The second annual High River Stampede Breakfast went off without a hitch Saturday.
Thousands of people showed up for the free pancakes and sausages and stuck around for all the entertainment and activities.
This year, it took over George Lane Park, and there were barely any lineups. Getting your pancakes and sausages took no time at all.
Special thanks to Ima Moreno from El Papalote for organizing the food setup and coordinating it.
Rick Green, the organizer of the event, in conjunction with Centered on Wellness and 99.7 Sun Country, was thrilled with how it went and was so grateful for all the volunteers.
The emcee, Sarah Scott, greeted guests at 8:30 a.m. with a land acknowledgment and helped kick off the Cowboy Bean Cook Off on the main stage.
Eric Farrell ended up being declared the winner while his kids were getting ready to compete in the Mini-Chuckwagon Soap Box race.
Talent seems to run in the family as his two kids, Oscar and Alice Farrell, along with their friend Hazel, ended up winning the soap box race in front of a packed crowd cheering them on.
Something rather unique and amusing about the winning Mini-Chuckwagon Soap Box, it was made out of an old portable medical toilet seat with wheels, and the two hobby horses for the two outriders were made from a pair of wooden crutches. The parents also have a great sense of humour, as the mini-chuckwagon team was named 'The Potty Animals'. Thanks to J&D's Attic for allowing the teams to come by and pick up items to put their mini-chuckwagon soap boxes together.
There were four 'wagons' in the race, with the winners receiving a cash prize and a trophy. The Potty Animals actually won two trophies because they also won for the best entry in the mini parade of the four wagons that went through the park.
The dunk tank was brought back again, and for only $5, you had three balls to hit the target. Big shoutout to the four women firefighters from Diamond Valley who made the trek to town to get dunked, and they got dunked a lot. Constable Brett Foley from the High River RCMP detachment also showed up, as did Mrs. Calgary. Mrs. Calgary is Chantel Bruins, who just so happens to be from High River also showed up and spent way more time in the dunk tank than anyone. All the money raised is going towards Wild Rose Community Connections.
Two top-notch bands performed Country and some Country and Western favourites, with outstanding sound mixing that could be heard throughout the entire park from the Bandstand. Classic Vibes hit the stage first, and there were also five other acoustic performers performing right beside where the pancakes and sausages were, before Cadence Creek took to the Bandstand. Both were well received, with dancing breaking out in front of the stage.
The historic two-horse carriage rides were a big hit for a lot of visitors, too.
There were a lot of food choices for lunch, too, once you had your fill of pancakes. Food trucks rolled into George Lane Memorial Park, offering up ice cream, lemonade, and some hot dogs and hamburgers for lunch.
Since it was a Stampede Breakfast, the organizers put together a pancake-eating competition this year, with one young man, Daniel Mendieta, eating 23 and a half pancakes for the win, the trophy and a crisp $100.
The Steele's Scouts Commemorative Militia Cavalry were on hand again this year and had to take care of 'a couple of bad guys'. They also spent time letting people pet their horses, take photos and answer a wide variety of questions from all ages.
And one final shoutout to Mother Nature for holding off on the rain.