So long Stampede!
Attendance figures estimated to be close to previous years
The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede has been a tradition in the community for 130 years, and Saturday marked the last day of the 2017 festivities.
“I’m really pleased with the Stampede this year,” said Stampede general manager Jim MacArthur. “Operationally, it went really well.
“The one thing we cannot complain about is the weather this year. Weather interference can be a big problem, and while it has been very hot this year, we haven’t had to deal with any curves thrown at us due to rain or wind.”
With the Stampede celebrating 130 years, its parade celebrating 100 and Canada celebrating its 150th birthday, MacArthur says he was happy they were able to celebrate these milestones.
“I’m also really pleased that we got to acknowledge the Canada 150 celebration,” he said. “I think we did some things that were really unique this year, and hopefully memorable for people.
“One of the big highlights I think were the SkyHawks, we had so many people coming to see them, but I’ve even talked to people who said they were watching from their backyards at home. We also had the flag raising each evening, and though they weren’t all packed with attendance, I feel like they were very effective.”
Though he did not have exact attendance figures Saturday evening, MacArthur says this year’s numbers should be close to previous years, although the heat could have had a negative impact.
“Obviously many factors go into attendance, and while we’re very happy it did not rain — it was very hot,” he said. “The afternoons during the event was extremely hot, and I can’t really blame people for wanting to stay at home.
“However, with slightly slower afternoons came really busy evenings. The concerts and the Friday evening rodeo were really well attended, so attendance may be down a bit, but things could balance out.”
A big challenge is offering something for everyone. He says they use a trial-and-error process to figure out what hits and what misses.
“We book acts and entertainers with the hope that they appeal to a large crowd. As each event goes on we can see what people show a good response to and what they don’t like as much. It’s not a perfect process, but we really like the acts we had this year and I think we offered something for almost everyone.”
MacArthur says he would like to see the Stampede continuing work towards being accessible for anyone.
“We don’t want there to be things that make it so people can’t come out,” he said. “Whether it’s really hot pavement, or not enough shady areas, we want to keep making the Stampede more accessible. We’ve made some nice additions recently and I think we did a pretty good job this year, but with this year’s heat, I can’t blame anyone who might be vulnerable to the sun for not coming out.”
With an operation this big, any spare helping hands are welcome. Over the years the Stampede has built a volunteer base of more than 500 people, a group of people that have become integral to the operation, says MacArthur.
“This really wouldn’t be possible without the volunteers,” he said. “I also want to acknowledge our staff as well. Both the staff and volunteers work so hard to put this event on every year, and really work together so Medicine Hat can enjoy the Stampede every year.”