Cloverdale Fairgrounds facts for kids
The Cloverdale Fairgrounds is a big area in Cloverdale, a town within Surrey, British Columbia. It's also sometimes called the Cloverdale Exhibition Grounds. This place is super famous because it has hosted Canada's second largest rodeo, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, every year since 1938. It's a fun spot where many different events happen!
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What are the Cloverdale Fairgrounds?
The Fairgrounds cover about 138 acres (which is about 0.56 square kilometers) of land. Imagine a huge park or a few dozen football fields! It's surrounded by streets like 60th Avenue and 64th Avenue. A highway that goes to the United States is also nearby. Next to the Fairgrounds, you'll find homes and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary School. Part of the Fairgrounds is leased to a casino and racetrack called Fraser Downs.
Cool Places at the Fairgrounds
The Agriplex
The Agriplex is a large indoor arena with a paved floor. It's about 218 feet (66 meters) long and 103 feet (31 meters) wide. This space can hold up to 1,530 people watching an event. It's a popular spot for horse shows, music concerts, big sales events (trade shows), and even dances.
Alice McKay Building
The Alice McKay Building is a versatile space. It can seat 350 people for a dinner party or 750 people in rows of seats for a show. People use it for exciting events like boxing matches, wrestling, and even dog training classes. Sometimes, you'll find swap meets (where people trade or sell items) and kids' dances here. The main offices for the Fairgrounds are also in this building.
Cloverdale Millennium Amphitheatre
This outdoor amphitheatre is located at the corner of 64th Avenue and 176th Street. It's a great place for outdoor gatherings. Many companies have their picnics here, and it hosts festivals and dog shows. Theatre groups also use it for performances. The city of Surrey even celebrates Canada Day with big parties at this amphitheatre!
Stetson Bowl Stadium
The Stetson Bowl Stadium is a very important part of the Fairgrounds. It's where most of the exciting Cloverdale Rodeo performances happen every year! The stadium's main area is about 36,400 square feet (3,380 square meters) and has a sand surface. The bleachers (stands) can hold 4,000 people, and extra seats can be added for 800 more. Besides the rodeo, this stadium is used for filming movies, music concerts, sports games, and even dog training.
Shannon Hall
Shannon Hall is a building that measures about 7,000 square feet (650 square meters). It can fit 480 people for a banquet (a big dinner) or 700 people for a theatre-style event (like watching a play). It's often used for weddings, dances, swap meets, and memorial services.
Show Barn
The Show Barn is a large building, about 18,000 square feet (1,670 square meters). It can seat 750 people for banquets or 900 people for theatre-style events. It's a popular place for dog shows (kennel shows), trade shows, and auctions. It also has 89 horse stalls, which are special spaces for horses.
Cloverdale Arena
The Cloverdale Arena is an ice rink! It's mainly used for ice sports like ice hockey (including sledge hockey, which is hockey played on sleds) and figure skating. Sometimes, it also hosts music concerts and lacrosse games. This arena has 15,000 square feet (1,390 square meters) of space for exhibitions and seats for 250 spectators.
Elements Casino
Elements Casino is a racetrack and casino located on the Fairgrounds. It's operated by a separate company called Great Canadian Gaming. Here, you can watch harness racing events for nine months of the year, from September to May.
