Lionbackers.com

Robbie wrote:There are also a few other traditional Grey Cup festival events that haven't been mentioned yet:

1. Calgary Pancake Breakfast
2. Rendezvous Saskatchewan
3. Atlantic Schooners Down East Kitchen Party
4. Calgary Hoedown

Walby's Warriors isn't listed yet either

Canuck_4_Life wrote:As of yet:
No parade
No dance showcase

A question for the GC veterans, is one night any better than the next for an even like TigerTown, where it's presumably $10 each day you walk through the door.

Spirit of Edmonton, Riderville, Tigertown and Atlantic Schooners Kitchen Party are all freebies or at least they have been in the past. Other single day team oriented events have cover charges but are still well worth it. Seems to be more events every year which does takes some pressure off the traditional ones.

As one would expect all get busier each day. Spirit of Ed traditionally is the biggest one with the greatest probability of lineups, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights. Location and size of venue plays a huge part in deciding how to approach attending the events. Spirit of Ed was unable to come to an agreement with the Winnipeg Trade & Conv Centre for a variety of reasons and wound up being at somewhat of an outpost close to the airport. That worked for us as the hotel Blue Fan arranged was literally over the back fence from the Spirit of Ed. But it did have an impact at the door. Normally long Friday and Saturday lineups to get into SoE simply didn't happen. Last year Riderville replaced the SoE as the place to be with the resulant long lineups at they were in the Trade & Convention Centre. Tigertown was just down the hall and Atlantic Schooners Kitchen Party was 2 blocks away.

For the most part it becomes a defacto pub crawl. Most folks tend to circulate amongst the events. If you don't like the lineup at one you just wander to the next one. Play it by ear......or is that play it by beer.....is the only way to go.

Hambone wrote:Spirit of Ed was unable to come to an agreement with the Winnipeg Trade & Conv Centre for a variety of reasons and wound up being at somewhat of an outpost close to the airport. That worked for us as the hotel Blue Fan arranged was literally over the back fence from the Spirit of Ed. But it did have an impact at the door. Normally long Friday and Saturday lineups to get into SoE simply didn't happen.

Dale, I know the SoE folks. It boiled to the ridiculous rent the convention centre was asking. They wanted more than the folks at the ultra swanky Wall Centre in Vancouver did in '05! These venues should know that the SoE is a huge draw every year. The Convention Centre wanted the SoE there really badly. But not bad enough, I guess.

Last year Riderville replaced the SoE as the place to be with the resulant long lineups at they were in the Trade & Convention Centre.

Maybe Dale. Real GC goers still find the SoE, no matter where it is.

Shelion wrote:It's going to be tons of fun!
I can't wait.
See you there tigger

U bet

eskinator wrote:

Hambone wrote:Spirit of Ed was unable to come to an agreement with the Winnipeg Trade & Conv Centre for a variety of reasons and wound up being at somewhat of an outpost close to the airport. That worked for us as the hotel Blue Fan arranged was literally over the back fence from the Spirit of Ed. But it did have an impact at the door. Normally long Friday and Saturday lineups to get into SoE simply didn't happen.

Dale, I know the SoE folks. It boiled to the ridiculous rent the convention centre was asking. They wanted more than the folks at the ultra swanky Wall Centre in Vancouver did in '05! These venues should know that the SoE is a huge draw every year. The Convention Centre wanted the SoE there really badly. But not bad enough, I guess.

Last year Riderville replaced the SoE as the place to be with the resulant long lineups at they were in the Trade & Convention Centre.

Not sure about that comment Dale. Folks know the SoE is THE place to go to.

I heard rent was one issue along with some other factors possibly related to bartending and/or staffing and perhaps hotel space for SoE people as they like to have them all in the same property as the venue or very close to the venue if it isn't in a hotel. One thing I noticed was it looked like SoE was coordinating certain aspects of Riderville, most notably entertainment.

The comment re: Riderville was an observation about the two events and how the differing locations impacted attendance last year and how location can have a lot of influence on where and when partiers exercise their livers. Riderville in the prime Convention Centre location was much busier than I ever recall it being. Conversely SoE being somewhat out in the boondocks was fairly pedestrian by its own usual raucous standards. Location didn't make the SoE any less of an event than normal per se. While being perfectly located for us it wasn't exactly convenient for anyone staying near the downtown core. It was easy for us to choose to go there to finish the night off. But had I been staying downtown I might've been more likely to go there in the afternoon/early evening then head for Riderville before the lineups got too long. I've had to endure SoE lineups of well over an hour in the past. This year I think 10 minutes on Saturday night was the worst.

I asked about the parade from the family entertainment perspective.

This is the reply I got:

Toronto Grey Cup Committee wrote: This year we will be having something a little bit different, but still just as fun and family oriented.

Please stay tuned to our website for more information.

So it looks like TO has put the kibash on the parade yet again!

Nice. My first Grey Cup and no parade. Boo!

Canuck_4_Life wrote:

Ryan wrote:The Novotel looks like a good choice - within stumbling distance of the convention center.

Are you already booked or are you thinking of booking?

I'm already booked for the Novotel. Four nights arriving the Thursday afternoon. Flight lands at 4:00, then straight to the pubs and perhaps the cheerleaders party / crowning of Miss Grey Cup.

pinkfreud wrote:Nice. My first Grey Cup and no parade. Boo!

We will make our own parade then

Shelion wrote:

pinkfreud wrote:Nice. My first Grey Cup and no parade. Boo!

We will make our own parade then

Let's!!! We can wear tiaras!

pinkfreud wrote:

Shelion wrote:

pinkfreud wrote:Nice. My first Grey Cup and no parade. Boo!

We will make our own parade then

Let's!!! We can wear tiaras!

Deal! If I can find mine from last year.

Ryan wrote: Flight lands at 4:00, then straight to the pubs and perhaps the cheerleaders party / crowning of Miss Grey Cup.

The Miss Grey Cup pageant was discontinued years ago.

Ryan wrote:

Canuck_4_Life wrote:

Ryan wrote:The Novotel looks like a good choice - within stumbling distance of the convention center.

Are you already booked or are you thinking of booking?

I'm already booked for the Novotel. Four nights arriving the Thursday afternoon. Flight lands at 4:00, then straight to the pubs and perhaps the cheerleaders party / crowning of Miss Grey Cup.

Forget the pubs. Spirit of Edmonton, Riderville, Tigertown and Atlantic Schooner bashes will be well underway when your flight lands.

LFITQ wrote:I asked about the parade from the family entertainment perspective.

This is the reply I got:

Toronto Grey Cup Committee wrote: This year we will be having something a little bit different, but still just as fun and family oriented.

Please stay tuned to our website for more information.

So it looks like TO has put the kibash on the parade yet again!

I've driven around downtown Toronto a few times. Their traffic makes Vancouver traffic look like Quesnel on a slow Sunday. Can't imagine what sort of mess a parade would make in Hogtown.

Hambone wrote:Forget the pubs.

We can't Dale. Linda and I have some haunts we just have to go to if we're in the Big Smoke. For us a must is the Horseshoe Tavern and the Wheatsheaf.

Like chicken wings? You have to go to the Wheatsheaf.

Yes, go to the CFL rooms but fit some pubs in. They are a must.