The 73rd annual Wainwright Stampede kicks off today, bringing four days of professional rodeo, chuckwagon racing, and family fun to the Wainwright Exhibition Grounds in Wainwright, Alberta.
Organized by the Wainwright Frontier & Exhibition Agricultural Society, the event runs from June 18 to 21 and features Canadian Professional Rodeo Association competitions, World Professional Chuckwagon Association races, a midway, live music, and the traditional Saturday downtown parade. Single-day admission is $35 for adults and $15 for kids aged 7 to 15, with children 6 and under getting in free. A weekend bracelet costs $225 and covers every rodeo and chuckwagon performance.
This year’s rodeo includes a new event, Ladies Breakaway Roping, adding to the lineup at one of the top five largest professional rodeos in the country. The chuckwagon races, now in the second year of a three-year partnership with the WPCA, will see 36 drivers compete in 12 heats over four days, with the top three in aggregate standings after three days advancing to the Championship Final Heat, where the winner takes the title.
WPCA Driver Director Kris Molle said the community’s energy makes the stop special. “There are pancake breakfasts, a cabaret, a rodeo, a parade, and more,” Molle said. “The committee is great to work with, they have a nice facility, and there’s always lots of energy.”
The midway, operated by West Coast Amusements, opens June 19 and runs through the weekend. Rodeo dances are set for the Elks Hall with $20 admission, and a cabaret at Wainwright PMM costs $25. The downtown parade takes place Saturday.
Stampede Manager Art Melin has called the event the single biggest in town, with a spinoff effect that benefits restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and shops. After cancellations in 2020 and 2021, the stampede returned in 2022 and continues to draw thousands to Wainwright each June.
