High Steppin Daddy

High Steppin Daddy is Canada’s answer to the ‘classic’ county resurgencehappening all over the world. This band plays true songs that tug at yourheartstrings and pull your boots to the dance floor.The members of High Steppin Daddy have recorded and toured with some of Canada’s top artists and entertained at all the major festivals includingCavendish Beach Fest, Craven Country Jamboree, Dauphin Countryfest, Boots and Hearts Music Festival, and the Big Valley Jamboree – with some of the members receiving ACMA and CCMA nominations for their performances.The band has been bringing the message “Real Music for Real People” across Canada and beyond with recent performances at Quebec Carnival, the 105th Grey Cup in Ottawa, various venues in Banff, as well as the CalgaryStampede. If you are looking for timeless songs, great performances andmemories to talk about forever look no further than High Steppin Daddy.If you are looking for timeless songs, great performances and memories to talk about forever look no further than High Steppin Daddy.Real Music for people like you!

The Cabots Crossing Band.

The Cabots Crossing band is one of Western Canada’s most popular Celtic Bands. Deeply rooted in Traditional songs and Fiddle tunes, Cabots Crossing owes its success partly to its diverse membership of musicians from Ireland, Newfoundland, Ontario and Western Canadian. After only six short years, the band has already been billed alongside some of Canada and Europe’s top musical acts.

Members include:-

Dominic Terry on guitar and vocals, from Newfoundland, a popular and talented Singer/Songwriter, whose family has been immersed in the Traditional music scene for many years.

Jonathan Harris on fiddle, from Calgary, whose fiddling talents brought him around the Globe for many years with the famous Calgary Fiddlers.

Sandy Aberdeen on Bass guitar. From Leitrim, Ontario, Sandy has been a popular musician in the local Celtic music scene for many years.

Bryan Culliton on various stringed instruments, from CountyWicklow, Ireland, whose passion is deeply rooted in Traditional Irish music .

Blending lively Traditional East Coast jigs and reels with Irish andScottish ballads and Western Canadian Country fiddle stylings, the band produces a highly infectious and ripping delivery that's guaranteed to keeptoes tapping!

Dara 2018 Bio

Dara Irish dancers have made appearances in Calgary and southern Alberta for the past 8 years at such venues as Water Valley folk festival, Rocky Mountain house, Breakfast Television and local pubs around Calgary. Their dancers have performed professionally in "Celtic Echoes the show" and have competed both nationally and internationally.

Dara uses original choreography that integrates elements of ballet, tap and modern dance with traditional Irish dancing.

BEST OF BRIDGE BIOS

VAL ROBINSON and MARY HALPEN: 2 of the 8 original BEST OF BRIDGE partners who are judging today

Began over 40 years ago (1975 ) with 8 bridge playing partners - all from Calgary- who decided to write a cookbook.  Since then, they have written 9 books and sold over 4,000,000 copies. 

Val and Mary have volunteered with this committee for over 20 years and Val went on to serve  as a Director of the Calgary Stampede.  

Today they are judging with Julie Van Rosendahl , a well known CBC food columnist and food editor with The Globe and Mail Julie  has always been very involved with everything food related at the Stampede and lately has written some new cookbooks for The Best of Bridge. She feels like our daughter - indeed she knows most of them and her infectious enthusiasm has made this collaboration great fun. 

THE BEST OF BRIDGE RECIPES ARE MEANT FOR HOME COOKS. if you can't buy the ingredients at you local supermarket, the recipe doesn't go into the book!

The hamburger creations that our chefs will produce today are going to be amazing- and we hope they'll share the recipes in our next book!!

OLIVIA WIK

Olivia Wik is a pop singer and professional songwriter from Edmonton Alberta. She has written over 250 songs with songwriters from around the globe. Olivia has many song placements including She’s So Hepburn on the hit kid’s TV show The Next Star, Mad About It by Canadian Country artist, Lisa Nicole, and most recently Mess With Me by Alberta country artist, Krissy Feniak. Olivia volunteers for various organizations including Calgary's Helping Families Handle Cancer Foundation and the Northern Alberta Ronald MacDonald House in Edmonton. Check out her website or follower her on social media.

CALGARY FIDDLERS BIO -2018

The enthusiasm and energy of youth mixed with the precision of highly trained and musically gifted talent is what has set the Calgary Fiddlers apart from other youth groups across the globe for 37 years. Their extraordinary musicianship, choreography and interactive performances have left a lasting impact on communities around the world. These fifteen amazing musicians are backed up with percussion, strong vocals, mandolin, upright bass and accordion while offering a unique fiddle fusion of traditional folk fiddle, country, bluegrass, Celtic, contemporary and big band genres. Since the formation of The Calgary Fiddlers in 1981, this highly skilled group of amateur musicians, ranging from 13 to 18 years of age, has performed for live audiences, television and radio broadcasts. Over the years, the group has toured extensively throughout Spain, France, Scotland, Ireland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Kansas, Iowa, Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota and Hawaii. Last summer, they had the honour of performing daily at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo in Halifax, and are excited to be heading to Nashville, Tennessee in July 2018. In addition to a very busy performance schedule, members of the Calgary Fiddlers benefit from cultural opportunities, interpersonal skills development through increased confidence, leadership, team-building, discipline, communication, stress and time management. As well, they are exposed to a number of unique experiences typically available only to professional musicians such as recording projects, television and radio broadcasts, touring

(locally, nationally and internationally) and performing with other professional musicians.

Amy NelsonAmy Nelson has waved the Canadian flag on stages all over the world. Most recently, this Saskatchewan based artist has been making waves down under, with the two singles she released to Australian country radio, both going Top 10. Amy has showcased at industry events such as AmericanaFest, BreakOut West, JunoFest and Australian Music Week. She has also collected 36 Saskatchewan Country Music Award nominations. Amy has teamed up with Social Family Records (Universal Australia) to release her new music which fits into the country/pop genre. This new material features her strong vocal ability and has fun, catchy, melodies and lyrics fuelled by her self-proclaimed “bad luck” in love. This will be her third CD and expected to be release later this summer.

