Photo: Sunny Goel

By SHANNON KELLY

Cowtown’s annual western extravaganza, the so-called Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, which kicks off tomorrow, is in its 100th year and hotter than ever.

Here’s a roundup of our favourite Calgary Stampede features leading up to the event:

• Fashion Magazine tells us how to be cowboy au courant, from what to wear to which events not to miss, including a peek at a Stampede gown made entirely of pancake breakfast supplies. (Yup, we’re talking plates and napkins!)
• From the Food Network, a slideshow of top Stampede treats: fried Kool-Aid, jalapeño corn dogs, and Jack Daniels whiskey fudge—yeehaw!
• Just what is the deal with those white cowboy hats? The Globe and Mail interviews Bryce Nimmo, president of Smithbilt Hats, to find out.
• Doing the Stampede with little cowpokes in tow? The Calgary Herald has some great tips on where to take the kids.
• We love Canadian Geographic‘s colourful, interactive Stampede map.
• And, of course, it wouldn’t be an event without an app. The Calgary Stampede’s official iPhone and iPad app has maps, event descriptions and a schedule-building tool.