Want to get into the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country fair for free?
Published 3:00 pm Friday, May 1, 2026
Visitors coming down to the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair on “Rodeo Sunday” (May 17) should bring their appetite.
Those who venture down for the pancake breakfast—hosted by the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation (CRYIF)—can also get into the Fairgrounds for free that morning after they fill their bellies with some hearty flapjacks. For a donation to CRYIF for the breakfast (min. $5/person), each person is granted free admission to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds.
Tania Smythe, a board member with CRYIF and 2nd vice-president of the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition Association, said the breakfast is a crucial fundraiser for CRYIF as it helps generate money for their scholarship program.
“So, they get good food and get to support a good cause,” Smythe said.
She added that breakfast-goers are getting immense value for money.
“Really, if you look at it, for the cost of getting into (the Fairgrounds), having a breakfast that would normally cost $10—pancakes, coffee, juice—it’s a $30 value.”
Entrance to the pancake breakfast opens at 8 a.m, with the breakfast being served at 8:30 a.m. and wrapping at 10 a.m. Entrance for the breakfast will be through either the west gate or east gate. The east gate is the one off the racetrack (parking not included).
Smythe said the money is used by the foundation to award scholarships to local students and to fund other community service endeavours in the Lower Fraser Valley area.
In recent years, CRYIF has tried to refocus on some non-scholarship initiatives. Something they’ve done in the past, but got away from during COVID.
Since the inception of CRYIF several years ago, the Foundation has provided more than $100,000 in scholarship money to local high school students as well as financial support to youth-focused programs in the Lower Fraser Valley area.
Two examples of programs CRYIF supports are “You Wear It Well,” which provides graduation wear to high school students who face financial challenges, and “Hold High The Torch,” a project developed at École Salish Secondary School to recognize veterans for their service to Canada.
The pancake breakfast has been a cornerstone of the Sunday morning lineup at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair over the years. The fundraiser began as a way to involve volunteers in yet another way to give back to the community. It’s grown exponentially since year one.
Smythe also wanted to send a shout out to Cloverdale Save-On-Foods for sponsoring the CRYIF pancake breakfast.
“We’re very grateful for their support.”
For more info on the Cloverdale Rodeo Youth Initiative Foundation, visit cloverdalerodeofoundation.com.
For more info on the pancake breakfast, visit cloverdalerodeo.com.