The Cloverdale Rodeo is in its 65th year and the Country Fair is celebrating its 122nd year in Cloverdale.  There are plenty of things to do on the May long weekend when visiting the Rodeo & Country Fair including enjoying the midway, free outdoor entertainment, the world famous Longhorn Saloon, and of course – the Rodeo!  It’s a good idea to get a list of things to do, so here’s a top 10 must-see things you shouldn’t miss.  More information, maps and schedules can be found on the Cloverdale Rodeo’s website at www.CloverdaleRodeo.com

Free Sunday Night Concert with Doug & the Slugs
Doug & the Slugs are one of the most distinctive and entertaining Canadian bands of the last 30 years.  Formed in Vancouver in the fall of 1977, Doug and the Slugs have toured relentlessly and have released seven albums - three of them certified Gold.  Timeless tracks such as ‘Making it Work’, ‘Tomcat Prowl’ and ‘Too Bad’ made history with big-budget music videos and catchy choruses.  The legendary Doug & the Slugs will be rockin’ the outdoor entertainment stage on Sunday, May 22 and 7:30 pm.  This show is free with grounds admission and is definitely wortch checking out.

Longhorn Concerts: Ken McCoy, Appaloosa with Randi McMillan
Join these two favourite rodeo bands in the Longhorn Saloon playing all weekend long. Ken McCoy, a band that has been playing together for the last 20 years, has hit the charts in Europe and Australia. Randi McMillan from Langley joins country favourite Appaloosa this year to mix up their musical playlist. Join these boot-stompin’ bands this year and while they play hit songs from Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith, Keith Urban and more!

BC’s Lady Barrel Racers
Show your support for two ladies from British Columbia that will be competing in the Barrel Racing events.  Janet Cunningham from Aldergrove has been competing at Cloverdale for years and says Cloverdale is her favourite place to ride.  Joleen Seitz from Savona will also be riding and is looking forward to her chance at gaining top honours.

West Coast Lumberjack Show
Performing since 1982 in many different parts of the world, the West Coast Lumberjack Show is always a crowd pleaser. Jam-packed full with tons of action such as the chair carve, hot saw race, axe throwing, log rolling, standing block chop and more, this non-stop show is fun for the whole family and is sure to leave you entertained. See them perform live on Friday, May 20 at 5:00pm, Saturday, May 21 at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 5:00pm, Sunday, May 22 at 1:00pm, 4:00pm, 6:00pm
and Monday, May 23 at 1:00pm, 4:00pm in the featured events area.

Vertigo and more new rides in the enhanced Midway
BC’s largest travelling midway makes its stop at the Cloverdale Rodeo & Country Fair and brings several new rides and games.  A brand new ride making its debut at the Midway is Vertigo – a 100 foot tall swing tower ride.  Also new at the Midway is the Starship 3000 and Jurassic Attack monster truck.  The Jurassic Attack monster truck will be giving rides all weekend and lets riders experience the power of a professional monster truck!  This year’s Midway has two brand-new games designed to challenge even the steadiest of hands: Whopper Water Game and the Air Bazooka. The midway also has a new look! Check out the new mascot, more colourful decorations, and with mom and dad in mind, more places to sit and take in the sights and sounds.

The Showstoppers
Vancouver’s own GLEE club; a dynamic group of young performers who love to sing, dance and entertain will perform at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition. Members of Showstoppers have appeared in professional theatrical productions on virtually ever stage in the Lower Mainland, and include winners of the Star Discovery at the Pacific National Exhibition and BC Festival of the Performing Arts.  Catch them performing on the outdoor entertainment stage on Monday, May 23 at 1:45-2:45.

BC’s Bull Riding Rookie of the Year - Ty Pozzobon
19-year old Ty Pozzobon is in his second year of professional bull riding and made a late-entry in to the Cloverdale Rodeo by a wildcard.  He is the only BC rider in the bull-riding event, so make sure to cheer him on!  Ty won Rookie of the Year in 2010 and placed fourth overall in the Canada Finals Rodeo in Edmonton last year. He’s currently on a full athletic scholarship at Odessa College in Texas and is as excited as ever for his chance to ride in Cloverdale.
Kidz Zone
There are lots of things to see in the Kidz Zone at the Cloverdale Rodeo’s Country Fair.  Some of the interactive booths include the Honey Bee Centre, Faceaballoonza, Bouncey Castle, Sidewalk Chalk of Fame, Yukon Dan, Meet a Cowboy, The Great Escape and Face Painting!  New for 2011, enjoy live shows from Mad Science!  Mad Scientists will be performing interactive, humorous and educational shows on by doing things like using dazzling chemical reactions to blow things up!

Extreme Zone
New for 2011, the Extreme Zone will be showcasing international talent riding skateboards and trials bikes.  The Trials Stars, Jeff Anderson and Steve Dickin, are two Canadian professional trials bikers and will be using balance, power and endurance to overcome obstacles in their extreme demonstrations.. The Trial Stars have performed demos for Swollen Members, CEO’s and Motocross Teams. Freestyle skateboarding will also be making its debut at Cloverdale.  Freestyle skateboarder Kevin Harris is from Vancouver and will be performing with Kai Dunkel, the #1 free style skateboarder from Germany.

Playoff Hockey Games
Don’t miss a second of supporting your home team in playoff hockey action. Come and cheer on the Nucks in the Longhorn Saloon! Nucks play twice during the May long weekend and both games will be played live at the Longhorn Saloon. The schedule for weekend games is Friday, May 20 at 6 pm and Sunday, May 22 and 12 noon.