There isn’t much that’s more Albertan than a good old-fashioned rodeo. You may be more familiar with the Calgary Stampede, but the Grande Prairie Stompede is not to be overlooked.

Taking place from Wednesday, May 29th to Sunday, June 2nd at Evergreen Park this year, the Grande Prairie Stompede is a family-friendly festival that offers something for everyone to enjoy. Since 1977, this celebration of western heritage and culture has been introducing new generations to the cowboy way of life, complete with all of its thrills and spills. It is the first major rodeo event of the summer season.

The main attractions at the Grande Prairie Stompede are the pro rodeo and chuckwagon racing events, which take place every single day. There will be three wagon associations represented at the chuckwagon races: Western Chuckwagon Association, All-Pro Chuckwagon Association, and World Professional Chuckwagon Association. The Grande Prairie Stompede features mini chucks racing as well. Rodeo events include bull riding, saddle bronc, boy’s steer riding, ladies barrel racing, tie-down roping, team roping, and steer wrestling.

In addition to the rodeo and chuckwagon races, many families and groups of friends come down to the Grande Prairie Stompede for the midway. All manner of amusement rides, thrill rides, and midway games will be set up on the Stompede grounds, so get your adrenaline pumping and try your luck at winning some prizes.

The ever-popular beer gardens will also be back at the Grande Prairie Stompede this year, along with live musical entertainment to go with your cold drinks. Corb Lund, a singer-songwriter from right here in Alberta, is set to play on Friday, May 31st. The following night, American country music star David Lee Murphy will be taking the stage. Hailing from Saskatchewan, the party band 3rd Degree Birnz is playing on both nights.

As always, the Miss Grande Prairie Stompede pageant will be taking place throughout the course of the festival. The aim of the pageant is to find a young woman who is passionate about western heritage to be an ambassador of the Grande Prairie Stompede. The winner is decided through a variety of events, including public speaking and horsemanship.

Another event to watch out for this year at the Grande Prairie Stompede is the 2nd annual Arts & Cultural Expo. The expo will be taking place at Clarkson Hall and will feature artwork and merchandise from local artists and artisans. Enjoy live music as you stroll among the vendor booths and check out the art competition finalists.

Also for the second year in a row, the city will be offering free transit service to Evergreen Park from Towne Centre Mall. The service was very popular among rodeo-goers last year, transporting an estimated 650 people. It will be running for approximately 33 hours in total over the course of the five days of the event.

The Grande Prairie Stompede is a great start to the rodeo season and to the summer season as a whole, getting people out and enjoying the sunshine. If you’re interested in attending this year, then it’s time to dig out your cowboy duds and prepare for a wild western time.