Whoop-Up Days attracts record crowds this year

By Lethbridge Herald on August 28, 2024.

Fair-goers take in the fun under the lights and colours of the midway rides during last week’s Whoop-Up Days at the Lethbridge & District Exhibition. Officials say they counted 40,178 people come through the gates, a record high for a paid admission show. Herald photo by Ian Martens

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

A year after a record crowd took advantage of free admission, Whoop-Up Days saw more than 40,000 people attend the five-day fair at the Lethbridge & District Exhibition.

The total number of attendees was 40,178, surpassing the 37,536 who attended the fair in 2019, which was the previous high for a paid admission show, the Exhibition said on Wednesday.

The three-night Canadian Pro Rodeo set a new attendance record with more than 6,100 watching the action. On the last day of the rodeo Saturday, a single day record of 2,671 guests was set.

Acting CEO of the Exhibition Kim Gallucci told a media scrum at the Agri-Food Hub & Trade Centre “it was exciting. We were very pleased how it came about,” saying all employees must be proud of what they pulled off with the fair and rodeo.

“I think it was an outstanding event for the community and the larger area beyond us into the regional area which we draw from,” said Gallucci.

The rodeo and other elements helped draw people to the fair, he said.

“The organization did a great job and they should be proud of the product we delivered.”

The Exhibition will be looking at areas to improve and expand on but “overall I think it was a win for Lethbridge,” filling hotel rooms and attracting people to the city with events such as barbecues and pancake breakfasts being popular.

“It’s really a time that showcases Lethbridge to all of Alberta and especially southwest Alberta,” he added.

Gallucci thanks patrons for the strong Whoop-Up Days attendance.

“This is fantastic. It allows us to have the funds to incorporate things like the bands that you saw and grow certain areas of the Whoop-Up Days package that we’d really like to offer. It opens the door to new opportunities,” said Gallucci, adding the model will probably remain the same “for a little while.”

“There’s no question we were a little nervous but Lethbridge came through loud and clear and we’re very proud of what we put on and we hope Lethbridge people are very proud” and should be excited because it allowed the Exhibition to do things it normally doesn’t do,” he added.

He said the cost of staging Whoop-Up Days is substantial with the event not being a large net revenue generator for the Exhibition.

“There’s no question we do make some money but it is more driven for the community. It’s something that provides entertainment, it brings people to town we wouldn’t normally have here. It showcases Lethbridge in a whole different light, it provides advantages for families to do something just before school starts all the way up to older people to attend” and take in pieces of the fair such as the rodeo.

“I think it’s something that really helps our community build a better quality of life, lifestyle and it really does showcase us,” the acting CEO added.

The Exhibition’s director of community engagement Paul Kingsmith called the turnout “really great,” adding in reference to the fair and rodeo “this was a fantastic year for both of these events and seeing people come out and enjoy themselves over the course of the week is really the payoff. And we’re just so proud that we had an event people wanted to go to and came out to in droves.”

The return of headlining music acts as well as a bigger midway and new and improved attractions helped to draw attendance, media was told. This year, the Exhibition brought back entertainment headlining acts which included Kyle McKearney, Big Sugar and Emerson Drive.

The Siksikaitsitapi powwow also drew bigger crowds, as well.

Kingsmith staff heard fewer comments about wait times and lineups with some things done proactively to accommodate visitors, including opening a separate entryway for people just attending the rodeo which he said worked extremely well.

“I think what we saw over the five days was that there wasn’t one day that stood out above all the others as a super busy day,” with Saturday being the highest for attendance although not much different from the other days.

“We kind of saw people dispersed over the five days which is great, which is what we want to do over a five-day fair. It means we’re offering options and selections on all days of the fair and something for everyone,” Kingsmith added.

The Exhibition is proud of the rodeo and the show its’ executive producer Kynan Vine staged.

The rodeo is becoming a show people want to be part of, said Kingsmith.

“Seeing that growth year over year we’re trying to be one of Canada’s best rodeos, we’re paying like one of Canada’s best rodeos, we’re getting those kind of riders and the top-end stock so I think we’re truly at a point where we can say that this is an event Lethbridge is really getting behind and we only see growth in its future,” he added.