'We're pretty excited': Local entrepreneurs look forward to busy Calgary Stampede
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With Stampede season on the horizon, Calgary entrepreneurs are looking forward to a busy season of parties and more following the economic hit of the COVID-19 pandemic.
David Howard, owner of The Event Group, told CBC News that he's booked all the way through Stampede.
"It's busier than it was last year and it's busier than it was the year before, so it's really promising," he said. "We're pretty excited."
The Event Group puts on everything from concerts and award shows to brand activations and networking events.
He said his company only had eight events booked last year, while this year he's got an event each day of the Stampede along with the three days prior.
"This year it's jam-packed, so it's very exciting," said Howard.
The Stampede spirit will also be on display throughout the city thanks to Calgary artist Dean MacKenzie, also known as "The Art Guy."
His Stampede-themed artwork adorns the windows of local businesses and buildings, and this year people can expect to once again see his cartoons all over the city.
"Right now, I've booked all the Superstores, all the Denny's. I'm doing Grey Eagle Casino pretty soon here," he said.
With around 70 bookings so far, the post-pandemic season marks a return to normalcy for MacKenzie, whose business took a hit when the Calgary Stampede was cancelled in 2020 for the first time in nearly a century.
Calgary Stampede lost $26.5M in 2020 due to pandemic
"The pandemic kind of killed everything for a while there," he said. "Ever since then, it's kind of gradually gotten back to where it was before."
The pandemic wasn't kind to the Calgary Stampede: the event's cancellation in 2020 led to $26.5 million in revenue loss and 90 per cent of staff being laid off.
In 2021, the event returned with social distancing measures and no chuckwagon races. That year, it lost $8.3 million and hosted 528,998 people — less than half of the 1,275,465 that attended in 2019.
Expect a busy Stampede
If 2024's record-breaking crowd sizes are anything to go by, it'll be a busy Stampede this year.
Stampede Park saw 1,477,953 attendees on the grounds throughout last year's 10-day event, with over 200,000 on Tim Horton's Family Day alone.
On the financial side of things, things are looking good for the city as the Stampede approaches.
This year's Calgary Stampede Canvas Auction, traditionally considered a barometer of the local economy, brought in $3.84 million in bids this April.
It's a significant jump from last year's $3.115 million, considered a number to be proud of in its own right.
This year's Calgary Stampede kicks off July 4 and runs until July 13.
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