The 90th annual Ponoka Stampede Parade will roll through downtown Ponoka on Friday, June 26, 2026, with Alberta’s own Katy Lucas as parade marshal. The event starts at 10 a.m. and follows a three-mile route that draws more than 10,000 spectators each year, kicking off the community’s longest-running western celebration.
Lucas, a Cowboy Channel Superstar and former Miss Ponoka Stampede (2014) and Miss Rodeo Canada (2015), will lead the procession as part of the stampede’s “Year of the Cowgirl” theme. The theme honours women in rodeo and western sports, and organisers say Lucas is a natural fit. She grew up in a rodeo family—her father is Canadian Tie Down Roping Champion Joe Lucas—and attended her first rodeo at just 11 days old.
The parade route begins at the Ponoka Arena Complex at 4410 54 Street and winds through downtown, with temporary road closures from about 9 a.m. to noon. Residents can expect a mix of floats, marching bands, classic cars, and community groups. Parade entry applications are available now on the stampede website for local organisations that want to take part.
This year’s milestone 90th anniversary traces back to 1936, when the first Ponoka Stampede started as a small two-day event. Today, it is the largest Canadian Professional Rodeo Association-approved rodeo, offering more than $885,000 in prize money and generating an estimated $20 million to $30 million in annual economic impact for the region. Over 800 volunteers contribute more than 3,000 hours during the week-long celebration, with 30 local community groups raising tens of thousands of dollars.
Brooke Baehl was crowned Miss Ponoka Stampede 2026 on April 8 at the Calnash Ag Event Centre and will also appear in the parade. Stampede officials expect a record-breaking turnout this year, with over 120,000 attendees anticipated across all events.
