Time to dust off your cowboy boots and hats, Calgary. Stampede season is here and will kick off with Parade Day on Friday.
The parade will begin just before 9 a.m. and will start at the intersection of Ninth Avenue and Third Street Southeast. More than 100 entries entries will participate in the parade this year, the Calgary Stampede said, which is set to include 21 floats, 11 bands and over 40 equine entries.
Over 700 horses will be part of the parade, the Calgary Stampede added.
Those who arrive at the parade route before it starts will be able to enjoy the Parade Prelude featuring 30 acts, officials said.
Actor Owen Crow Shoe will be leading the parade as this year’s marshal. He will also be the emcee for the 2024 Calgary Stampede Powwow on Sunday, July 7 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Saddledome.
The Calgary Stampede described Crow Shoe as an ambassador for Alberta and the event because his family has deep roots with the festival.
Crow Shoe is from the Piikani Nation and Blood Tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy and spent time at the Elbow River Camp on the Stampede grounds growing up.
After the parade, viewers can head straight to Stampede Park to receive free admission between 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Those watching from home can tune in to Global Calgary at 8:45 a.m. to watch a special live broadcast of the 2024 Calgary Stampede Parade brought to you by OPA! The special broadcast will also air on Global Television, the Global TV app, Globalnews.ca, the Global News YouTube channel and Amazon Prime.
Most roads in and out of downtown Calgary will be closed and will not reopen until the parade concludes and Calgary Police Service officers have deemed it safe to do so.
Roads in and around the East Village neighbourhood will be closed to on-street parking starting at noon on Thursday. They will also be closed to traffic starting at 6:30 a.m. on Friday.
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The following roads will be closed on Friday beginning at 6 a.m.:
- Sixth Street between Seventh Avenue Southeast and Ninth Avenue Southeast
- Fifth Street between Seventh Avenue Southeast and Ninth Avenue Southeast
- Sixth Avenue between Third Street Southeast and Fifth Street Southeast
- Seventh Avenue between Fourth Street Southeast and Sixth Street Southeast
- Eighth Avenue between Fourth Street Southeast and Sixth Street Southeast
The following roads will be closed on Friday beginning at 7:30 a.m.:
- Ninth Avenue between Eighth Street Southeast and Third Street Southeast
- Fourth Street between Sixth Avenue Southeast and Ninth Avenue Southeast
- Third Street between Fourth Avenue Southeast and Ninth Avenue Southeast
- Westbound Sixth Avenue from Third Street Southeast to 11th Street Southwest
- 10th Street from Sixth Avenue Southwest to Ninth Avenue Southwest
- Eastbound Ninth Avenue from 11th Street Southwest to Third Street Southeast
- The morning connector from Bow Trail to westbound Fifth Avenue Southwest will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. only.
Calgarians and visitors interested in watching the parade in person are encouraged to take public transit into downtown. All downtown CTrain stations are within one block of the parade route.
After the parade, viewers can take the CTrain down to Victoria Park/Stampede or Erlton Stations to the grounds. A shuttle bus will also be available only on Parade Day and will be available at the following locations:
- Northbound Fourth Street Southwest at Seventh Avenue Southwest
- Eastbound Seventh Avenue Southwest at First Street Southwest
- Southbound First Street at Eighth Avenue Southeast
Day passes can be used to get anywhere in the city and will be $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for youth throughout Stampede week (July 5 to July 14).
The City of Calgary said all roadways are expected to reopen by around 2 p.m.
Bus routes throughout downtown may be affected on Parade Day. More information about detours can be found on the Calgary Transit website.
Tickets can be purchased via the Transit and MyFare apps on the App Store or Google Play store, or at ticket vending machines at CTrain stations.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
