With the midway forming at Exhibition Park, the Whoop-Up Days festival is starting to take shape, with kickoff on Tuesday.
READ MORE: 18 pancake breakfasts to check out during Whoop Up Days 2018
West Coast Amusements says that between booths and rides, there will be around 75 attractions.
“Right now we’ve got most everything set up, we do have some fine-tuning to do,” West Coast Amusements manager Darcy Benson said. “We’ve done it before in one day; we have two days here, which is kind of nice. So we can spend a little extra time cleaning and making sure everything is beautiful and shiny and ready to go.”
Ride operators like Ronnie Kennedy conducted safety checks on Tuesday. The 35-year fair veteran runs a small train attraction, and while it may not have the most glamorous ride, he gets to take part in a pretty unique moment.
“Most kids come on here and it’s the first ride they’ve ever been on,” Kennedy said. “Seeing them smile and laugh, that’s well worth it.”
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Whoop-Up Days will of course feature the rodeo, with some new competitors and concerts running every night. Bands like The Sheepdogs, The Road Hammers and Helix are set to perform.
The festival also includes Pioneer Village as a new attraction.
“You can go back in time to the 1800s when the pioneers were pioneers…and then they do a variety show,” Exhibition Park manager of marketing Doug Kryzanowski said. “So that’s kind of neat, something we haven’t had here before.”
If you’re planning a commute downtown Tuesday morning, you might want to give yourself a little bit more time than usual.
The following road closures will be in effect from 9 a.m. until approximately 1 p.m.:
- 3 Street South between Park Place Mall & 3 Avenue South
- 3 Avenue South between 3 Street South & 13 Street South
- 1 Avenue South between 4 Street South and Scenic Drive South
- 13 Street South/North between 3 Avenue South & 9 Avenue North
- 9 Avenue North between 13 Street North & 19 Street North (this is the dispersal area and is not part of the parade route)
The annual parade will feature a number of floats as a kickoff to Whoop-Up Days.
“Right now we’re at about 110 (floats) which is right on the button,” Kryzanowski said. “Weather sounds like it’s going to be beautiful in the morning, so hopefully it will be great day on Tuesday.”
The Gates officially open at noon on Tuesday and 1 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
Advanced ticket sales wrap up Monday at midnight at Gas King locations.
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