Latest news with #NorthAmericanMidwayEntertainment
CTV News
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Organized chaos,' builders say of moving exhibition from Stampede to KDays
The last pieces of the KDays Midway are being put in place Thursday. The exhibition grounds were a bustling place in the morning, with workers in cranes, forklifts, semis, and even on top of a stationary ferris wheel. 'A lot of it is organized chaos,' acknowledged Bennett Kavals, the person in charge of personnel for North American Midway Entertainment. 'But a lot of planning goes into the logistics.' After the Calgary Stampede closed on Sunday, about 500 crew members tore the amusement park down and packed for the road trip north on Monday and Tuesday. About 300 semis are needed to transport the rides from city to city. 'We bring the equipment in the strategic order. The placement is very important.… It's kind of like a symphony, an orchestra,' Kavals said. KDays midway exhibition set up 2025 A crane operator helps build a roller coaster for the KDays exhibition on July 17, 2025. (Connor Hogg / CTV News Edmonton) Many staff work for the company year round and travel for the exhibition season year after year. Each is assigned to a specific ride. 'We move 19 locations in a year, so we're pretty good at this. And we've been doing it for 21 years,' noted Scooter Korek, vice-president of client services. 'We start in Miami in March of every year and they become very proficient at their ride and how to set it up, how to do the inspections, how to make sure that it's safe, how to be able to ride people. So by the time we get here to KDays, we're very proficient in our tasks.' According to him, two of the most difficult rides to set up are the 'Crazy Mouse' and 'Outlaw' roller coasters. But construction and inspections will be finished by Friday's 11 a.m. opening, the organizers promised. Korek said, 'It hits home when the gates are open. All that work pays off and all of our guys look forward to (it). Let's get this party started.' With files from CTV News Edmonton's Connor Hogg
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Videos capture brawls on and off Stampede grounds, four arrested after midway fight
Four people were arrested early Tuesday morning after a fight broke out at the Calgary Stampede midway. The altercation spilled into a midway game booth and involved several employees attempting to break up the fight. Calgary police say officers responded to reports of a disturbance where a fight had broken out between four people at Stampede Park at around 12:13 a.m. Tuesday. 'The fight spilled into the booth of a midway game and the midway employees attempted to remove them,' CPS said in a statement. Officers arrived on scene and placed four individuals under arrest, police said. Charges are pending. A video of the incident, shared on Instagram, appears to show multiple midway employees trying to bring an end to the altercation. North American Midway Entertainment did not respond to request for comment. A spokesperson for the Calgary Stampede confirmed they were aware of the incident. 'We can confirm that both Calgary Police Service and Calgary Stampede Security responded to that incident,' said Kerrie Blizard, director of public safety and environment at the Calgary Stampede. 'All four offenders were escorted off park by Calgary Police Service that evening.' Another video shared to social media on Tuesday appears to show a separate brawl in downtown Calgary, near the Wildhorse Saloon in the 500 block of 6th Avenue S.W. The video, posted to Instagram by YEGWAVE, shows at least six individuals involved in a violent altercation outside the Wildhorse tent. At one point, an individual is shown face down on the ground as another person kicks them in the head. It's unclear when exactly the altercation took place. CPS said it is not aware of any reports about the incident. Police are working to protect pubic safety at Stampede events, CPS said in a statement. 'The Calgary Police Service is working with our partners and community groups to provide a safe environment for all and we encourage everyone to enjoy Stampede events and celebrations in a lawful and safe manner,' CPS said.
