The first official day of this year’s Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth set a new parade day record for attendance thanks in part to the Calgary Stampede’s decision to offer free admission until 1:30 p.m.
On Friday, 115,235 people visited Stamped Park. The showing surpassed the previous first Friday attendance mark of 108,455 set in 2012 and bettered 2016’s attendance mark by nearly 25,000 people (90,887 visited the park during last year’s first Friday).
In an effort to draw more people to the Stampede grounds, the Calgary Stampede reversed the route of the Calgary Stampede Parade in 2017 and did away with admission fees between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on parade day. The parade route reversal removed a physical and perceived barrier created by parade entries and spectators, as people at the beginning of the route had restricted access through the downtown core to Stampede Park.
Friday's numbers follow an uptick in Sneak-A-Peek attendance. On Thursday, 36,953 people visited the park, an increase of 2,854 over 2016's Sneak-A-Peek numbers.
