Celebrating 50 Years of Midway Magic at the Calgary Stampede

It’s not often that someone’s resume boasts ‘1977 to Present’ but that’s exactly what would be on Greg Korkek’s resume, if he needed one.

Fondly known as Scooter, Gregg Korek is celebrating his 50th year with North American Midway Entertainment (NAME), which brings the Midway to the Calgary Stampede, where guests enjoy 10 days of fun and wild rides. It’s a career that has taken Scooter all over North America, where he oversees 121 fairs and festivals that NAME brings the Midway to.

“We start in Miami in March and then go into the Midwest, then play seven dates in Canada, then follow the sun back down to the south until the middle of November, but I call Calgary home.”

As Vice President of Client Services in North America, Scooter says the best part of his job is being part of entertaining over 150,000 people at a time. “Who doesn’t like that type of work? This is the excitement of it,” he adds.

When he’s not travelling for work, Scooter loves to travel for pleasure. “I just keep travelling when I’m not travelling. It’s kind of in my blood.”

But he always loves to come home to Calgary. “I tend to events throughout North America, and the Calgary Stampede is the premier event, and we should really embrace what Calgary has created here.”

Something as unique as Scooter's time with NAME is a particular ride that has come with him along his journey. “The Wave Swinger is my favorite ride. We brought it in 50 years ago, so it’s come with me to every Calgary Stampede. It’s like my brother.”

As Scooter looks back on an incredible 50-year career, he says there are so many people to thank. “My coworkers and the Calgary Stampede and all the great people that helped me along the way, making this one of the best careers anybody could ever ask for.”

And how many more years does Scooter plan on working? “I’ve got to keep doing this until I don’t like it anymore, which might be the day I die.”