Record-Breaking 40th Anniversary of Aggie Days

It was a big birthday bash at the Calgary Stampede’s Aggie Days this year, as the event celebrated 40 years of bringing the farm to the city with fun agriculture education for the whole family. From April 9-13, Aggie Days welcomed more than 37,000 guests to Stampede Park!

With the addition of live music by the Calgary Fiddlers and the Calgary Stampede’s Band of Outriders, appearances by Stampede Royalty and Harry the Horse, along with cake for guests, Aggie Days 2025 was a true celebration.

School groups of students in grades 3-6 from Calgary and surrounding communities joined in for the first three weekdays of the event. Then on the weekend, the event opened to the public, where visitors of all ages had the chance to learn about Alberta’s agricultural industry directly from local producers and experience the excitement of live demonstrations and competitions. From Grain and Pulse Growers to Livestock Producers, Blacksmiths, Auctioneers, and Rodeo Competitors, Aggie Days had something fun and interesting for everyone!

While Aggie Days offers plenty of family-friendly fun—it’s the dozens of exhibitors and volunteers who donate their time and resources each year who give the event its heart.

“Throughout its 40 years, Aggie Days has continued to grow and evolve,” said Brian Gross, Chair of the Stampede’s volunteer Ag Education Subcommittee. “We’ve been able to educate more and more children who wouldn’t otherwise experience a connection to the farm, and we’ve seen a huge increase in the type of knowledge being shared by our exhibitors, including the use of technology in agriculture operations.”

Debbie Lee, a multi-generation Dairy Farmer from Springbank, has volunteered at Aggie Days for all four decades that the event has been around. She prides herself on showing where cow’s milk comes from through live demonstrations, at which children are always interested in seeing just how much work milking is, and how much care is given to the animals.

The two Western event competitions that occurred during Aggie Days also drew crowds and wows! On April 12, Clock, Stock and Barrel saw 40 entries, with Barry Thomlinson and his dog, Siegfried, finishing in first place during the timed trial which challenged handlers and their stock dogs to move three sheep through a defined course and into a pen in the fastest time. The Extreme Cowboy Race on April 13 saw 23 entries, with Sophia Lowie and her horse, Remis Slidin’ Diamond, once again coming in first place after also winning the Cowboy Up Challenge during Stampede last July.

For those of us who love all things agriculture, Aggie Days is a true family-favourite event. If you haven’t been, don’t miss the next one! See you next year, April 8-13, 2026.

Article courtesy of Christie Jensen, Calgary Stampede Agriculture & Western Events Media Committee Volunteer.