(file photo/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

100th anniversary

Meadow Lake gearing up for annual rodeo

May 16, 2023 | 2:42 PM

The Meadow Lake community is getting excited as its annual Meadow Lake Stampede returns to town June 5 to 11.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the star-studded event.

“It’s quite an accomplishment to be active that long to keep it going,” Meadow Lake Stampede Association (MLSA) president Leighton Wood said. “I’m looking forward to seeing people out. I think it will be a great event.”

The Western Parade, sponsored by the Meadow Lake and District Chamber of Commerce, will kick off the festivities at 7 p.m. on Monday, June 5, with the theme: “A Century of Memories.”

Groups can register to participate in the parade by signing up at the Meadow Lake Library.

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The entire rodeo competition will take place outside this year.

“This will be my first rodeo outdoors in probably about 22 years,” Wood said. “That is kind of new. We have teamed up with Flying Dust [First Nation] to bring the CPCA [Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association] chuckwagons into town.”

In prior years, the rodeo was held indoors, up until the Meadow Lake and District Arena was destroyed in a fire in June of 2021. The pandemic also put a temporary pause on the rodeo festivities.

This is the first year back for the full rodeo, to be held at the Meadow Lake Stampede Grounds. The Professional Bull Riding event was held in 2022 outdoors at the Stampede Grounds, as Wood said, “to test the waters” a bit, before bringing the whole rodeo back with the new outdoor format for this year.

“The way the community is coming together to show us support for this new endeavor, it’s just amazing,” Wood said of the public response.

As far as the line up goes, the Bullarama event will be held Thursday, June 8, featuring 25 of the best bull riders in Western Canada.

The Rodeo Action will take place Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10.

“Part of the rodeo will be held under the lights because it will probably be dark before we get finished,” Wood said. “So, that’s something new and a little different. It will kind of change up the atmosphere a little bit.”

On Friday, June 9, Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11 Flying Dust First Nation will present the Percy Derocher Memorial Chuckwagon races.

As added attraction, on Sunday, June 11 at 3 p.m., the Elite Indian Relay Races are planned during the chuckwagons event.

“I think that will be an exciting event for a lot of people,” Wood said.

Tickets for all the events will be available at the gates to take in the action.

A number of events are also planned for socializing and a night out for families.

On Wednesday, June 7, a Fundraiser Dinner is planned at the Flying Dust Arena to help raise funds for future plans for the new rodeo grounds.

On Saturday, June 10 from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. the Meadow Lake Co-op is hosting a Rib Fest supper event at the Meadow Lake Stampede Grounds. A tent will be set up and tables put out for people to sit and enjoy their meal.

Also among the line up is the Stampede Dance at the Meadow Lake Civic Centre on Saturday, June 10 starting at 9:30 pm.

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @meadowlakenow