Chamber eyes best parade ever

By John Watson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Wheatland Chamber of Commerce (SWCC) is gearing up in preparation for the upcoming Strathmore Stampede parade, with hopes that the event will be the largest to date. 

“We are doing lots of preparations in the back end; right now, we are sitting at around 80 floats, more registrants are coming in day by day, and the chamber is actually on track to have the largest Stampede Parade in recent Strathmore history,” said Cody Holdaway, who spoke on behalf of the SWCC Board of Directors. “We have really been trying to promote the Strathmore Stampede parade and promote the Strathmore business community as a whole, and we are just trying to make this one of the biggest parades that the town has ever seen.”

Holdaway said the estimated record for the greatest number of floats participating in the parade was 89, though did not specify which year that occurred. The tally had reached 80 registrants as of July 24.

A large majority of the floats and represented businesses in the parade are local to Strathmore and Wheatland County. The aim, Holdaway said, is to draw as much attention as possible. 

“The chamber’s focus has always been and will always be the local business community, and 90 per cent of these floats are local businesses,” he said. “The bigger we can make this parade, the more people who are going to come out and watch the parade, and the more eyes are going to be on our local business community.”

Joining the parade requires only a $25 investment to register and is done through the SWCC website.

Holdaway added there are no specific expectations, as some businesses will feature only a banner, where others will participate with an elaborate float or display. 

 “We just want to see you showcase your business, (and showcase) the vibrant cultures that Strathmore has. This town has a lot of history; we have floats coming to showcase that,” he said.

Small businesses explicitly local to Strathmore, as well as large corporations such as the CGC and de Havilland throw in their lot to participate in the festivities. 

Following the parade, patrons and attendees are encouraged to head straight down to the Agricultural Society grounds to participate in the Strathmore Stampede.

The parade is scheduled to take off beginning at 9 a.m., Aug. 3, taking a route through downtown Strathmore. More information regarding the parade route is available online.