The 2024 Calgary Stampede kicks off Friday morning with the 112th Stampede Parade presented by Suncor starting at 9 a.m. on 9 Ave. S.E. and 3 St. S.E. The weather is expected to be clear and sunny for the parade, at about 11C at 7 a.m. up to 15C when the parade begins and by afternoon it will be 23C.The parade for The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth will run for about two hours and exhibits more than 100 entries including 21 floats, 11 bands and nearly over 700 horses. There will be 40 equine entries, including Heavy Horse Hitches and Mounted Colour Parties.More than 300,000 spectators are expected to attend the parade. Early birds usually start looking for a good spot along the parade route around 7:45 a.m. to enjoy the Parade Prelude, comprised of more than 30 music and dance acts. Actor and member of the Piikani Nation and Blood Tribe of the Blackfoot Confederacy, Owen Crow Shoe, who co-starred with Kevin Costner in Horizon: An American Saga, will be leading the parade as the 2024 Calgary Stampede Parade Marshal. The Celebrity Judges are 2018 Parade Marshal Amber Marshall from the Canadian television series Heartland and her co-stars Chris Potter and Shaun Johnston. “The Stampede Parade Committee (SPC) has assembled a stellar lineup that has something for everyone,” said SPC Chair Blair Barkley.“The tradition and pageantry of the parade Calgarians have loved for generations will meet some exciting new and refreshed entries to produce an unforgettable experience for the young and young at heart.” The parade can be viewed live on Global Calgary or Amazon Prime with a broadcast beginning at 8:45 a.m.Roads will be closed in and out of the downtown core at 7:30 a.m. and will stay closed until after the parade is over and Calgary Police Service give the go-ahead to open them. Roads are expected to be closed until after 2 p.m..On Thursday, roads in the East Village will be closed to on-street parking as of 12 p.m. Thursday and closed to traffic at 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Parage organizers recommend walking, biking or using public transit to get to the parade route. Those following the parade to Stampede Park will have free admission from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.Details on road closures are available on the City of Calgary website.
