Cypress Farm & Ranch Show: New “Boutique” Ag Show

Serving farmers and ranchers in Saskatchewan and Alberta

Dave Fiddler is blazing a new trail in Western Canada’s agriculture events scene. After managing top ag events such as the Western Canada Farm Progress Show, Agri-Trade and Northlands Farm and Ranch Show, he’s bringing decades of knowledge and experience to southeastern Alberta with a brand new show.

The inaugural Cypress Farm & Ranch Show took place in Medicine Hat, Alberta from June 12 to 14. Just under 4,000 people attended the show with 130 exhibitors, surpassing Fiddler’s original goal of 100.

“It’s a good start,” says Fiddler, who has farmed and ranched in southwestern Saskatchewan all his life and got into ag show management as a side business off the farm. “We had a quality show with quality exhibitors, and we will grow it.”

Next year, Fiddler’s goal is to have 200 exhibitors and 7,500 visitors attending the show, which will take place on June 11 and 12, 2026. If previous experience is any indication, he has what it takes to build and grow a successful farm show.

Fiddler managed the Western Canada Farm Progress Show in Regina from 1990 to 1997, the event’s most significant period of growth, increasing the number of exhibitors from 200 to 840. He also helped revitalize the Northland’s Farm and Ranch Show in Edmonton when he started his own business, Horizon Consulting.

Retirement couldn’t even keep him away from the ag show world. When Fiddler retired on March 31, 2016, he got a call the very next day to run Agri-Trade in Red Deer. It was no April Fool’s joke – Fiddler started as show manager for Agri-Trade 10 days later and was involved in the development of AgSmart, an educational symposium at Olds College. He’s also been managing Ag Expo in Lethbridge since 2023 - 2025.

With many agricultural shows and events struggling to stay relevant and profitable today, why start a brand new ag show? Fiddler says it was all about identifying a need and seizing the opportunity.

“People in southeast Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan often find it difficult to get to some of the big farm events that take place in the fall and winter,” he explains. “Ranchers are calving, and farmers are down south.”

It’s all about connecting in a relaxed atmosphere and providing the expertise and opportunities that producers are looking for.

But the area in a three-hour radius of Medicine Hat represents a significant opportunity for exhibitors, who told Fiddler that it is also one of the hardest areas to penetrate.

“There is more investment in ag equipment and machinery in this area than anywhere in Canada,” says Fiddler.

After doing much research and looking at different options, Fiddler made the bold move to start a new show in June, when haying hasn’t started but seeding is complete. With no partners or investors, he launched the Cypress Farm & Ranch Show on his own, catering to the area synonymous with Cypress Hills.

“I refer to this as a boutique show – it’s designed for this region,” he says. “People are very proud to be from the Cypress area.”

There is more investment in ag equipment and machinery in this area than anywhere in Canada.

In addition to exhibitors, this year’s show included a successful speakers’ program with sessions on soil and animal health, marketing beef in new ways, financial management, drones, and new technology.

“It’s all about connecting in a relaxed atmosphere and providing the expertise and opportunities that producers are looking for,” says Fiddler.

The 2026 Cypress Farm & Ranch Show is once again aligned with the World Professional Chuckwagon Races. Fiddler says the recipe to a successful event comes down to four things – education, entertainment, commerce, and competition – and they have it all. He encourages AMC members to participate in the show and tap into a lucrative market.

“There is a lot of opportunity to do business here,” says Fiddler, who’s been involved with AMC since the 1990’s. “The Medicine Hat Chamber of

Commerce is supportive and helpful – they are engaged and doing their best to help businesses connect.”