Marking the kickoff to one of the city’s most anticipated summer events, hundreds of residents found themselves street-side on Tuesday morning, taking in the annual Whoop-Up Days parade as it stormed the streets of Lethbridge.
“This is a great festival,” says David Khan, Alberta’s Liberal leader. “It’s a great event, and it’s actually older than the Calgary Stampede! There’s a long history of Whoop-Up Days here.”
As community members looked upon the annual festivities, parade participants also found it hard to contain their enthusiasm as they strolled down the roads, eager to please the watching eyes.
“This is so much fun,” said one parade participant. “Look at all of these people. It’s fabulous!”
“It’s great. It’s the true atmosphere of Lethbridge. Lots of energy, lots of people, it’s awesome; we love it,” said another participant from the Lethbridge Roller Derby guild.
More than 100 floats participated in this year’s event, following the theme of Dr. Seuss’s book, Oh, the Places You’ll Go, dressing as characters from the story and embracing the author’s love for fun. Others simply played to the crowds, handing out treats and bringing the community together.
The parade is just the start of the week’s festivities, with Exhibition Park hosting the rest of the Whoop-Up Days fun until Saturday, Aug. 25.