Bar U Ranch National Historic Site
Parks Canada Celebrates 100 years
Opening Day - Sunday May 22
Immerse yourself in ranching history. Free cake and coffee served at the cookhouse to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Parks Canada, the first National Park system in the world.
More Special Events 2011
Bar U Ranch Celebrates Your Ranching Heritage
Bar U Chuckwagon Cook-Off
Sunday, June 12
Round-up Camp cooks were men of ingenuity, adaptability and perserverance. Join us for the Bar U Cook-Off and sample the competitors' beef stew and biscuits, cooked over an open camp fire - just like they did 100 years ago!
Percheron Horse Show - tribute to the Percheron Horse
Sunday, June 19
The second annual Percheron Halter Class show, a tribute to the great Bar U Percheron show horses as well as to the man who made it all possible: George Lane.
Canada Day
Friday, July 1
Free admission! Come out for an official flag-raising ceremony while touring the ranch and taking part in the family activities. We are having an old-fashioned country celebration!
Round-up of Memories: Cowboy Poetry, Music and Storytelling
Sunday, July 10
A crackling campfire, cowboy coffee and the chuckwagon by Pekisko Creek. Welcome to Round-up Camp for an afternoon of Western entertainment, as local ranchers, historians, poets and musicians honour a way of life.
Polo at the Bar U
Sunday, July 24
The “sport of kings” has been played around the world for centuries. Re-live the Bar U's polo history as local cowboys take on traditional players on the original Bar U polo field.
Friends of the Bar U Trail Ride
Saturday, August 6
Support the Friends of the Bar U Ranch Association on their annual day ride into original Bar U grazing lands. Everyone welcome. Ride your own horse or take a seat on a horse-drawn wagon. Call 403-395-3330 or 403-395-3879 for more information.
Old Time Ranch Rodeo
Sunday, August 14
A rodeo competition demonstrating traditional ranching skills still used today on ranches throughout the country. Join us for an exciting afternoon of broke horse racing, team sorting, branding and doctoring, and wild cow milking. Teams of working cowboys from Alberta ranches compete for silver Bar U belt buckles - and bragging rights!
First Nations Day
Sunday, August 28
We commemorate the contributions of Aboriginal people to ranching life, when natives took on traditional cowboy roles, becoming a significant part of the ranching community. Stony Nakoda elders, drummers, dancers and speakers gather at Round-up Camp to tell the stories of their ancestors.
Chore Horse Competition
Sunday, September 11
A glimpse back in time to when horsepower was used for everything, from delivering milk and hauling fire wagons to constructing roads. Watch as today's teamsters guide their heavy horse teams through a timed course of skill-testing manoeuvres.
Watch for...
Ranch Roping - July 16 & 17; Sidesaddle Clinic - Aug 6 & 7.
All special events begin at 1pm and are subject to cancellation or rescheduling depending on weather conditions. For more events information call 403-395-3044.