Latest news with #PaulKingsmith
CTV News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘All the preparations turn into reality': Whoop-Up Days back in Lethbridge next week
Preparations and setup are underway for this year's Whoop-Up Days at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. Preparations are underway for this year's Whoop-Up Days at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. The festival runs Aug. 19-23, with the Whoop-Up Wrap-Up on Aug. 24. 'It's a good time when all the preparations turn into reality, and we're just so excited as a team to get this going,' said Paul Kingsmith, director of event development with the Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE). This year's festival features staple events such as the West Coast Amusements Midway, Blackfoot programming, Lethbridge and District Pro Rodeo, food trucks and vendors, along with the Original 16 Stage with music headliners Trooper and Chad Brownlee. Kingsmith says advance ticket sales are nearly three times higher than this time last year. 'I don't think there's anything we can point to as one key indicator as to why things are going well, but we hope it's just a sign that, you know, coming out of COVID, there was a lot of work to rebuild the fair from scratch,' he said. 'It's sort of been a four- or five-year process to get to where we are and get this really rolling and engage the community in that way, and so I think that hopefully this is a sign that the community is really enjoying this.' Preparations and setup are underway for this year's Whoop-Up Days at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. Last year was a record-setting year for the LDE. Kingsmith says there were 40,178 visitors through the gates last year—the highest number for a paid-admission festival. 2023 saw record attendance of 77,263 with free admission. But he says the number of visitors through the gates this year isn't the only area they're looking to grow. The festival has grown by a day, with a new Whoop-Up Wrap-Up on Sunday. 'It's a smaller, pared-down day,' Kingsmith said. 'There'll be the midway, food trucks, the beer garden and the Sixth Street Sweets area, but with only a $5 admission.' Preparations and setup are underway for this year's Whoop-Up Days at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Centre. The annual event will also shine a brighter spotlight on the community this year. A new community zone has been created within the marketplace, where more than 20 local not-for-profit organizations, charities, community groups and agricultural commodity groups will showcase their work to visitors free of charge. Whoop-Up Days officially kicks off on Tuesday morning with the annual parade. A full list of events and the schedule can be found here.
Global News
3 days ago
- Sport
- Global News
Whoop-Up Days security top of mind as preparations continue
Preparations are in full swing ahead of the 2025 edition of Whoop-Up Days, Lethbridge, Alta.'s biggest event of the year. Everything from the midway to rodeo grounds needs to be set up before the Aug. 19 launch of the event. 'If you're down in the area over this weekend, you'll see a lot of action going on,' said Paul Kingsmith, director of event development at Lethbridge and District Exhibition. He says it's the best time of year for everyone involved in Whoop-Up Days because the hard work is finally paying off. 'When all the preparations turn into a reality, we're just so excited as a team to get this going.' Another exciting factor is the increase in early ticket sales, which Kingsmith says could be a sign of things to come. Story continues below advertisement 'In some of the early indications, we were nearly triple where we were last year, so probably good that people are maybe looking in on it a little earlier than they have in past years, but also just a good indication that the community is really excited for this event,' he said. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy However, Kingsmith also understands the value of security when hosting tens of thousands of people at one location. 'It's one of the things that we start talking about right from the planning of the event, right until (Friday) morning when we were meeting with our security teams and working through pieces. We try to provide a very safe and fun environment, making sure you don't have to worry about anything happening once you're here.' While there will be metal detectors, security staff, bag checks and more, Lethbridge police will also be on site throughout the festival. 'There will be officers doing foot patrols in the area on the grounds and if anybody has any complaints, they can contact one of those officers or reach out to our dispatch centre at 403-328-4444,' said Sgt. Ryan Darroch of the downtown police unit. He says the biggest concerns in the past have been the smuggling in of drugs, alcohol and weapons, like bear spray or knives. 'We had a number of seizures last year and a number of arrests. They came from people making poor decisions, so we just want people to show up prepared and to limit the number of incidents that we're going to deal with on the fair grounds.' Story continues below advertisement As a result of the strict security measures, Darroch says it's important for people to understand what is — and isn't — allowed inside. 'I know a lot of really good people who carry their grandfather's folding knife on their belt, things like that. (Those types of items) need to stay home so it doesn't get confiscated at the door. Our goal is just to have a happy and safe event.' Whoop-Up Days officially launches with the parade on Tuesday morning, but there are several pancake breakfasts and other events starting as early as Monday.
CTV News
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
New twist on old favourite among midway offerings at 2025 Whoop-Up Days
Plenty of new food offerings will be available at this year's Whoop-Up Days—as well as a twist on a classic. Instead of Jumbo Ears, this year Jumbo Bites will be available on the midway. Each bag will be filled with smaller Jumbo Ear pieces. They come with a choice of dip. The Lethbridge and District Exhibition (LDE) says this will allow for consistent quality over the course of Whoop-Up Days. New this year are dirty sodas and several different kinds of street corn. The new additions make up what's being called 'Sixth Street Sweets.' 'When we survey people after Whoop-Up Days every year, food is always one of the top three reasons that people come to a fair,' said Paul Kingsmith, LDE event development director. 'It's something about that coming together. 'Food is just such a uniting factor in any facet of life, and I think that here—we're in an agriculture centre—it has even more of that.' The last remaining streetcar that used to operate in Lethbridge will be set up on the midway as a centrepiece for Sixth Street Sweets. Whoop-Up Days runs Aug. 19-23, noon to 11 p.m., and the Whoop-Up Wrap-Up is Aug. 24, noon to 7 p.m. More information and tickets are available online.
