Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!
ACROSS
CANADA … Lots of Fun in Calgary
We
had planned our trip so that we could visit “The Greatest Show on Earth”, the Calgary Stampede. As it
happened, Melody and Dick were both on the Stampede committee. This gave us a
number of advantages. We could help their committee “Hot Air Balloon Races”, we could see the "Stampede Parade" from a really good vantage point and we could
attend many of the Stampede activities, especially the very exciting “Chuck wagon Races”! When we got back
from Edmonton, we were immediately commandeered to help with the Hot Air
Balloons. We attended the “Strategy”
meeting that was to go over the final preparations for the big race. The amount
of planning and strategy was amazing. The committee had been running the race
for some time, so they really knew what they were doing! Judi and I felt a
little lost and out of place! The committee, however, was very friendly and welcomed
us as one of them! The day after the “Hot
Air Balloon” strategy meeting was the Calgary
Stampede Parade. If you have never witnessed the parade in person, you have
missed a wonderful treat! I have seen it a number of times and it never becomes
“old”. We were also back in Calgary, at
this time, to participate in our second event at Spruce Meadows, the International Cup. This is where world class equestrians
compete. It is one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the World. Ian Miller and Big Ben were competing again! After the Stampede Parade, we drove to Spruce
Meadows to set up our booth and then, hopefully to sell some art. Unfortunately,
it was a rainy and cool evening and not much happened! The next day was a
little better, but not much! Fortunately, it became much warmer in the afternoon.
This brightened our mood, just in time for the “Great Hot Air Balloon Race”! In the early evening we traveled with
Melody and Dick to “Balloon Hill”! The
“take-off” of the Balloons was spectacular!
The people in the Stampede Grandstands had a wonderful view! We “chased” our assigned Balloon and then
helped “pack up” once it had landed!
After the “chase”, we came back to
the Stampede grounds to witness the “Chuck
Wagon Races" and then to walk the Stampede grounds! The next day was
to be our final day at Spruce Meadows.
I must admit that I did “sneak” off
once or twice to watch the jumping. It was very special, to say the least, especially
when I saw Miller and Big Ben perform!
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