Preparations are underway for Whoop-Up Days, Lethbridge’s annual summer festival, and Tourism Lethbridge says this year could be even bigger than 2024.
The 2025 event is set for August 19 to 24, with attendees able to experience family fun like the midway rides and fair food, the Lethbridge & District Pro Rodeo, and musical acts like Trooper and Chad Brownlee.
New for this year is what has been dubbed the ‘Whoop-Up Wrap-Up’, a bonus day extending the festival to six days instead of the usual five, on August 24.
READ MORE: One more reason to Whoop-It up this summer as annual extravaganza extended
Dominika Wojcik, Senior Director of Communications for Tourism Lethbridge, expects the spectacle to bring in not just many residents, but visitors from afar.
“Events like this are a big draw for our region and they’re really a gateway to coming and visiting our destination,” Wojcik says.
“People might hear about Whoop-Up Days and may not want to head too far south these days, and this is a great opportunity to see what’s closer to them.”
Wojcik adds that having guests come check out the summer festival means they could discover new attractions they have yet to see in the city.
“What’s great is with a festival experience like this, they can come, they can enjoy the day at Whoop-Up Days, have some fun on the midway, check out the acts but then they can also go out to dinner, they can also go shopping, and check out Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, which is just down the street from here [the Exhibition],” she remarks.
“I think it’s a really great opportunity for people to see more than just what’s here [at Whoop-Up Days] and it’s a huge gateway for that.”
Last year, the festival recorded over 40,000 attendees, and Wojcik believes that figure could be even higher this summer.
READ MORE: Whoop-Up Days 2024 sees over 40,000 in attendance
“I think that this year we can see a really high number and maybe double the amount that we saw last year,” she says, adding that strong attendance can equate to hundreds of thousands of dollars for the local economy.
“We know, again, that people are travelling a little less, and maybe Whoop-Up Days is that excuse to stay home because we know there’s something fun and exciting going on.”
More information about the festival is at the Whoop-Up Days website.
