Calgary Expo Day Two: Visual Feature

By Ansharah Shakil and Daman Singh, May 3 2024—

This year’s Calgary Expo kicked off on Apr. 25, with its ten year anniversary of the POW! Parade of Wonders taking place on Apr. 26. Cosplayers of all ages and skill levels showed up to participate in and watch the parade, despite the fact that Friday was a chilly and grey day, and celebrity guests from the expo partook in the event as well. 

The family-friendly and free parade began at 10:30am. Though the actual convention is held at Stampede Park, the parade takes place downtown, beginning at 8th St. before ending at Olympic Plaza for the Opening Ceremony. 

The Opening Ceremony collected celebrity guests like the cast of Letterkenny and Skeet Ulrich of Scream fame for the White Hat Ceremony, where guests were crowned with white cowboy hats to officially celebrate the beginning of Calgary Expo. This year’s parade marshall was Todd McFarlane, the Calgary-born creator of comic book series Spawn, also known for his work on The Amazing Spider-Man. 

The best place to watch the parade itself is the Fan Zone —  located near Stephen Avenue, the Fan Zone has places for observers to sit and watch the parade, and interactions and interviews with cosplayers and guests. 

Cosplayers dressed as disney princesses or superheroes or in costumes from media like Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Game of Thrones played on flutes, danced, twirled batons — once memorably to the tune of “Firework” by Katy Perry — or simply marched through downtown, waving cheerfully at spectators and posing for pictures.  

The Parade of Wonders is one of the things that distinguishes Calgary’s fan expo from that of other cities, and the ten year anniversary showcased its importance as a local celebration of creativity, community and pop culture.