The Big Valley Jamboree > Reviews > Part 2 A Canadian Adventure

Author's product rating:   

Is it worth visiting?	Excellent
Transport links	Excellent

Advantages:	full program of entertainment for 4 day, everything in one place
Disadvantages:	price of ice, finding tent after long days drinking and partying !  !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

A Canadian Adventure Part 2

Having spent 5 days exploring Calgary (could easily have spent another 5) it was time to move on.
My next stop was with family in Hanna (http://www.hanna.ca/) past Drummheller toward Saskatoon, I took the Greyhound from downtown Calgary, located a little out of the way and not on the C-train route but easy to find in a taxi (and on foot as I checked out the day before just a little far from my accommodation). There was a wonderful little café that woke me up with a good espresso and fresh muffin. Faultless timing with greyhound as has always been my experience. Not too busy but as there are three a day going as far as Hanna and beyond and my opting for the 06:30, not to surprising. I always opt for a seat on the left for eastbound and right side for westbound so as to avoid being boiled by the sun through the window.
Arrived in Hanna via Drummheller (home of the Worlds largest plastic dinosaur) more on Drummheller later.
Hanna was once a thriving farming town with the regulation couple of grain elevators (sadly no longer) does have a successful machine shop and electricity generating station. Biggest claim to fame is probably the Hanna museum and pioneer village or possibly the giant plastic goose out near the railway line. The museum is definitely worth a visit, though don't plan on spending the day perhaps 45 minutes, an 1hr 30 if you stay for tea and cakes highly recommended!!

A couple of days catching up with family and friends then it was of for the Big Valley Jamboree(http://www.bigvalleyjamboree.com/index.cfm) in Camrose, four days of live country music and 24 hr entertainment. Located at the Camrose exhibition grounds(http://www.cre.ab.ca/) located approx 5 miles out of town Eastwards, easy to find as sign posted from all around town and at all major road junctions within the area.

Upon entering the grounds it was clear to see this was going to be an incredible spectacle, queues stretched for about three miles from the camping entrance with motor homes, caravans and fifth wheels galore even with the amount of traffic we were still through the entrance, passes issued for two camping spots all within about 20 minutes (this year I believe they have started allocating set campsites to prevent arguments with people reserving spots for friends), 10 minutes later I had my tent up and we all had a beer in hand, don't recall the other tents in our group going up but at least another three were up by the next morning and tents and campsites as far as the eye could see. I later learnt that close to 320 000 people had attended over the course of the weekend. I would love to write about the opening night party, but I would only be able to write a sketchy account and have to make the majority of it up, was though an excellent evening of live music and free flowing alcohol.
A typical day of events started with "Bulls for Breakfast" kicking of at about 08:00 a good hour of bull riding and amazing quarter horse displays, national championship bull riders and some frightening displays by the junior riders (especially if you are a parent). Follow this up with the breakfast very good cheap breakfast of sausages egg and heaps of pancakes, a lot of people get there early and beat the queues, but that does mean losing some desperately needed sleep. By the time the Bulls for Breakfast is over the show stands and bars are open there is an indoor market area selling everything cowboy and plenty of other food stalls selling everything from coffee to candyfloss.
The site being spread over such a huge area(over 100 acres) has a bus service to the various camping sites all adjacent to one another but vast. There are special camping areas for family groups, one for those who want a quieter experience after the entertainment, there are VIP sites, sites with shower facilities or for the rest of us the all in general camping area, which can get noisy throughout the day, it is however patrolled by ample security and the RCMP who keep a lid on the noisiest campers, if you're lucky you may be able catch some mud bogging, there seems to be a handful of truck drivers who are willing to risk there pride and joys in this very entertaining pursuit, of course they also risk losing there licences and being ejected from the site, it is banned and highly frowned upon by the organisers, a good tip is to not set up camp near one of the mud hollows, as they say mud sticks!!

There is an ice truck that drives around constantly selling bags of ice at an inflated price unfortunately, take good quality cool boxes and maybe pop into town on the Saturday to top up your ice. There is also a water truck that makes regular circuits selling water for those who take paddling pools, swimming pools and even the odd Jacuzzi(thanks go to the John Deere boys for allowing me to spend the whole of my last night in theirs) there is a strict no alcohol on the tracks around site and you will be made to empty any you are caught with (top tip to is step into someone's camp site and strike up a conversation when the patrols comes around). It is advisable to avoid the portaloo's if at all possible and save yourself for the porcelain in the main arenas. There is a ban on taking alcohol into the main show areas so you will find a lot of people downing stubbies and Mickey's at the security entrance, this is not true from all camp areas but the general camping is where the vast majority of younger revellers stay.

The main arena is split into three areas there is the VIP area with seats provided at the front closest to the stage, behind this a general area for the rest who take there own camp chairs, and then in a central area is a huge screen with a dance or general stand around socialise area, it is a good idea to take cell phones or set up meeting places as the area is so vast you could wonder around for hours trying to find each other. The live acts on stage are well advertised around the showground's and they changed every hour or so from about lunch time onwards, the last act tends to be at around 9pm until around 10pm there are a couple of bars to one side selling all the usual, food stalls and even a walk through shower area which is like heaven on a hot Alberta day in August. There is the chance to meet your favourite stars and get autographs, but you do have to register and join the cue at one side of the stage during the act.
From about 9 pm the Molson Saloon opens with more live acts going on until around three or four in the morning, here you must buy tokens at the entrance area as no cash is taken at any of the drink stalls, the tokens themselves have a different design every year though those from previous are still accepted there is ample seating around and the whole area there is a much more intimate atmosphere after the vast expanse of the main arena, you can get up close and personal to the stage, and get told of for dancing on the tables!

Beware the perils of drinking in the temperatures those high temperature the main perils being you get headaches, cannot drink as much and get drunk quicker(maybe not so bad after all) however ensure you drink plenty of water helps to have a sack of citrus fruit along as well. To save a few dollars on food we took an ice box full of pre cooked lasagnes and such and a frozen bag of bacon one small gas cooker and hey presto burnt lasagne and bacon for two days, on the Sunday you just gotta get outta there or you'll be stuck in miles of fifth wheels with hung-over drivers.

A truly memorable experience that I could happily recommend to
Anybody regardless of your music preference, there is plenty to do for everyone families, individuals, young or old you want luxury they got it, you want loud they got it, you want fall asleep in hot tub and get put to bed by John Deere welder and lose wallet! Well you'd have to see me for that.