The nightly grandstand show at the Calgary Stampede is fantastic enough to leave your jaw hanging open. Combining the talent of the Young Canadians, ages 6-18, with the awe of acrobatics, comedy, circus acts, Native dancing and motorcycle feats, and astonishment runs through the crowd as fireworks explode behind them.
The Calgary Stampede
For 10 days each July, Alberta’s booming city hosts The Calgary Stampede. Visitors don cowboy hats and join the locals at pancake breakfasts and rodeo events. They’re treated to the lively chuckwagon races, the remarkable grandstand show, agricultural demonstrations, amusement park rides, themed days, and seriously fun nightlife.
The Grandstand Show
This year’s $3.7 million production of Dream Catcher was phenomenal. The stage itself had two main elevators on either side that lifted up so they were level with the stage floor. It’s the largest portable stage in the world, according to the Calgary Stampede folks. Above it, the fireworks burst in colourful plumes, running off approximately $150,000 to $180,000 per night.
“We run the show, really, in two major acts,” explains Grandstand Committee volunteer Stu Reid. “The first act is the Stampede Spirit and [it] finishes off with the daredevil motorcycle act that jumps the stage.
“They have four motorcycles and they’re actually jumping over the kids while they’re going. One of them does a back flip in the air on his motorcycle- it’s pretty incredible to see. It scares us to death! [The kids] are so calm, they do it all the time, so it’s nothing to them.”
The Young Canadians
The local stars of the show are definitely the Young Canadians. These under-18 year olds have auditioned under stiff competition for their chance to wow the Calgary Stampede crowd. Most come from Calgary, as the time commitment throughout the year is so substantial, but a few years ago a girl relocated all the way from Nova Scotia to participate.
Stampede funds the program, along with sponsor TransAlta, so training is free. By the time they emerge on the grandstand show stage, they’ve been rehearsing since March and are young professionals. Some of them will go through five or six costume changes per show, all 181 of them with 56 seconds to change.
Offers Stu, “The greatest challenge for my son when he was about 12 years old [and part of the Young Canadians] was coming out to meet his friends after the show was over with his full make up.”
‘Tis the life of young performers. Once they appear on stage, they sparkle to the audience as brightly as the fireworks.
Buying Tickets
Admission is $34 to $89 CDN and includes both the chuckwagon races and the grandstand show. The evening begins at 8:00pm on Stampede grounds.
Contact Travel Alberta (1-800-ALBERTA) for accommodation, travel and transportation assistance and visit the Calgary Stampede website for tickets, updated dates and information.
Lori Henry - A travel writer, Lori flits between exploring the world with incessant curiosity and huddling over her laptop writing.
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