Cloverdale Rodeo

The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair is a world-famous rodeo with animals and rides in Surrey over the Victoria Day Long Weekend in May each year.

One of the feature performers scheduled for the event in 2020 was JUNO Award-winner George Canyon who was going to perform in the Longhorn Saloon on Sunday, May 17th. Now, thanks to the coronavirus, Country music fans will have to wait until 2021 to enjoy the rodeo and its lineup of entertainment.

RODEO CANCELLED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID-19

It’s official! Surrey’s annual rodeo and country fair was cancelled. The event didn’t happen last this year because of the coronavirus pandemic (and this was just the third time in the past 74 years that it has been cancelled).

In this article you’ll find information about the following topics:

Click on any of the above links to jump to a specific topic, or continue reading to learn all about the country fair, rodeo and parade.

Surrey’s Cloverdale Rodeo

In 2020 the fair was going to celebrate its 132nd year during the weekend of May 15-18 (which was also the May Long Weekend). 2020 was also going to be the rodeo’s 74th anniversary. 2021 dates will likely be May 21-24.

The Cloverdale Rodeo is a great family-friendly event, with cowboys competing for over $300,000 in prize money some years and thousands of spectators turning out to enjoy the show and midway attractions.

In a busy year as many as 100,000 people attend the fair, of which close to 20,000 watch the rodeo shows.

For tickets and more information see the Cloverdale Rodeo‘s website.

Cloverdale Country Fair Information

The Cloverdale Country Fair is a family-friendly event featuring a wide range of activities.

At the fair there are lumberjack shows, a BBQ Rib Fest, country music performances and a giant midway featuring dozens of rides. There is also an Agri Zone with all sorts of animals including miniature donkeys, llamas, alpacas, sheep, horses, pigs and more.

You don’t have to like rodeos to enjoy all the entertainment at the fair. It’s a huge event with lots to see and do.

FIREWORKS NIGHT

Fireworks night at the Cloverdale Rodeo is always on the first day of the fair, so on Friday May 21st in 2021. The pyrotechnics usually start at 9:30 pm (but with 2021 details to be confirmed).

Country Fair Hours & Admission

Admission to the fairgrounds generally costs about $10, plus or minus, but is free for children under age 13. Midway rides cost $45 or so for an all-day pass for all ages. Individual ride tickets are also available. Parking is about $10 per vehicle. 2020 details are outlined below.

In addition to the fair, on the Saturday there is also a parade starting at 10:00 am. It’s free to attend.

Rodeo & Fairground Hours

In 2020 the hours of operation for the Cloverdale Country Fair are listed below (with last entry one hour before closing each day). 2021 details will be similar.

Friday (May 15th): 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday (May 16th): 10:00 am to 11:00 pm
Sunday (May 17th): 10:00 am to 11:00 pm
Monday (May 18th): 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

For tickets and more information see the Cloverdale Rodeo‘s website.

Admission Prices

In 2020 general admission to the Cloverdale Country Fair was going to cost $10 (plus a $1.95 fee) when purchased online. If you bought your tickets at a participating London Drugs store, however, and did so prior to 4:00 pm on Friday May 17th, you could have paid just $8 (and saved a couple of dollars).

With general admission you get into the fairgrounds and can see the exhibits and some of the shows, but rides and the rodeo are extra (unless you buy a combo pass).

A Gate and Rodeo Combo pass in 2020 was going to cost about $30 online (plus a $3.25 online fee), although children ages 12 and under are always free.

A Midway One-Day Ride Pass costs about $45 at the gate, or $35 if purchased online prior to the first day of the fair.

The rides are run by West Coast Amusements who usually sell individual tickets for $1.25 each, books of twenty for $23 and books of forty for $45. A typical ride takes between three and five tickets with little kid rides requiring less and serious adult rides more.

Country Fair Live Entertainment

In addition to amusement rides, exhibits and the rodeo competitions, there is also lots of live entertainment at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair.

Live Music at the Rodeo

Live concerts take place in the Longhorn Saloon on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. Scheduled to perform in 2020, until the event got cancelled, was two-time JUNO Award-winner George Canyon who was going to have a concert on the evening of Sunday, May 17th. Other bands in 2020 were going to include Ettinger and Dave Hartney, plus DJ JackD.

Headliner performances a couple of years ago were with the Ken McCoy Band, Ettinger & Big 50 and the Chris Buck Band. All three groups, as might be expected, played various forms of Country music. Ettinger was back for another season in 2019. The other two headliner bands in 2019 were Dave Hartney and Washboard Union.

