Photo credit: Dawson Creek Exhibition & Stampede Facebook page.

By Curtis Galbraith

Community

Dawson Creek Exhibition & Stampede starts Wednesday

Aug 9, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Wednesday marks Day 1 of the 101st Dawson Creek Exhibition and Stampede.

President Connie Patterson says the rodeo, wagons and agriculture fair are all back this year.

“The agriculture fair, of course, it takes in all kinds of grains and hay and forage, cattle, heavy horses, light horses, 4-H, llamas, goats, sheep are all part of the agriculture fair.”

The number of exhibits is about the same as previous years.

Patterson says there will also be a 4-H steer auction Saturday night and a gospel festival on Sunday.

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Dry conditions mean the fireworks will not be held this year.

The All-Pro and WPCA wagons race every night at 5:30 BC time. The pro rodeo goes Friday through Sunday at 12:30 PST, with the slack on Friday and the main performances Saturday and Sunday.

Patterson is asking people to make a point of taking in the horticulture show.

“We actually have lost the horticulture building, so there are three big 35 x 40 tents (instead).”

“They have a beautiful exhibit, an absolutely beautiful exhibit. They have waterfalls and all different types of trees and flowers. It is just an absolutely beautiful exhibit.”

Patterson says the old horticulture building, plus the old horse barns, are no longer being used because of their age.

A new 4-H building was built in the past year at a cost of $250,000. It will host all the kid’s events.

Patterson says they have applied for grants to help replace the barns. They want to build four new ones that would house close to two dozen horses each, but they would cost $200,000 apiece. Seven old horse barns are no longer being used.

Patterson thinks Dawson Creek being an agriculture town has kept the exhibition going for over 100 years.

“Our surrounding area is all agriculture, whether you are up past Fort St. John, up to Wonowon, all those areas.”

“One of the other things is the oil patch has really helped us. We have eleven suites that are on the rodeo infield. They pretty much rent (all of them) out.”

The exhibition and stampede runs through Sunday. A full schedule can be found here.