I’m not a big rodeo fan, however, ARGRA is hoping to change that this June 26th to -28th at the 2009 Canadian Rockies International Rodeo; from their plans and ambitions, I’m thinking they’ll have a lot of new converts.
This year ARGRA - the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association - is thrilled to hold the event at the much larger Strathmore Agricultural Grounds in Strathmore just east of Calgary. The buzz surrounding this event, and the exciting possibilities this new venue have provided ARGRA, have more than a few people eagerly anticipating the rodeo’s arrival.
The big news is the move to Strathmore. For the last few years, the rodeo has been bursting at the seams at Symons Valley Ranch. That and the ever encroaching threat of suburbia made the move inevitable. The new venue provides ARGRA with room to grow. Strathmore Agricultural Grounds is one of the most modern facilities in the Calgary area. There’s a covered grandstand and seats around the arena similar to the Stampede’s in-field seats, loads of parking, acres of camping space and expanded facilities for rodeo contestants and attendees alike.
Yet that’s only the start. With all the rodeo events, the parties, the new events, the new and wider selection of food vendors, it’s starting to sound like a smaller version of the Calgary Stampede – but one geared to our community…where the longing stare you give a hunky cowboy might actually be returned.
Speaking of food, there will definitely be a greater expanse of fare for your average cowgirl and cowboy. Judy Munson, ARGRA’s Communications Director, said they had a lot of contacts from vendors in Strathmore who have traditionally worked with Strathmore’s Heritage days. The plan is to have a group of vendors selling during the day, while others will feed the evening crowd. If you are surprised a small town would embrace a gay rodeo, Judy has news for you: contrary to what some of us might think, the reception from the town has been impressive.
“Strathmore has been just amazing…A lot of their stores and retailers have become sponsors for us…we have people who have volunteered to help out.” Additionally, Strathmore itself has lots to offer - there are several hotels (for those who prefer their camping to be done in high heels, not in tents) and various stores/services all just a 5 minute drive away from the grounds.
With all this space, ARGRA wanted to do something to give back to the community. Thanks to an idea from Steve Polyak, publisher of this magazine, ARGRA is pleased to invite non-profit organizations to participate in the first ever Gay Calgary Olde Tyme Country Carnival!
According to Judy, the Carnival is going to be reminiscent of midway games you would have seen in country carnivals in the past (hence the name). In this situation, the games will be run by non-profit groups in Calgary’s GBLT community. “Booths are for non-profit organizations…they set up their booth, they run their own games and all the money they raise goes to their organization.”
For the community groups, it has the potential to be a great fundraiser; they get to be part of the rodeo, and the four to five thousand attendees enjoy games while supporting many good causes. “There are a number of people who come to the rodeo who don’t even step foot in the (grandstand), but they come for the party, they come for the events…we wanted to add some flavour, add a western theme.” Games scheduled so far include: Ring Toss, Balloon Darts, Kissing Booth, Spinning Prize Wheel and “Pie the Fairy”. Add-in that the prices are reasonable (they’ve been asked to keep game prices around $1-2) and it’s win-win for everyone.
After you’re done with the games, it’s on to the auction or browsing for some artwork. This year sees the second iteration of the art show / sale and silent auction. Last year’s event was really successful, and in keeping with a bigger and better rodeo, ARGRA will present the largest GBLT art show and sale in western Canada. At time of publication, they already have over 110 auction items along with some high end artwork available for sale.
Of course they still have the multiple social events: the Friday night cabaret with headliner Gord Bamford, the Bud Light Barn Burner Dance Saturday night, and the Awards ceremony Sunday night. However, Sunday night they’ve also added Steve Arsenault & Band to perform at the Happy Trails dance. Judy says that by that time everyone’s starting to wind down, and this year ARGRA is hoping to push that energy back up for a final blowout.
The oomph for some folks will come from the spirit of the campsite; strathmore is blessed with acres of land for camping. For these people staying on-site, Judy says they also plan to make the camping site fun and direction-friendly with quadrants, named roads and lanes. The idea is that unlike previous years where you wandered around looking for someone, you can tell them “Well, I’m the fourth one up on Brokeback Lane” or “I’m in the ’Homos on the Range’ section. This is still in the works and will be revealed at the rodeo. Of greater concern for campers is the availability of shower and washroom facilities. Judy wants to reassure attendees that beside permanent washrooms and shower facilities on the Strathmore grounds, ARGRA has arranged for additional portable facilities.
With all these changes, the surprising thing is that the prices have remained the same. Judy admitted ticket sales were a little slow to begin (which may be attributable to this year’s endless winter) but she happily reported that sales have drastically taken off in the last few weeks. There are a variety of ticket package prices available through ARGRA, including tickets to individual events such as the Saturday night Dinner and Dance ($40/$20 dance only), daily Breakfast ($8) and daily entry to the Rodeo grounds ($15). The daily entry fee gets you into the retail area with the Silent Auction items, the GLBT Art Show/Sale, the Carnival, Beer Tent and of course the real fun – the Rodeo itself.
Finally, for those who enjoy the rodeo but are not participants, why not volunteer for this great event? They are always in need of help, especially this year now that ARGRA has stepped up its game. Join the ARGRA family and volunteer for an hour or two. It’s a great way to meet people, have fun, and help out. Contact volunteers@argra.org.
However you choose to participate in the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo, it looks to be a major event everyone will talk of this summer. I know I’m now planning to attend – don’t miss out!
For additional information about ARGRA, visit their website at http://www.argra.org. Organizations interested in participating in the Olde Tyme Country Carnival may also contact ARGRA through their website or via email at sponsorship@argra.org
