Clean the dust off your boots and grab your cowboy hat – the Calgary Stampede parade is back.
The Stampede Parade officially kicked off the 10-day event Friday morning.
Read more: Calgary Stampede Parade Will Return After 2 Years Of Cancellations Due To COVID-19
Led by parade marshal Kevin Costner, the parade began at 9 a.m. and lasted until a little after 11 p.m.
1:33 Calgary Stampede 2022 Parade Marshal, Kevin Costner Calgary Stampede 2022 Parade Marshal, Kevin Costner
Costner spoke in a media availability along with 2022 honorary parade marshal John Scott. According to the Calgary Stampede, Scott has been a key member of the Stampede community and has been at the heart of the local film industry for more than 50 years, showing southern Alberta on both big and small screens.
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When asked if the couple had worked together in film, Scott mentioned that in the past he had gathered some horses for Costner, one specifically from the 2003 film Open Range. Although when Costner picked up the microphone , joked about who the real cowboy in town is.
“Here’s the truth: John is a real cowboy and I’m an imaginary cowboy,” Costner joked.
Read more: Yahoo: Calgary Stampede returns with parade, spectators and no limits
“I realize how lucky I have been in my life and not many people manage to save the girl, save the day, chase the‘ bad ’and sometimes I feel like when I’m doing it (acting) I do it for everyone You know, I try to do my stunts because I know (anyone could say), “if they didn’t get a chance to do it themselves, why would you want to get into this game?”.
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Costner credited Scott along with others in the Western industry for helping over the years to make the films he finds himself in as “authentic” as they can be.
“It takes a lot of real cowboys to come and do it the way it is.”
The theme of this year’s stampede is “back together,” after the pandemic ended up closing the Earth’s largest outdoor show in 2020 and then in 2021, had a modified version of the event along with a compressed parade without attendees.
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Costner explained it with his career and his life in the spotlight. Sometimes he goes and does things where others don’t want to join him, which is fine when he has to attend things alone, but he said “it’s always much better to be with people”.
“We need each other,” Costner said.
“COVID has reminded us at times that they can take things away from us in the blink of an eye and to understand that we can celebrate this parade again, this annual event that has been going on for over 100 years.”
The parade was presented by Dallas Flexhaug of Global, Blake Lough, Leslie Horton and Jeff McArthur of The Morning Show.
This year’s parade had more than 90 participants, including music bands, floats and colorful parties. The 2022 parade route began at 3 SE Street and made its way west along 9th Avenue to 10th Street SW, where it headed north to 6th Avenue SW before returning. east to 3 SE Street.
The 2022 Calgary Stampede Parade Route. Credit: Calgary Stampede
“The Calgary Stampede Parade Committee is looking forward to doing what they love again: doing a full parade,” said Dwayne Spence, chair of the Calgary Stampede Committee.
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“We’ve put together a fantastic lineup with many of the traditional entries Calgarians look forward to seeing, as well as some new surprises.”
1:50 The excitement increases with Calgary Stampede returning to normal after 2 years of limitations The excitement increases with Calgary Stampede returning to normal after 2 years of limitations
Third-generation rancher John Scott has been named honorary marshal of the parade. His company, John Scott Productions, is heavily involved in the local film industry. For more than 50 years, it has shown southern Alberta on small and large screens.
Officials with the largest outdoor show on Earth promise a pre-pandemic event at this year’s Calgary Stampede.
© 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.