Attendance tops 500K at Calgary Stampede 2021, chucks to return in 2022
The Calgary Stampede says it welcomed 528,998 people through its gates for 10 days of fun.
With international borders closed, event organizers say overall numbers were expected to be down significantly for the July 9-18 event.
On Sunday, officials said about 75 percent of visitors were from Calgary, 13 percent from Alberta and 12 percent from other provinces nationwide.
In 2019, 1,275,465 people went through the turnstiles.
“We know initially there may have been some skepticism,” said CEO Dana Peers on Sunday.
“But we committed ourselves to open, ongoing an honest communication.”
The Calgary Stampede says it saw daily attendance numbers average around 50,000. The Stampede also welcomed around 82,000 front line workers.
Event organizers are also proud of the fact it was the first time in Canada that a large scale event of this size was hosted, since the start of the pandemic.
The Nashville North Stampede tent required all partiers to have proof of vaccination or take a rapid PCR test on-site.
Over 10 days, not including Sunday, more than 60,000 people met the pre-entry requirement.
About 73 percent chose to show proof of vaccination, with the other 27 percent being tested.
Of those nearly 16,200 people who received tests, fewer than 18 people tested positive for the virus. All were sent home and asked to contact Alberta Health Services to secure formal testing.
“I’ve been watching friends who haven’t seen each other for two years getting together and making plans for the rest of the summer,” said president Steve McDonough.
“If the Calgary Stampede had anything to do with that, I’m super proud.”
The Calgary Stampede decided to cancel the chuckwagon races for this year, which was devastating news for many local chuck drivers.
But with chuck events occurring in High River and Strathmore this month, the Stampede does not regret its decision.
“We had to make some very difficult decisions early on,” said Peers. “And we certainly look forward to chuckwagon racing again in 2022.”
In 2019, the Stampede grossed $154 million and turned a profit of $2.2 million.
In 2020, the cancelled Stampede generated $25 million in revenue, resulting in a loss of $26.5 million.
Officials were not able to provide profit margins or deficits for this year until the event concludes.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP wants Liberals to scrap proposed election date change that could secure pensions for many MPs
The federal New Democrats want to amend the Liberal government's electoral reform legislation to scrap the proposal to push back the vote by a week and consequently secure pensions for dozens of MPs, CTV News has learned.
Drive one of these vehicles? You may pay 37 per cent more than average insurance costs due to thefts
As the number of auto theft incidents rises in Canada, so have insurance premiums for drivers, even the ones whose vehicles aren't stolen.
Doug Ford suggests immigrants behind Jewish school shooting
Ontario Premier Doug Ford suggested immigrants are to blame for the shooting of an empty Jewish school in Toronto over the weekend, despite police saying they have little information on the suspects.
Supreme Court won't hear appeal in Montreal brainwashing experiments case
The Supreme Court of Canada will not review a Quebec ruling that bars people from suing the U.S. government in Canada over its role in notorious brainwashing experiments at a Montreal psychiatric hospital.
Donald Trump can sue niece over NY Times article, court rules
A New York state appeals court said Donald Trump can sue his niece Mary Trump for giving the New York Times information for its Pulitzer Prize-winning 2018 probe into his finances and his alleged effort to avoid taxes.
Shania Twain shares how she forgave her ex-husband's cheating: 'It's his mistake'
Shania Twain recently addressed the infidelity that rocked her marriage to Robert 'Mutt' Lange, whom she divorced in 2010 after he had an affair with her friend, Marie-Anne Thiébaud.
Teen pleads guilty to manslaughter in death of homeless man in downtown Toronto
One of eight teen girls charged in the death of a homeless man in downtown Toronto has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Princess of Wales to miss major military display next month amid cancer treatment
Catherine, Princess of Wales, will not be returning to royal duties with an appearance at the Colonel’s Review, a military parade in London in early June, as she continues her treatment for cancer.
Police arrest 19-year-old suspect after Montreal triple homicide
Police have made an arrest following a deadly street fight that ended with three people killed in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough last week.