CTV News
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘Uniquely Canadian': Stampede begins with parade led by country star Shania Twain
Shania Twain performs during MusiCares Person of the Year honoring Jon Bon Jovi on Friday, Feb. 2, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, File) CALGARY — The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede. Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13. The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014. Twain, 59, is country music's top-selling female artist, according to Billboard. She is currently a judge on Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent.' Her long string of hits includes 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' 'Any Man of Mine' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' 'I can't think of a better parade marshal,' said Joel Cowley, the Stampede's chief executive. 'We expect to see 300,000-plus lining the streets once again. What a great way to kick off the Calgary Stampede.' People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade begins to get good seats. Stampede Park has been busy for the past week as crews assemble midway rides and concession stands. Gregg Korek with North American Midway Entertainment will be making his 49th appearance at the Stampede. He likens it to getting ready for the prom. 'We're just putting on the corsage right now,' he said. Growing up in Calgary, Korek joined the midway group as a teen. 'I always say I like all of our fairs exactly the same, but I like this one a little bit better because I'm a Calgarian.' Cowley said Stampede attracted almost 1.5 million visitors last year. Of that number, he said about 73 per cent were from the Calgary area. Another nine per cent were from Alberta and 10 per cent were other Canadians. The rest came from the United States or other countries. With Canadians unhappy about tariffs from the U.S., Cowley said domestic visitors could be higher this year. 'It is an international event, and I would think this year we would see a lot of Canadians looking for a Canadian vacation to come here to the Calgary Stampede,' he said. The first Stampede was in 1912, and Cowley said the event stays true to its agricultural roots. 'It's really something that needs to be experienced. At the heart of what we do is agriculture and Western heritage,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025. Bill Graveland, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Uniquely Canadian': Stampede begins with parade led by country star Shania Twain
CALGARY – The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede. Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13. The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014. Twain, 59, is country music's top-selling female artist, according to Billboard. She is currently a judge on Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent.' Her long string of hits includes 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' 'Any Man of Mine' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' 'I can't think of a better parade marshal,' said Joel Cowley, the Stampede's chief executive. 'We expect to see 300,000-plus lining the streets once again. What a great way to kick off the Calgary Stampede.' People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade begins to get good seats. Stampede Park has been busy for the past week as crews assemble midway rides and concession stands. Gregg Korek with North American Midway Entertainment will be making his 49th appearance at the Stampede. He likens it to getting ready for the prom. 'We're just putting on the corsage right now,' he said. Growing up in Calgary, Korek joined the midway group as a teen. 'I always say I like all of our fairs exactly the same, but I like this one a little bit better because I'm a Calgarian.' Cowley said Stampede attracted almost 1.5 million visitors last year. Of that number, he said about 73 per cent were from the Calgary area. Another nine per cent were from Alberta and 10 per cent were other Canadians. The rest came from the United States or other countries. Weekly A weekly look at what's happening in Winnipeg's arts and entertainment scene. With Canadians unhappy about tariffs from the U.S., Cowley said domestic visitors could be higher this year. 'It is an international event, and I would think this year we would see a lot of Canadians looking for a Canadian vacation to come here to the Calgary Stampede,' he said. The first Stampede was in 1912, and Cowley said the event stays true to its agricultural roots. 'It's really something that needs to be experienced. At the heart of what we do is agriculture and Western heritage,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025.
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Uniquely Canadian': Stampede begins with parade led by country star Shania Twain
CALGARY - The Old West will be on full display as thousands clad in tassels, boots and buckles march through city streets today to kick off the Calgary Stampede. Country superstar Shania Twain will saddle up and lead the parade on horseback before performing Saturday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The Stampede runs until July 13. The 'Man! I Feel Like a Woman' singer, who was raised in Timmins, Ont., last took the stage at the Stampede in 2014. Twain, 59, is country music's top-selling female artist, according to Billboard. She is currently a judge on Citytv's 'Canada's Got Talent.' Her long string of hits includes 'That Don't Impress Me Much,' 'Any Man of Mine' and 'Whose Bed Have Your Boots Been Under?' 'I can't think of a better parade marshal,' said Joel Cowley, the Stampede's chief executive. 'We expect to see 300,000-plus lining the streets once again. What a great way to kick off the Calgary Stampede.' People have traditionally arrived hours before the parade begins to get good seats. Stampede Park has been busy for the past week as crews assemble midway rides and concession stands. Gregg Korek with North American Midway Entertainment will be making his 49th appearance at the Stampede. He likens it to getting ready for the prom. 'We're just putting on the corsage right now,' he said. Growing up in Calgary, Korek joined the midway group as a teen. 'I always say I like all of our fairs exactly the same, but I like this one a little bit better because I'm a Calgarian.' Cowley said Stampede attracted almost 1.5 million visitors last year. Of that number, he said about 73 per cent were from the Calgary area. Another nine per cent were from Alberta and 10 per cent were other Canadians. The rest came from the United States or other countries. With Canadians unhappy about tariffs from the U.S., Cowley said domestic visitors could be higher this year. 'It is an international event, and I would think this year we would see a lot of Canadians looking for a Canadian vacation to come here to the Calgary Stampede,' he said. The first Stampede was in 1912, and Cowley said the event stays true to its agricultural roots. 'It's really something that needs to be experienced. At the heart of what we do is agriculture and Western heritage,' he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 4, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
