPEDE PARADE (游行)从上午8点一直持续到12点。游行所经过街道的两旁挤满了兴致勃勃前来观看的卡城人，游行的人和观看的观众互动非常热烈，欢呼声一阵接一阵，此起彼落。那种热情，那种情景往往使人心中有这样的想法: 这个节日是每年一次吗？不会是100年一次吧，否则人们的热情怎么会那么高涨！？
STAMPEDE节每年一次。关于这个节日得历史及发展请看以下的英文说明:
The Calgary Stampede, which bills itself as The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, is a large, for-profitfestival, exhibition, and rodeo held in Calgary, Alberta for 10 days every summer from early to mid-July. It is one of Canada's largest annual events, and the world's largest outdoor rodeo. It features an internationally recognized rodeo competition, a midway, stage shows, concerts, agricultural competitions, chuckwagon races, First Nations exhibitions, and pancake breakfasts around the city, among other attractions. In 2006, record-breaking attendance at the 10-day rodeo and exhibition totalled 1,262,518. The Stampede Parade which occurs on opening day, is one of the festival's oldest and largest traditions. It is led by the Calgary Stampede Showband and follows a 4.5 km route in downtown Calgary. Attendance at the parade is usually about 350,000. The parade is also televised and has a viewing audience of over 2 million. During Stampede Week, the city is flooded with tourists who join locals in the spirited atmosphere by dressing in western attire. A large number of businesses decorate their stores and offices in western style, usually starting in June and remaining to after the Stampede ends.Beltline District. The park is easily accessed via Calgary Transit's light rail system, the C-Train. Permanent structures at the site include the Pengrowth Saddledome (hockey arena), the Round-Up Centre (a convention and exhibition facility), the Stampede Casino, the grandstand/racetrack, the agriculture building, and a number of smaller buildings.
每年STAMPEDE，身穿牛仔服头顶牛仔帽的打扮随处可见，人人脸上洋溢着节日的微笑。虽然年年都是老样子，但“老外”们依然兴致不减，兴趣盎然。在我们看来，这老掉牙的传统值得这样吗?
是的！这些想法我们不是现在就有的，出国前的十几年对待我们传统节日的态度就是这个样子。想一想那时，一到过年就感觉没有意思: “不就是放几天假，胡吃海塞几天吗，真没劲”。这样的说法非常流行，甚至很时尚。仔细想一想，我们春节的传统比这里的节日不知早多少年；文化性比它们的不知强多少倍。贴春联，放鞭炮，逛庙会，吃传统地道的小吃等这些曾经让人恋恋不舍的事情，不知何时变成了“没劲”的代名词了。为什么？千思不得其解。是我们天生就有喜新厌旧的本能？好象是。君不见，国内有多少“二奶”和“二爷”；好象也不是。在台湾和香港“二奶”现象也比较普遍，但他们对春节等传统的节日非常重视。是我们具有勇于革新，打破旧的条条框框的传统？到底是什么，各位朋友HELP ME OUT ON THE ISSUE。
