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The Nova Scotia Stampede will not return for a third year in 2026.
The rodeo-style event had been scheduled for September 24 to 27 at the Nova Scotia Provincial Exhibition Complex in Bible Hill. However, the board overseeing the Rath Eastlink Community Centre says it does not believe it has the capacity to organize and host the event.
The Nova Scotia Stampede first launched in 2024 and featured rodeo competitions, bull riding, concerts and vendors. Organizers said the event quickly grew in popularity and attracted thousands of visitors to the region.
In a statement posted online, former organizer Kevin Bushey said his team spent more than three years developing the event.
“For the past 3.5 years, our team worked tirelessly to build and deliver the Nova Scotia Stampede,” Bushey said, adding the event quickly became one of the region’s fastest-growing festivals.
Bushey said planning for events of that scale requires contracts and financial commitments well in advance, and the timeline to move forward had already begun to pass.
“Events of this size require planning, contracts, and financial commitments well in advance,” he said. “Without clear direction, the window to move forward responsibly was closing.”
Bushey said senior management repeatedly asked for confirmation on issues including funding commitments, operational authority and access to facilities needed to host the event.
“Those confirmations were never provided,” he said, adding the team was asked to proceed based on verbal assurances.
He said the decision not to move forward ultimately followed a move by the municipally led board appointed by the Town of Truro and the Municipality of Colchester to cancel the event.
Despite the cancellation, Bushey said he remains proud of the work that went into launching the festival.
“I remain incredibly proud of what our team accomplished in building the Nova Scotia Stampede from the ground up and delivering two successful events for our community,” he said.
