Pancake breaky venue flips

Rain or shine, the St. Albert Gazette will serve up some piping hot pancakes and sausages for this weekend's Rainmaker Rodeo — and at a new venue to boot.

The Rainmaker Rodeo Pancake Breakfast adds flavour to a weekend of down-home, rootin' tootin' rodeo and exhibition action when the first plate is served up at 7 a.m. on Saturday. Due to ongoing construction at Lions Park, this year's breakfast will take place in the plaza in front of St. Albert Place.

For the second straight year the Gazette will host the breakfast, as staffers decked out in their finest western wear and spatulas as their sidearms keep the home fires, or in this case griddles, burning.

"The Rainmaker Rodeo Pancake Breakfast is an annual tradition in St. Albert, one that families look forward to almost as much as the parade, midway, music and rodeo itself," says organizer Sarah Kosloski. "The Gazette is proud to be part of this tradition and cook up something special to the community we're proud to serve."

The pancake breakfast runs from 7 to 10 a.m. Saturday, and features Smitty's pancakes, M&M Meat Shop sausages and coffee. There is no cost, however participants are asked to bring non-perishable donations for the St. Albert Food Bank.

Park and ride, parade

St. Anne Street will be closed Saturday morning to accommodate the pancake breakfast and parade route, so parking will be limited.

St. Albert Transit is operating a park and ride service from the St. Albert Centre transit exchange to the downtown. The service runs from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. to drop people off, and again from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. after the parade festivities conclude.

The parade starts at 9:30 a.m. and winds up St. Vital Avenue through Mission, across the Perron Street Bridge, past St. Albert Place and the judging stand, before it ventures south down Sir Winston Churchill Avenue toward the rodeo grounds via Riel Drive or Gresham Boulevard.

The K40 Club of St. Albert is organizing this year's parade, which will recognize St. Albert's 150th anniversary.

For more information on the Rainmaker Rodeo weekend, see pages 41 through 46 and visit www.rainmaker.ab.ca.