Chinook Country Line Dancers

The largest and most popular performing entertainment line dance group in Calgary, this is a diverse group of people who share a love of dancing and social interaction.

Dancers enjoy fitness and fellowship while dancing to upbeat music in a fun, spirited atmosphere.

Winners of the Prelude Performance in the Calgary Stampede Parade 2012, Two Time Calgary Herald Readers' Choice Gold Award: Best Dance Studio, Nominee for Honorary Mayors White Hat Award and Two Time Calgary White Hat Nominee for Best Customer Service: Attraction.

They can be found performing at many events throughout the year, where their high energy and enthusiasm will get your toes tappin!!

 

Keister Family Fiddlers 2018 Bio

The Keister Family Fiddlers are four high-energy youthful performers that captivate crowds of all ages.  Audiences are pleasantly surprised when these talented sisters lift their fiddles and begin to play, admiring their heartwarming vocal and instrumental harmonies.

The Keister Family Fiddlers were honoured to be asked to represent the Calgary Stampede, Canadian Tourism Commission and Travel Alberta in Busan, South Korea, Guangzhou, Beijing and Shanghai, China as part of promoting the Calgary Stampede’s 100th

Anniversary celebrations duringthe summer 2012 and have kept a close relationship with the Calgary Stampede ever since.  These sisters have grown up performing at Calgary Stampede events.  This will be their 13th year playing on the Fluor Rope Square stage and at Calgary Stampede Park. If you plan on making your way down to the Calgary Stampede grounds, make sure you head over to Weadickville to catch the girls play every day at 11:30, 12:30, 1:20 and 2:30.

The Olde West Raiders ClubA western entertainment group, the Olde West Raiders Club was formed in 2004 by people who enjoy entertaining others with a focus on costumes and stories of the old west. Demonstrating the spirit of the west through skits, skills and costume, each of us enjoys sharing our love of the western lifestyle from years gone by. With a focus on safety, period correct costumes and firearms of the old west, we like to portray what life may have been like during the Era of the Cowboy.

DREW GREGORY

The road from obscurity to stardom is a long one and Drew Gregory knows every step of the way as he moves forward on his musical journey. From small town Standard, AB to Nashville; from main stage Big Valley Jamboree to being awarded the 2015 ACMA Male Artist of the Year, Drew Gregory adds another chapter to his career with the release of his new EP “I Was There”.

Gregory not only won the ACMA award for Male Artist but also took home the Male Artist award at the inaugural 2016 YYC awards. Drew Gregory is not taking these wins lightly. “To win these awards in Alberta has given me an elevated desire to promote the great industry we have in Calgary and the province. This is a huge milestone in my career and many thanks to everyone who has helped me achieve it” says Gregory.Drew Gregory took home the award for Album of the Year for his 2016 release “I Was There.” Gregory was elated by the second ACMA award in as many years.

Despite a burgeoning career, Gregory remains firmly rooted in the community he was raised in. He remains an active member of the local Ag Society, local hockey and baseball team, and continues to assist on the family farm. With the birth of his son, Ty in 2016, Drew states “Hearing him cry for the first time gave me a whole new view of the world. He has already made me want to be the best I can possibly be at everything I do…. especially being a dad.”

Travelling MabelsVoted ACMA 2011 “Group Of The Year”, The Travelling Mabels are a folk/ country female trio full of spirit, spunk and laughter. Collectively, their songs bring a wealth of life experience to the stage. Singulary, each woman can vocally stand alone, but once you hear the combined harmony blend, you will know why these three women came together. The beauty of the Mabels is that they represent three generations of

women. This has opened the door to a dynamic energy both musically and in the rapport with the audiences that most wouldn't experience every day. Their musical influences range from Dolly Parton, The Eagles, Bob Dylan to Cheryl Crow, and their comedic, yet often heartfelt, take on life means they more than meet a wide range of audience expectations whenever they perform.

Michael Daniels 2018 Bio

Michael Daniels is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter who graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Business Management in 2017. Being raised on the prairies Michael grew up on country music. On the way to the hockey rink, baseball diamond and school, the

speakers of his parents’ truck were home to the voices of Mark Chesnutt, Randy Travis and Garth Brooks. At the age of 7 his grandma taught him his first three chord song and he has been hooked on music ever since. Michael was encouraged to pursue a career in music after entering and winning a singer / song writer contest. He began writing songs and performing through western Canada while completing his business degree. His singing and song writing caught the attention of Nashville based Gil Grand, a CCMA mulit-award winning recording artist. Gil and Michael began writing together in Nashville in the spring of 2017 and recorded Michael's debut EP later that fall. His new single "Betting on Red" will be released to Canadian radio in May of 2018. Michael is thankful to the very talented Jeffery East and Steve Freeman who also worked on the album.

Michael's focus in 2018 will be to continue to perform throughout Canada and to continue his work with Gil to promote the EP.  He plans to head back to Nashville in early fall to continue writing songs.

In 2017, Michael began working with award winning Nashville songwriter and artist Gil Grand. After graduating university in June of 2017, Michael spent time in Nashville writing with Gil Grand for the EP they plan to release in late 2017. Over the summer, PeerMusic writer and artist, Jeffrey East, joined the team co-producing with Gil Grand and writing for the project. Last fall, with a top notch Nashville band and recording team, including GRAMMY winner, Kenny Greenberg; Pat McGrath; Evan Hutchings; and platinum selling producer, Steve Freeman; Michael recorded his debut EP.