Festival Western de Saint-Tite facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Festival Western de Saint-Tite Saint-Tite Western Festival
Genre	Music festival, Country music, Rodeo, Parade
Begins	1967
Location(s)	Saint-Tite, Quebec Canada
Coordinates	46°43′47″N 72°33′44″W / 46.7297°N 72.5623°W / 46.7297; -72.5623
Website	Festival Western

The Festival Western de Saint-Tite is a huge yearly event. It happens every September in Saint-Tite, Quebec, Canada.

This festival has been called the "Best Outdoor Rodeo in North America" since 1999. It started in 1967 and now attracts about 600,000 visitors each year.

The festival began as a rodeo to help the local leather industry. Today, it features a big rodeo competition and many other fun cultural events.

For two weeks, the whole town of Saint-Tite gets ready for visitors. It's a very busy and exciting time!

History of the Festival

How It All Started

In 1967, a company in Saint-Tite that made leather products organized a rodeo. They wanted to promote their leather goods. This first event was held on a local sports field.

About 6,000 people came to watch, and it was a huge success! Because of this, several groups were quickly formed to plan the event for future years.

The people of Saint-Tite helped a lot as volunteers. Their hard work made the festival happen. Soon, they worked to bring in professional rodeos and horse riding contests.

In 1968, a parade with animal traction (animals pulling things) became part of the festival. Over the years, many more activities were added, all with a fun Western theme.

Building the Rodeo Arena

In 1972, large wooden stands were built for rodeo fans to sit and watch. This made the experience even better for everyone.

Over time, the city of Saint-Tite and the festival organizers worked together. Local businesses and citizens also helped. They slowly changed the town to look like a Wild West village.

Jean Charest, a former leader of Quebec, and his wife, Michèle Dionne, at the festival in 2008.

A Town Transformed

You can see this Western transformation all over Saint-Tite:

• A fountain near the church has a statue of a cowboy on a wild horse.
• A special four-sided clock, designed in a Western style, stands at the main street crossing.
• Street signs were changed to look like they belong in the Wild West.
• Many shops have permanent Western decorations outside. Some even changed their whole building!
• People living in Saint-Tite can join a yearly house decorating contest. They put up fences, poles, and lights. Some even create moving decorations or cover their whole yard with Western items!

In 1999, the old wooden stands were taken down. New steel stands were built, which can hold 7,243 people.

The Festival's Mission

The Saint-Tite Western Festival is a non-profit group. This means they don't make money for themselves. Their goal is to put on professional rodeos and create a country-western atmosphere.

They want to make sure everyone has an amazing time. The festival also helps the city of Saint-Tite and the surrounding area. It brings in many visitors and helps the local economy.

The festival is a top country-western event in Eastern North America. It's also a leader in professional rodeos. Its success comes from many passionate people working together.

The festival's aim is to be the best at putting on rodeos and country-western events in Eastern North America.

In 2008, the festival had 585,581 visitors. About 100,000 of them came just for the horse-drawn parade!

Awards and Recognition

• 2019: The festival received the Autorisé à vous divertir (Authorized to Entertain You) prize from SOCAN.

See also