Whoop-Up Days officially underway in Lethbridge
This year's Whoop-Up Days not only marks the event's 125th edition, but also its first full showing in three years due to COVID-19.
Last year, Whoop-Up Days was only four days long and events on the grounds were scaled down.
Now, attendees are in for an experience a lot more like the Whoop-Up Days they know and love, including the return of the Pro Rodeo.
With the midway returning to its normal size, thrillseekers will be able to get their fix on the rides.
Darcy Benson. midway manager, says it’s a big operation to meet the demands of the public.
“I believe 32 rides and attractions. That's not counting the games of course ... We carry about 75 to 80 employees for the ride end of it.”
It's Lethbridge's first full-scale Whoop-Up Days in three years.Getting the midway ready with those rides, as well as vendors and other attractions, is another tall order for Benson’s team.
Just a few days ago, the Exhibition Grounds were nothing but a parking lot, but the team managed to get the job done quickly.
“You know, we had a really good set up here. Everything went relatively smoothly. It took about eight to nine hours to set up. You know, obviously, there's some safety checks and stuff that are over and above that,” Benson said.
Elsewhere in the community, people are getting involved and feeling the Whoop-Up Days spirit.
Even the Lethbridge Bulls have decided to get involved.
Bulls players, coaches and parents will spend Whoop-Up Days making jumbo ears on the grounds as part of a fundraiser for the Lethbridge Longhorns baseball academy.
Head coach Chance Wheatley said they were presented with the opportunity and couldn’t pass it up.
“Honestly, the exhibition centre just kind of reached out to us to see if we'd be interested and it seems like a great opportunity so we jumped at the chance,” Wheatley said.
Making jumbo ears for five days straight is a far cry from what the team is used to doing.
“We'll kind of see how it goes. We're expecting it to be pretty busy, but it's our first time doing it.” Wheatley said.
Whoop-Up Days runs Aug. 23-27, at the Lethbridge Exhibition Grounds.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Bayer recalls hydraSense baby product over 'potential contamination'
Bayer announced Thursday it is recalling two lots of its hydraSense Baby Nasal Care Easydose due to a potential contamination.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.