Powwow, Princess Pageant, Relay Races among the highlights of five days of events and activities throughout the park
Lethbridge, Alta. – A unique partnership between the Blackfoot Confederacy and Lethbridge & District Exhibition has resulted in a one-of-a-kind cultural celebration during Whoop-Up Days. From Aug. 20-24, Blackfoot culture will be on display throughout the Whoop-Up Days Parade, the Siksikaitsitapi Powwow and Princess Pageant, a Traditional Games demonstration, the popular Relay Races at the Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo, and entertainment on the Original 16 Stage.
Lethbridge & District Exhibition acknowledges and celebrates its location on Blackfoot Territory and has worked to ensure this culture is celebrated throughout the five-day event.
“Our partnership with the Blackfoot Confederacy is something we celebrate not only during Whoop-Up Days, but throughout the entire year,” says Paul Kingsmith, Director, Community Engagement. “We have worked closely with Confederacy members and Elders to create meaningful and authentic experiences that help showcase Blackfoot culture to our region. We’re proud of the way these initiatives are incorporated as a key part of our fair and we invite the entire community to take part.”
For the third straight year, the Siksikaitsitapi Princess Pageant kicks off Whoop-Up Days at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20 in the UFA Hall of the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. Competing in one of three categories: Tiny Tots, Junior, or Senior, competitors are scored on an essay submission, speech, dance and talent showcase. The crowned Miss Siksikaitsitapi winners will represent Lethbridge & District Exhibition and the Siksikaitsitapi - Blackfoot Confederacy as an ambassador throughout the year by continuing and sharing the rich traditions, culture, and heritage of Indigenous peoples.
The Siksikaitsitapi Powwow begins at 1 p.m. on both Wednesday, Aug. 21 and Thursday, Aug. 22 in the UFA Hall and Hall C of the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. With cash payouts totaling more than $65,000, the Powwow attracts top competitors from across Western Canada and the United States. The event honours the unique and rich cultural history of the land and First Nations People, and the community is invited to witness the beauty and knowledge that is rooted in the drumming and dancing of competitive Powwow. During the event, the Powwow Marketplace presented by PCL Construction will feature dozens of vendors selling arts, crafts, food and other authentic items.
New to Whoop-Up Days, a Traditional Games demonstration will take place at 3 p.m. on both Friday, Aug. 23 and Saturday, Aug. 24 in Hall C of the Agri-food Hub & Trade Centre. Traditional games span back centuries and were developed as part of Blackfoot culture. In this demonstration, spectators will see how these games came to be, how they applied to Blackfoot life, and how a new generation is keeping them alive.
The thrilling Relay Races are a crowd favourite that sees skilled riders showcase their skills in bareback riding as they race around the arena, then jump off their horse and up onto another for the next lap. The Relay Races are one of the most high-intensity elements of the Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo from Aug. 22 to 24. The Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo is the only professional rodeo in Canada to include Relay Races as part of their main events. Rodeo tickets are available at whoopupdays.ca. As well, Thursday, Aug. 23 is Blackfoot Confederacy Celebration Night at the rodeo, presented by Allied Projects, where programming elements will celebrate Blackfoot culture.
For a second straight year, the Original 16 Stage presented by Great Western Brewing will showcase some of the top Indigenous performers from around the province. From 3:30 – 6 p.m. each day, Piikani artist Willy Big Bull has curated an all-star lineup of performers that crosses genres and styles, including Sargent X Comrade, Double Rider, Richard Inman, Alchemy the Linguist and Siren City, Desert Orchid and more. A partnership with the Blackfoot Confederacy and PCL Construction Services has helped to create the showcase, which puts these performers on the big stage at Whoop-Up Days.
All of the action begins with the Whoop-Up Days Parade presented by Park Place Shopping Centre at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 20, where the Blackfoot Confederacy will have a colourful presence celebrating the culture of the Piikani, Kainai, Siksika and Amskapi Piikani people.
All Indigenous events are included with gate admission, except for the Relay Races, which requires a ticket to the Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo. To learn more about all of the Indigenous programming at Whoop-Up Days, visit whoopupdays.ca.
About Whoop-Up Days
Whoop-Up Days runs from Aug. 20 to 24 at Lethbridge & District Exhibition. Whoop-Up Days is where our community comes together to celebrate, experience, eat, laugh, and ride. Where the midway lights brighten up the southern sky, where the authentic west still runs wild, where cultures come together and memories are made. Enjoy Free ‘Til 3 admission Fuelled by Gas King from Tuesday, Aug. 20 to Thursday, Aug. 22. Advance tickets to Whoop-Up Days are available now at Lethbridge and Picture Butte Gas King locations. Learn more at whoopupdays.ca.
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