Pancake breakfast in downtown Edmonton offers up free flapjacks, bacon – and plenty of good vibes

Around 1,000 people were expected at a free pancake breakfast Friday morning in downtown Edmonton to celebrate the Canadian Finals Rodeo.

There were a lot of flapjacks being flipped in downtown Edmonton Friday morning, as upwards of 1,000 rodeo fans attended a pancake breakfast at Fan Park hosted by the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce and Explore Edmonton.

There were free pancakes, sausage, bacon, and coffee for attendees, who were also treated to live music from Travis Dolter, line dancing from the Blue Norther Dancers, a rope demonstration and dance lessons to celebrate the Canadian Finals Rodeo, which wraps up this weekend at Rogers Centre.

It was also the final day on the job for Miss Rodeo Canada Kaylee Shantz, who is bequeathing her cowboy crown Friday night at intermission of the rodeo, when Miss Rodeo Canada 2025 will be named – but Shantz was singing the praises of Edmonton just the same when she spoke to CTV News Edmonton early Friday.

“It’s been incredible,” Shantz said. “The community involvement has just been electric. We’re seeing new fans and old fans returning back to the home of rodeo.

"It’s been an awesome experience so far.”

Miss Rodeo Canada Kaylee Shantz in Edmonton, Oct. 4, 2024

Explore Edmonton’s Amanda Krumins said bringing the Canadian Finals Rodeo to downtown Edmonton has been a winner, both for rodeo fans experiencing Edmonton and for Edmontonians experiencing a rodeo for the first time.

“If anybody saw, we had huge cattle drive down the streets of Edmonton on Wednesday to kick off Rodeo Week,” Krumins said, “and just the vibes are incredible."

 

 

 

 

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“(There are) tons of families, (and) tons of really amazing things happening downtown.”

The rodeo has provided an economic boost for Edmonton’s business community as well. Krumins said around 45,000 people are attending Canadian Finals Rodeo events, which were initially expected to pump a little over $30 million into the local economy – although the final number could be even higher than that.

Edmonton Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Christopher Martin said reaction from the city's business community was positive.

“The Edmonton Chamber has 2,000 member companies and we’re super-excited to hear from a number of them that they’re experiencing increased foot traffic downtown,” Martin said. “The impact it’s going to have on their sales, even the hours they can spend hiring part-time employees – and just creating more diversity and vibrancy downtown."

“They’re really excited, especially our downtown businesses,” Martin added. “Even the ones in the suburbs, are excited as well about seeing hotels filled.

Krumins estimated that rodeo visitors have booked around 12,000 hotel rooms throughout the city.

The Canadian Finals Rodeo continues through Saturday at Rogers Centre.

For more information, go here.