Calgary Stampede | Parade Day
Parade Day
An iconic part of Calgary’s cultural identity since 1912, kickoff The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth at the Stampede Parade! See colourful floats, majestic horses, high-energy marching bands, and more! The Parade kicks off at 9 a.m.
Follow the floats and go straight from the Parade to Stampede Park for FREE gate admission from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Not able to make it down for the Parade? Enjoy the Parade at home through a special Alberta-wide broadcast by Global Calgary beginning at 9 a.m. Watch on Global Television, the Global TV App, GlobalNews.ca, the Global News YouTube Channel, Global Calgary Facebook Live and Amazon Prime.
Kevin Costner 2022 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal
Legendary actor, producer, director and musician Kevin Costner is this year’s Parade Marshal. For over 35 years, Costner has been entertaining the world through his movies, television shows and music.
Costner is no stranger to the Calgary Stampede or the city of Calgary and province of Alberta, having attended The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and filmed Open Range and Let Him Go outside of the city. A long-time fan of the spectacular scenery in southern Alberta, and a supporter of the Calgary Stampede, Costner has a personal connection to Calgary and Alberta.
Elbow River Camp
Opening Ceremonies
Starting at 4 p.m., Tipi Owners and dignitaries will be honoured and visitors welcomed to Elbow River Camp. This event is open to everyone and includes dancing and drumming
Garrett Gregory – 4 p.m.
Dani Strong – 6 p.m.
Tenille Townes – 10 p.m.
Foxx Worthee – 12 p.m.
Matt Masters –12:30 p.m.
Ryan Lindsay – 1:45 p.m.
The Man Who – 7 p.m.
Half Moon Run – 8 p.m.
Bahamas – 9:30 p.m.
The Brother Bandits – 4:45 p.m.
Kevin Costner & Modern West – 9:30 p.m.
Draft Horses BIG part of opening weekend at Stampede
Draft Horse Town at the Calgary Stampede is a slice of living history, a chance to step back in time to a place where heavy horses did all of the work across the prairies and played a significant role in building Western Canada.
“Everywhere you see a diesel engine today, back in the day, you saw a draft horse,” said Terry Bailey, a 22-year volunteer with the Western Agriculture Heritage Committee. “When it came to building roads and digging foundations for buildings, it was all done by horses. They also put in and harvested crops, as well as cut, baled and put hay up.”
It’s a type of workload only certain horses can handle, breeds like Percherons, Brabants, Belgians, Shires and Clydesdales which are some of the draft horses that will be on display at this year’s Calgary Stampede from July 8-17. Those are the same kinds of horses that shaped the history of the West by hauling dirt and rock from building sites, pulling wagons, carriages and firefighting equipment and even plowed the fields for planting crops.
Six to seven teams of horses will compete in a Chore Horse competition, starting Friday, July 8, through Sunday, July 10 at the Nutrien Western Events Centre on Stampede Park. The crowd-favourite competition showcases the versatility of the horse as they go through obstacles, two at a time. The nature of the competition also puts pressure on the teamsters (drivers), like Bailey who has been around since the program’s start 12 years ago.
Safety is paramount for the horses, visitors and volunteers when putting on the event; that is why Bailey says they make sure the teams at Stampede can handle the noises of large crowds, fireworks, planes and helicopters flying overhead.
He adds they also make sure the teamsters are prepared for the environment as well.
For Bailey it’s an exciting time of year.
“It has given me an opportunity to share my passion for horses with the public and the rest of the committee members,” said Bailey. “It’s great to be around like-minded people.”
During its 12 years, Draft Horse Town has only moved once, going from between the Saddledome and the Agriculture Building to between the Nutrien Western Events Centre and the Ag Building in the Agriculture Zone on Country Trail.
Bailey said the same great exhibit and demonstrations will be displayed this year, including teams pulling a horse-drawn grader and dump wagon, and other various farm equipment.
There’s always something new to learn and experience in Draft Horse Town whether you have been there once, twice or 12 times.
Congratulations on your retirement, Maze the Outrider Horse!
This is Maze – a 20 year horse volunteer with the Old Time Rigs, Downtown Attractions Committee. Maze is owned by cowgirl, Wendy Thon from Cochrane.
Maze is now 25 years old and this is the first year in 20 years that she will not be an Outrider horse in the Calgary Stampede Old Time Rig Parade with Wendy. Maze was a celebrity at Barn C and everyone knew her.
Thank you Maze for being an integral part of our Western Heritage and the Calgary Stampede! Congrats on your retirement.
Thursday, July 7 – Attendance Numbers
The Calgary Stampede unofficially opened on Sneak-a-Peek, with a fantastic turnout from the community!
Daily Attendance: 24,536
Total Stampede 2022 Attendance to Date: 24,536