Watch the full 9th annual POW! Parade of Wonders as Calgary Expo weekend begins
Thousands take part in annual march along Stephen Avenue
It's the largest pop culture parade in Canada. And it's right here in Calgary.
The ninth annual POW! Parade of Wonders dazzled spectators gathered along Stephen Avenue on Friday morning, marking the start of Calgary Expo weekend.
The annual convention draws tens of thousands of fans each year, celebrating their favourite superhero, fantasy or sci-fi character.
It's the first time the parade has run since 2019, after several years of pandemic restrictions and a major snowstorm last year.
WATCH | Take in the full parade, followed by the opening ceremonies:
"It's a public celebration of pop culture, creativity and community, which allows all Calgarians and visitors of any age and demographic to register at no cost with the sole condition that they're wearing a costume," said parade producer Allison Moore.
"It's just an incredible thing to experience as a spectator or as a cosplayer."
While expos take place across North America, Calgary is the only city that hosts a parade.
"We can safely say that we're the largest pop culture parade in Canada," said Alex Kingcott, publicist for the Calgary Expo and the POW! Parade of Wonders.
"We went from pitching to celebrity guests: 'Hey, I don't suppose you'd want to fly in a night early and sit in a car and maybe drive through a parade?' to people asking to have it put in their schedule. So we're pretty proud of that and how it's grown in popularity, not only in our company and in the city, but in our larger industry as well."
Mayor Jyoti Gondek led the march as the parade marshal, wearing an Edward Scissorhands costume.
"All of Calgary is just being incredible today," said Gondek as she walked the route.
Following the parade, celebrity guests Robert Patrick, Lou Ferrigno, Todd Stashwick, Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Scott Thompson and Harvey Guillén received white hats at the opening ceremony in Olympic Plaza.
Sci-fi staying power
Gordon Johansen, owner of The Sentry Box, a tabletop gaming store in Calgary, said he always sees a massive influx of customers during Calgary Expo weekend.
As for why the event seems to be so popular, Johansen said it seems like more people are comfortable expressing themselves.
"I mean, when I started playing D&D back in '74, we did not tell anybody that we were out killing goblins the night before," he said.
"Now it's much more popular, but the atmosphere is still one of inclusivity … because we were always a little bit on the outside anyway."
Anthony Camara, a literature professor at the University of Calgary who specializes in science fiction, said the escapism element is another part of the continued popularity of the genre.
The stories encourage people to think about different possibilities, he said, in terms of what the world could look like.
"How it could possibly be more equitable and more fair," he said.
"Maybe also some of these narratives think about darker sorts of possibilities where the world is headed if certain trends don't improve but just end up exacerbating."
Celebration of 'geeks'
Fans' continued passion also translates into a boost for the city.
Jeff Hessel, senior vice-president of marketing with Tourism Calgary, says the expo is one of the most impactful events on the city's economy.
"People are staying in hotels, they're going to our restaurants.… There's lots of great spending that takes place at the expo," he said.
"You see organizations and businesses decorating their windows, you see specials at bars and at restaurants, which really makes for a wonderful experience when people come to the city."
For Kingcott, the event is a celebration.
"Geek, nerd, we're here for it and and we wear it proudly," she said.
"There are a lot of alter egos operating in our city, and this is the one day a year where you're allowed to really celebrate them."