Giddy Up for Stampede Celebrations at Falkbuilt

Every July, the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth rolls into town - and Falkbuilt is ready to celebrate. The Calgary Stampede is a proud tradition and cherished part of living in Calgary, bringing us together to celebrate our community and culture. This year, Calgary hosted the Stampede from July 4 - 13th. To ensure everyone had a chance to soak up the sights and sounds, every Falker received a half-day off to enjoy the festivities with friends and family.

To kick things off, we celebrated with not one, but two pancake breakfasts, to ensure that all shifts got their maple syrup fix! Falkers saddled up early to volunteer: setting up tables, flipping pancakes, plating up sausages, serving fruit salad and cinnamon buns, and then cleaning it all up - only to do it all again the next morning! Everyone gathered on the patio, enjoying breakfast with friends and colleagues, catching up and soaking in the Stampede spirit.

The following Thursday, operations wrapped up early at Factory HQ, so everyone could mosey on home, gather their kin, and put on their slickest cowboy duds. Rain and a chill in the air didn’t stop Falkers from heading to Hygge - the Smed family home - for our annual summer BBQ, hosted by our CEO and his family.

The backyard was packed full of Stampede fun, including a petting zoo with bunnies, goats, lambs, and even a little pig that stole the show! Face painting and a bouncy castle kept the kids smiling, bouncing, and having a blast, and the neighbor's horse made a cameo. Falkers were in a Food Coma, as food trucks served up mouthwatering vittles and an ice cream stand provided the perfect finishing touch. It takes a Village to polish off all that ice cream!

Despite the soggy start, it was a great turnout and Falkers stayed warm and dry under the big tent, dressed in their cowboy best, swapping stories over good grub. Later, the sun came out, and a live band kept the crowd entertained while little cowpokes danced and Falkers swayed to the beat.

Falkbuilt Kansas City’s Trisha Allenbrand was in town for Stampede to cheer on her daughter, Timber Allenbrand, who was competing in breakaway roping. Ladies breakaway roping is the first new event that has been introduced at Stampede in 45 years. Congratulations to Timber who tied for first place in Round 2 logging a time of 2.5 seconds!

These celebrations couldn’t happen without the helpful, hardworking volunteer Falkers who pitch in to create these cool experiences for us. These moments aren’t just about food and festivities; they’re a reflection of who we are. Falkers show up, help out, and have a great time doing it together. Whether we’re serving pancakes, petting baby goats, or supporting each other outside of work, our connections run deep. Stampede is just one more reminder: we’re not just coworkers - we’re Falkers.