Listen Live
Listen Live
- Advertisement -
HomeNewsWhoop Up Days a success despite lower than average visitor count: Lethbridge...

Whoop Up Days a success despite lower than average visitor count: Lethbridge and District Exhibition

Whoop Up Days saw about 23,000 visitors last week. Mike Warkentin, CEO of Lethbridge and District Exhibition, says though this is below average, he is happy with the turnout. 

“The excitement level is at a level that I haven’t experienced in my time at Whoop Up Days and I think part of that was due to, obviously the pandemic, and being able to get back together as a community,” he says. “Part of that is due to the level of excitement around our organization, but I think a lot had to do with the programming elements that were part of the fair this year — with the addition of the pow wow and the rodeo as well as the art programming.”

Whoop Up Days did not include a venue for live music this year, Warkentin says this is because of venue limitations during construction of the new agrifood hub. But he adds, the addition of a pow wow and pro rodeo helped to attract new demographics to the event. 

I think what we heard is that there is only room for this event to grow and so how we do that, how we provide something for every age group, every different demographic that exists in this community is probably the biggest learning for me and how we begin to engage different audiences that wouldn’t traditionally come to Whoop Up Days. I think in the past, we have seen a strong element of people who come here for the midway only, but how do we truly  make this a cultural festival for all of southern Alberta,” he says. 

Weather also contributed to the lower than average attendance, with the rodeo being shut down for about 40 minutes on Thursday because of a thunderstorm. 

“Mother nature wanted to throw some wrenches at us, but it was a successful week nonetheless,” he says. “There wasn’t a day that wasn’t threatening weather this year and so we’re really encouraged and impressed with the amount of people that came out, despite those challenges.”

The Lethbridge and District Exhibition does not yet know the economic impact for the city yet for this year’s event, but Warkentin says he anticipates to learn the event drew a profit. He adds this year drew in tourism to the city and he hopes to expand on that in the future. 

- Advertisment -
- Advertisment -
- Advertisement -

Continue Reading