The Canadian Finals Rodeo (CFR) heads to Red Deer from October 30 to November 4, 2018. For six days, Westerner Park will play host as the best Canadian rodeo competitors square up for one final showdown: the chance to be crowned national champions. Yee-haw!
Because you may need a break from rodeo-ing all day, here are three ways you can enjoy Central Alberta on your downtime from the Canadian Finals Rodeo.
1. Get Lost in the CFR Logo at Kraay Family Farm
Lacombe’s Kraay Family Farm has pulled out all the stops with their world-famous corn maze to celebrate the CFR. In the past, the farm has transformed their fields of corn into tributes to various sports teams, country singer Paul Brandt and even the Peanuts crew. This year, the maze is made to resemble the classic rodeo logo of the CFR: complete with the iconic saddle bronc rider! Sprawling over 15 acres, expect to set aside a couple of hours for this bad boy.
The farm is home to more than 40 attractions including jumping pillows, farm animals, a sugar shack, pig races, human foosball, stalk car racing, barnyard twisters, gemstone mining and campfires. It’s no wonder Kraay Family Farm is a classic Alberta summer and fall destination for families.
At Kraay Family Farm, you can get in some rodeo action too. Kids can attempt to go for an 8-second ride on the bucking broncos or give it their best shot at horsetail plaiting. There’s also tractor pulling and calf roping activities, to complete your CFR-themed day. The pumpkin patch and pumpkin cannon are family favourite spots on the farm in the fall. The farm is open until October 20th so you’ll have plenty of time to get up to some autumn fun.
2. Outrun the Horse with the Heritage Ranch, Ranch Tracker Experience
Remember playing cops and robbers as a kid? Ranch Tracker is cops and robbers all grown up, on the ranch! You have one hour to capture a series of flags spread out across an undisclosed location at Heritage Ranch. The challenge is you’ll have to do it entirely under cover – if you get caught by the tracker, it’s game over! This competition is inspired by the iconic Canadian television show Mantracker. It’s deep cover; we’re talking the kind of cover that gets you thinking thick bush, camo gear, mud, fields and forest. You’ll have to lay low, avoid distractions and keep away from places that look tempting but could give your location away to the tracker.
3. Head to the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame
Ponoka, a stone’s throw away from Red Deer, is home to some of the coolest sports paraphernalia at the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is a museum indebted to the country’s rodeo past, proudly celebrating contestants, animals and builders who strove for excellence in Canadian rodeo. Relive the ranching history as you pore over hundreds of artefacts and displays telling the stories of Canada’s rodeo legacy.
These activities and more should get geared up and excited for CFR! There’s plenty of rodeo fun to be had beyond the walls of Westerner Park, so we hope you get up to some bull-raising good times in Red Deer.
For more information and to buy your Canadian Rodeo Finals tickets visit: www.ticketsalberta.com