Also at the Cloverdale Fair are concerts on the outdoor Lordco Stage. Bands in 2018 included Jackson Hollow, The New Shackletons, Me and Mae and Robert Rowan. Performing both the previous year and again in 2019 were Emily Taylor Adams, Appaloosa, Mascot Dance Party and Whiskey Jane. Also appearing in 2019 were the Promise, The Rollin Trainwreck, The Charlatans and Brad Darrid.

For information about all the bands appearing in 2019 see the Rodeo Website Entertainment Page.

Music at the Longhorn Saloon

Below is the schedule for the Longhorn Saloon in 2019. As you’ll see, Dave Hartney and Ettinger both played all three evenings. Washboard Union, however, performed on just the Sunday night.

The 2021 schedule is to be confirmed so use last year’s schedule to get an idea of what to expect.

(Note: Performance times and details are subject to change.)

Friday, May 17th, 2019

7:20 pm – Dave Hartney
8:25 pm – Ettinger
9:30 pm – Dave Hartney
10:35 pm – Ettinger
11:40 pm – Dave Hartney
12:45 am – Ettinger

Saturday, May 18th, 2019

7:20 pm – Ettinger
8:25 pm – Dave Hartney
9:30 pm – Ettinger
10:35 pm – Dave Hartney
11:40 pm – Ettinger
12:45 am – Dave Hartney

Sunday, May 19th, 2019

7:00 pm – Dave Hartney
7:50 pm – Ettinger
8:55 pm – Dave Hartney
10:15 pm – Washboard Union
11:45 pm – Ettinger
12:45 am – Dave Hartney

Cloverdale Rodeo Bronco Ride

Music on the Lordco Stage

Below is what the entertainment schedule looked like for the Outdoor Lordco Stage in 2019. (The 2021 schedule will be comparable.)

Friday, May 17th, 2019

5:30 pm – Mascot Dance Party
6:15 pm – The Promise
7:30 pm – Appaloosa
8:45 pm – The Promise
9:45 pm – Appaloosa

Saturday, May 18th, 2019

12:00 pm – The Promise
1:15 pm – Mascot Dance Party
2:00 pm – The Rollin Trainwreck
3:10 pm – The Promise
4:20 pm – The Rollin Trainwreck
5:30 pm – Mascot Dance Party
6:15 pm – Whiskey Jane
7:30 pm – Emily Taylor Adams
8:45 pm – Whiskey Jane
9:45 pm – Emily Taylor Adams

Sunday, May 19th, 2019

12:00 pm – The Charlatans
1:15 pm – Mascot Dance Party
2:00 pm – Appaloosa
3:10 pm – The Charlatans
4:20 pm – Appaloosa
5:30 pm – Mascot Dance Party
6:15 pm – Emily Taylor Adams
7:30 pm – Brad Darrid
8:45 pm – Emily Taylor Adams
9:45 pm – Brad Darrid

Monday, May 20th, 2019

11:00 am – The Charlatans
12:00 pm – The Rollin Trainwreck
1:00 pm – Mascot Dance Party
1:45 pm – Whiskey Jane
2:55 pm – Brad Darrid
4:00 pm – The Rollin Trainwreck
5:05 pm – Whiskey Jane

For information about the various bands appearing in 2019 see the Rodeo Website Entertainment Page.

Richards Racers Pigs in Action — Richards Racers Pig Races

Other Entertainment

In addition to the live music, other entertainment at the fair includes pig races, skateboarding competitions and lumberjack shows, all of which are free to watch with general admission.

Pig Races

Richard’s Racers is a favourite event for young families at the Rodeo (as well as at other Lower Mainland events in the summer including the PNE and Abbotsford Agrifair). 2019 swine race times in Cloverdale were the following:

Friday, May 17th – at 4:30 and 6:30 pm
Saturday, May 18th – at 12:30, 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm
Sunday, May 19th – at 12:30, 3:30 pm and 5:30 pm
Monday, May 20th – at 12:30 and 3:30 pm

Freestyle Skateboarding

The World Freestyle Skateboarding Round Up takes place in the fairgrounds at the Cloverdale Curling Rink and skateboarders compete for up to $10,000 in prizes. The competition took place at the following times in 2019:

Friday, May 17th

- 4:00 to 5:30 pm – Amateur Freestyle Qualifiers
- 5:30 to 7:00 pm – Professional Freestyle Qualifiers

