Stampede Roundup: The wait is almost over!
By Ryan McCracken on July 5, 2024.
Break out the boots, Stampede season is back in Medicine Hat! With new acts, annual favourites and food options as far as the eye can see, there really is something for everyone at this year’s Summer Stampede. Summer Jam, hosted by Mahoney & Friends, will again kick off Stampede Week in Medicine Hat on Monday, July 22. This year’s lineup of local artists features Fox and the Hounds, The Cruisers, Danczilla, Phoenix, the Hip Katz, Presley Battle and a pre-show with Derek Hintz. The Summer Fair officially opens Wednesday, July 24, with the midway, Country in the City, the Visual Arts Show, Better Living, the Stampede Summer Trade Show, free stage entertainment, beer gardens and more all in full swing starting from noon. And don’t miss out on our nightly fireworks displays starting Wednesday at 11 p.m. Rock superstar Bret Michaels will also help kick off the Stampede in style with the first of three grandstand concerts on Wednesday night. Nine-time CCMA winner The Washboard Union will take the stage Thursday, before rising Canadian country stars James Barker Band close out the week on Saturday night. The Summer Pro Rodeo returns to the grandstand Thursday, July 25 for the first of three days of CPRA cowboys taking on Kesler Championship Rodeo stock. Don’t miss out on Friday night’s performance under the lights, and bring the family to Saturday afternoon’s 1:30 p.m. showdown. Tickets to all three rodeo performances and all three night shows are on sale at tickets.mhstampede.com. If you’re looking to just explore the grounds around the grandstand, the Stampede has you covered with plenty of new options and returning favourites. Celebrity hypnotist Terrance B will be back on the main free stage, and right across the way our four-legged friends at Spruce Meadows Prairie Dogs will be back in action on their always popular agility course. New to the main stage, Edmonton-based Oil City Sound Machine will perform three times daily, featuring six talented musicians and powerhouse female vocals. Over on the north stage, Edmonton-based duo The Oddibles will touch on a mix of tunes spanning several decades and multiple genres in three daily performances. Kickin’ Dirt will be playing tunes in the beer gardens for all four nights of the Stampede. West Coast Amusements will again be providing our midway – offering rides, games and food aplenty for kids of all ages. In the Cypress Centre, this year’s Visual Arts Show and Better Living exhibits showcase the work of local artists and artisans. A few steps over in the Fieldhouse, Country in the City will be back to provide more educational exhibits on agricultural life, from sheep shearing and calf bottle feeding to book readings from local authors. In the meantime, you can catch the Rodeo Royalty Horsemanship competition on July 11 at the Stampede Grandstand, followed by Public Speaking on July 12 and the Fashion Show on July 13 at the Cypress Centre. The new Queen and Princess will be crowned during intermission at Friday night’s rodeo. The All Breed Horse Show will also get going before Stampede Week settles in, opening on Thursday, July 18 with dressage and Western dressage. The four-day event continues with more dressage and Western dressage, as well as reining, on July 19. On July 20, Halter and English performance, then ranch herd work and cutting take over the arena. Western performance and trail classes will close out the weekend on July 21. I’m running out room and I’ve only scratched the surface, so check out mhstampede.com, find us on Facebook or just come on down to the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede, where the fun doesn’t stop until the last firework pops. Ryan McCracken is sponsorship and marketing co-ordinator at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede 17-16
