After a few years of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic, officials with the Calgary Stampede say they’re happy the advice they'll be handing out this year is to simply wear a cowboy hat and stay hydrated.
“It’s certainly a nice change to feel like we’re getting back to a little bit normal here and having a full-on Stampede this year. We’re really excited about that,” Kerrie Blizard, the event’s director of public safety, said at a news conference Tuesday.
The 10-day celebration of cowboy life, called the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, kicks off with a downtown parade Friday morning.
The Stampede was cancelled for the first time in its history in 2020.
It returned the following year with a scaled-down version that included rapid COVID-19 tests being required to enter some tents, a limit on how many people could be at Stampede Park and physical distancing guidelines.
Last year, many who attended wore masks.
“We want residents and visitors to safely enjoy all that Stampede has to offer.”
Security at the Stampede is to remain paramount, with Calgary Transit running trains 24 hours a day and the hiring of additional security guards.
Calgary police are also setting up a temporary ninth district police station on the Stampede grounds with its own commander, radio channels and patrol officers.