Saturday, May 18th

- 12:00 to 2:00 pm – Amateur Freestyle Semi Finals
- 4:00 to 6:00 pm – Professional Freestyle Semi Finals

Sunday, May 19th

- 11:00 am to 1:00 pm – Amateur Freestyle Finals
- 3:00 to 5:00 pm – Professional Freestyle Finals
- 5:30 to 6:00 pm – Awards Ceremony

Monday, May 20th

- 11:00 am to 1:00 pm – 360 Spin Off & Best Trick Competition
- 2:00 to 3:00 pm – Legends Freestyle Classic Practice Session and Finals
- 3:00 to 4:00 pm – Best Handstand Trick & Longest Coconut Wheelie Competition
- 4:00 to 5:00 pm – Freestyle Demonstrations

Lumberjack Shows

West Coast Lumberjack Show performances are also fun to watch. In 2019 they took place at the fair at the following times:

Friday, May 17th – at 5:30 pm
Saturday, May 18th – at 11:00am, 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm
Sunday, May 19th – at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Monday, May 20th – at 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm

Cloverdale Rodeo Details

The Cloverdale Rodeo takes place the entire May Long Weekend, with show times once per day and twice on the Saturday.

Rodeo performances were scheduled to take place in 2020 at the following times:

Friday, May 15th – at 7:30 pm (POOL A)
Saturday, May 16th – at 2:30 and 7:30 pm (POOL A and then B)
Sunday, May 17th – at 2:30 pm (POOL B)
Monday, May 18th – at 2:30 pm (Competition Finals)

Rodeo events most years include bareback riding, barrel racing, bronco riding, bull riding and mutton busting. There is also a clown act.

What is mutton busting? It involves children 3 years of age or older, but under around 45 pounds, where the little folk try their hardest to hang on and ride a sheep for as long as they can. Fortunately, during the mutton busting, the kids wear helmets and parents can’t volunteer their children at the last minute. If you are crazy enough to want your child to ride a sheep you have to apply in advance, and, for obvious reasons, sign a waiver.

TIP: The rodeo competition on the Monday is usually the most interesting, as it’s the finals. Tickets that day can sell out well in advance, however, so if you want to go book extra early!

Cloverdale Rodeo Mutton Busting — Mutton Busting at the Cloverdale Rodeo

Rodeo Admission Prices

At the Cloverdale Country Fair there is a cost to enter the fairgrounds, plus an extra charge to see the rodeo. It’s definitely worth paying for.

In 2018 it cost $25 to see one of the rodeo shows. Children ages 12 and under, however, were free (and are again this year too).

In 2019, if you bought your tickets online, a Rodeo & Gate Combo Pass cost $33 (including a $3 online fee). This got you into both the fairgrounds and the rodeo. Tickets purchased at the gate cost slightly more. 2021 prices will likely be similar.

TIP: We recommend buying tickets in advance online. Not only will you save a couple of dollars, but you’ll skip the lineups at the entrance and avoid being disappointed when the rodeo sells out (which it often does).

Falling off Rodeo Bull

Cloverdale Rodeo Parade

The Cloverdale Rodeo Parade celebrates its 75th year on Saturday May 22nd in 2021. Starting time for the parade is usually at 10:00 am. It’s a great parade with lots of horses, marching bands, antique vehicles and a cowboy theme.

From start to finish, the parade lasts for about 2 hours.

Cloverdale Parade Route

The parade typically begins in the Cloverdale Town Centre at the intersection of Highway 10 (a.k.a., 56th Avenue) and 177B Street before heading west along Highway 10 to 176th Street.

From there the procession usually goes north to 58A Avenue, then east to 176A Street, and then north to 60th Avenue. Just before it finishes the parade goes south along 177B Street before stopping at 58th Avenue.

TIP #1: Arrive early to get a good spot where you can see.

TIP #2: If you plan to go to the fair after the parade, consider watching from somewhere near the start. That way, when you see the end of the parade, you can race to the fair before the crowds (assuming you can walk faster than the parade).

For more information about the parade see the Cloverdale Rodeo Website.

Rodeo Pancake Breakfast

The Cloverdale Rodeo Pancake Breakfast usually takes place on the Sunday from 9:30 until 11:00 am. The venue for the breakfast is outside Shannon Hall on the rodeo fairgrounds.

Admission to the pancake breakfast is usually by a minimum $3 donation, which makes it a great deal, and proceeds go to a charity (typically the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation).