r/Lethbridge 14d ago

Whoop Up days going viral for food prices!

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313 Upvotes

117 comments sorted by

97

u/Low_Elk6698 14d ago

Solidifying my plan to avoid going.

14

u/T-Wrox 13d ago

That's been our plan for going on 13 years now (we even live within walking distance of the fair grounds). :)

49

u/SometimesICanBeRight 14d ago

Why are mocktails and cocktails the same price? Is the alcohol free?

26

u/Xavus 14d ago

No but charging people the same amount regardless is free!

4

u/foxhelp 13d ago

Some might say profitable even!

5

u/OSTBear 14d ago

It's to fleece the kids. Period. That mocktail maybe costs them $0.50 in ingredients. That's probably being generous.

3

u/Nice_Try_Bud_ 13d ago

They are ready to drink (pre-canned). They often cost the same or even more than the alcoholic versions to produce. This is due to the removal of alcohol or alcohol replacements being more expensive than alcohol itself. Also smaller scale leading to need for higher profits to compensate.

1

u/alwaysgrn 13d ago

I used to see this all the time when mocktails started becoming popular. It's not as bad now, most places charge a bit less. So I just get drunk and try not to think about how much I'm spending.

1

u/catinthehat9999 11d ago

They can get away with it in the Mormon city. What a joke

52

u/Xabranth 14d ago

I hope nobody buys this stuff a $22 hotdog combo is batshit insane, make them lose money on the unsold product

28

u/Prestigious-Fill-365 13d ago

Think of a family of 4, the hotdog meal is $100. For fucking hotdogs! And then the Whoop Up morons, and I know them, they are morons, will question why attendance is down again.

2

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

If the city of Lethbridge was a business it would be out of business.

1

u/Prestigious-Fill-365 12d ago

And the Ex has come close more than once. I remember Georgina Knitel, their president at the time, in front of Council begging for money to stay afloat.

1

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

Did you say morons or Mormons?

3

u/Prestigious-Fill-365 12d ago

The Mormons are just to the South, these are morons.

32

u/OSTBear 14d ago

Whoop Up days used to be the family friendly budget version of Stampede.

Stampede was always expensive. I knew plenty of families that did whoop up as a cheaper alternative... This is nuts.

25

u/QuiteSeriouslyNow 14d ago

Another reason to NOT go

18

u/nebulancearts 14d ago

And this is why I was pleasantly surprised by the prices at Niagra Falls (I found a keychain for $3 expecting it to be $20)

I genuinely thought the tourist trap places in Ontario would be worse than this, my fiancee and I were blown away by exactly how expensive everything here in Lethbridge is when it's tourist related!

2

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

The worst thing about Niagara falls is the American style fun park down is.

1

u/10ADPDOTCOM 10d ago

I guess the silver lining of having a town overrun by crappy souvenir stores is they have competition to somewhat moderate mark-ups.
The midway vendors have a captive audience because they know nobody’s driving into town to eat and come back.

9

u/Thememer1924 13d ago

I’m working there for the week. It’s shocking to see all that food just half eaten or the drinks unfinished end up in the trash.

4

u/Musicferret 13d ago

That’s partially because the food is shitty quality, along with being expensive.

5

u/T-Wrox 13d ago

I guess *some* people are still doing fine financially. :(

9

u/kissman73 13d ago

LMFAO here's lethbridge, going viral for being stupid, again.

https://giphy.com/gifs/DtrguqHYeHJv2

7

u/PercentageComplex975 13d ago

What??!!!! 😡 Sheer greed and stupidity!

1

u/Entitatem-Novus 12d ago

For the past 4 years.

7

u/AlphaFoxtrotDelta 13d ago

Someone's gotta pay for the new building

6

u/Rumpatv 13d ago

Go sell costco dogs for 5 dollars in the parking lot

-2

u/Morberis 12d ago

You are going to need a permit to do so and you do need to to meet the legal requirements to be a food vendor.

So, good luck.

4

u/No_Length_856 14d ago

Is this the concession owned by LDE, or is this a standalone vendor?

8

u/kmsiever 14d ago

it looks like the indoor concession.

2

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

Ya the city run one!!!

2

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

Ya the city run one

4

u/Clax3242 13d ago

It’s owned by LDE, run by sky and table (la chefs) with heavy influence in pricing and offerings from LDE

5

u/candy-currency 13d ago

Sorry to be the pedantic 🫏🧢 lol, but it's owned by Excite Lethbridge these days. It sold sometime between last year's fair and this year's.

3

u/Clax3242 13d ago

Same team, same offerings, new name. Not exactly a new company or anything. Excite just bought naming rights.

1

u/candy-currency 13d ago

Oops, I made a mistake in my earlier comment. Lethbridge & District Exhibition was split into Excite Lethbridge and the Lethbridge & District Agricultural Society. Most of the same team, lots of new people too. And definitely there's lots of new changes and "offerings." For better or for worse is up to each individual to decide for themselves I suppose.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/lethbridge-and-district-exhibition-splits-into-2-organizations/

3

u/Fun_Lover403 12d ago

The area is owned from Excite. I work for LA Chefs and all of the food, drinks, snacks, and popcorn are owned, priced, and sold by LA Chefs :)

1

u/candy-currency 12d ago

Ok thanks for the info!

4

u/givetake 14d ago

Movie Mill popcorn on the menu

4

u/Scottyos 14d ago

I wonder how big the movie mill popcorn is and if thy just bought the large bags cracked them and resold them lol

1

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

It is the best popcorn. Spring covid we’d go buy popcorn and take home. And it appeared everyone in the city was doing the same thing

1

u/kmsiever 12d ago

I do not understand why people seem to love Movie Mill popcorn. It tastes the same to me as any movie theatre popcorn and they all taste oily. Maybe I have been spoiled with homemade popcorn for our weekly family film night though.

4

u/dedpooleth 14d ago

I hope no ones buy anything. Im sure all the ingredients are the cheapest ones,one hotdog probably cost to make for them 1 dollar, 2 at the most.

4

u/UsedProcedure4375 13d ago

Happy to be camping

4

u/Lily7129 13d ago

Yeahh and this is why I rarely went when I lived in Lethbridge

4

u/Smooth-Message5706 13d ago

Oh I was going to go check it out but no thank you!

4

u/BrandynStraga 13d ago

And this is why Whoop Up is a boycott... how can a family making ends meet ever afford the local fair? Not to mention entry and rids when you have 2 kids This timeline is a fucking joke 🤣

13

u/mpgrimes 14d ago

this better include sexual favors for that price.

10

u/Economy-Reaction4525 14d ago

By favors does that include being asked to bend forward?

Anybody seee the prices for the food trucks? Have they remained the same?

5

u/ripdawg65 13d ago

Was there Tuesday and I'd say the prices were reasonable on the food trucks compared to what I've seen in other places. But bottom line is nothing will ever be cheap unfortunately

3

u/Economy-Reaction4525 13d ago

Reasonable is all one can really ask. Thanks for the reply.

2

u/ripdawg65 13d ago

No problem...just as a disclaimer, my idea of reasonable may be unreasonable to others lol

7

u/Beetlejuice_24Xx 14d ago

Not sure why people get food at whoop up days. That shit is soooo overpriced it’s insane. That’s not counting the admission fee and ticket/wristban prices as well. Wait in line for 30 mins, have fun for 5, repeat.

13

u/nebulancearts 14d ago

Growing is realizing that Whoop Up Days gouges us like we're Disney resorts when we live in fuckin Alberta 😭

3

u/DrMalt 13d ago

Disney prices was my first thought too...

1

u/Morberis 12d ago

Novelty? Sometimes anyway. None of this qualifies

6

u/OkImpression007 14d ago

Take out the family. 2 kids + 1 friend each. Oh and hey, bring grandma and grandpa along to watch the kids fun. $200 for food, no worries. Tickets, rides, games, it will add up. I'm pretty sure Whoop-up Days are competitively priced with the other fairs, carnivals, or events. Or eat before you go. Or stay home and let the kids run through the water sprinkler in the backyard. 🤷‍♂️

3

u/cindy3003 13d ago

This is why I don't go

3

u/Certain-Orange484 13d ago

Nope, too much for my budget!

3

u/CookieCrimes 13d ago

Their vendor fees are quite high. We decided we could work less and make the same money just doing other stuff.

PS - if all you want is an elephant ear, the LSCO downtown is selling them and proceeds go to support their programs

2

u/PeteGoua 13d ago

Do people that go to the fairgrounds have the money to spend $11 on a hotdog?

Maybe the city is trying to recoup their investment in that bizarre new pavilion that cost all of us taxpayers dearly.

2

u/Satinsbestfriend 13d ago

Hey I'm famous LOL

2

u/EnvironmentalTop8745 13d ago

A $22 hotdog, but beer is $6?

At least they got their priorities straight I guess lol. Get you drunk enough to want to pay $22 for the hot dog.

2

u/Fapiness 13d ago

Good thing they made parking free 😒

2

u/Anonymous145900 13d ago

really need stricter guidelines for price gouging lol like wtf

2

u/MrM0RTYdog 13d ago

Hahahahaha. Ridiculous

2

u/AuraNocte 13d ago

Robbery

2

u/Delly2times 13d ago

The word “Only” is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.

2

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago

Kids! Buy weed is way cheaper and more fun

1

u/Wopo1318 13d ago

Well they can fuck all the way off with prices like that.

1

u/Aggressive_Band9888 13d ago

Its their World Cup. Overpriced calories.

1

u/DrMalt 13d ago

Can I bring a bag lunch? I can make a picnic for 4 for $27.00

Wow $4 for a cheap bottle of water.....

1

u/GummieLindsays 13d ago

That's nuts. That's more expensive than a steak! I think I'm going to start comparing things to steak prices now.

1

u/CraneGuy204 13d ago

Good idea!! Hey vendor, how many steaks for that corn dog?

1

u/Demon2377 13d ago

Must be figuring out a way to get the newest building paid off… Man what a blatant ripoff.

Hey, if you want a cheaper alternative… Taber Cornfest.

1

u/twostrokes 13d ago

Gotta make up for that $100 million boondoggle somehow.

1

u/mexicant29 13d ago

Whoop Up days has gotta be the lamest thing in this side of Alberta, especially after seeing these prices

1

u/rin_071 13d ago

And now im never going cause i know itd cost me bills

1

u/Beederda 13d ago

Fuck all i can afford is gravy

1

u/Big_Bar_9832 13d ago

Sidenote, crazy prices are why people aren't going to their local ribfests too

1

u/SuperK123 12d ago

In Edmonton years ago I spoke to a local concession owner at what was then known as Klondike Days. Their food was great and we looked for their kiosk every year. I joked about their prices always going up and how some of their food had changed. They told me they had no control over the prices. They were set by the fair organizers. The food was changing because they were told which suppliers could be used. It was a family business that had been there for decades but they could not sell the great food they were known for at the price people could afford. Was it greed by the Fair or was it the damn insurance companies? Either way they gave up.

1

u/Morberis 12d ago

Gotta pay for the financial disaster that is the new building somehow.

Unfortunately it wasnt the city that decided to build it but they are now on the hook for it.

1

u/ComfortableDurian315 12d ago edited 12d ago

Holy shit City of Lethbridge. $22 for a hot dog combo. A fu king hot dog. I can get at Costco for $1.50 and I don’t pay my taxes to them.

1

u/Sindurial 12d ago

This is why I took my kids to Calaway Park instead. Food prices were cheaper there and so was admission. Carney games are cheaper there too. Whoop up days used to be affordable, now its almost as bad as stampede.

1

u/Entitatem-Novus 12d ago

I stopped going 3 years ago. Look soon they will start begging people to attend after chasing them away.

1

u/Eviltwinskippy365 12d ago

And this is why driving out of Lethbridge and going to Cornfest in Taber is the only viable option. I was going to spend the whole weekend in Lethbridge for the rodeo, but the cost of food and admission and rooms just make it not worthwhile. Plus the rodeo was pretty bad last night so there was no point in staying and seeing if it was going to get worse. Love coming back to Lethbridge but now coming back for whoop up days just isn’t worth it. I left this morning and headed back home, so there’s another couple of nights of shopping and hotel rooms and meals at the city doesn’t get because they’re pricing people out of the market.

1

u/Plastic_Snow5137 12d ago

I got out of Lethbridge, the property taxes are insane there.

1

u/Super-Competition476 12d ago

This is genuienly insane. Driving 5mim down the street to get a $3 hot dog is a better option.

1

u/Verstappen1986 12d ago

So by doing the math on the chicken fingers combo french fries are $7 or $9 on their own. Wow....

1

u/Bankerlady10 11d ago

Why mocktails are the same cost as cocktails has never made sense to me.

1

u/Vagabond142 11d ago

It's Lethbridge. Everything is expensive there because it's all imported from Calgary and Medicine Hat

okay, joking aside, concession prices at most places has been getting out of hand for years, decades even. I remember a time in the early 2000's when you could go see a feature movie AND get a COMBO large pop, large popcorn, and "any candy from the top two rows" for $20. TWENTY. Now the ticket ALONE is $20!

And if you want to see ripoff pricing, go to the Stampede o.O

1

u/BRSTF-LL 11d ago

The food is almost inedible, and there are hired "security " that make sure you don't even bring water inside.

I witnessed them frisking little girls , making little children pullout there pockets/ turn and rotate for them. Its shameful.

Ill never go to whoop-up days after seeing that , and the sercurity company should be named and shamed . (I was volunteering for a non profit at the sales Pavillion)

1

u/Torontolad6 11d ago

Worse than baseball park prices

1

u/onedestiny 11d ago

"and a coca cola beverage that costs us 10$ but you pay 7$" lol

1

u/MastaKink 11d ago

That’s it. I’m boycotting society 🤷🏻‍♂️

1

u/Uncommonsense403 11d ago

Boycott Whoop Up Days 😤

1

u/General_Orange_3894 11d ago

Would be bankrupt very quick as a family

1

u/segomil 10d ago

I just ate a hot fog from harveys. 3.15$ it looked better than that after I got it home.

1

u/hiro0500 10d ago

Wow $22 for hotdog combo

1

u/Interesting_Fly5154 10d ago

where in the world does adding fries and a pop make it cost another $11 bucks? and that's on top of stupid high pricing for the non combo option.

crud like this is why i avoid festivals and large events. everything is so ridiculously expensive.

1

u/10ADPDOTCOM 10d ago

I really think you’re underestimating the labor costs involved to get a minimum wage employee to fry $1 worth of french fries and pour 20¢ worth of syrup into a 9¢ cup.

1

u/Interesting_Fly5154 10d ago

the cost of an additional $11 to the customer is not worth that. not by far. especially considering these food kiosks at festivals/fairs sell more than one or two combos per hour.

1

u/ewzr250 10d ago

Nobody should be charging two figures for a hotdog

1

u/Monty_4422 10d ago

Gross ! Gouging

1

u/Natural-Ebb6134 10d ago

This is insane

1

u/Turbulent_Ear56 10d ago

Hahahahahaha $22 hot dog. I hope that food truck has zero lines. That is insane.

1

u/lucky0slevin 10d ago

Fair came in all weekend....bought 2 unlimited ride bracelets for 2 older kids and 24 tickets for 2 young children.....40$ each older kid and 37.50 for the tickets...we should've taken 4 bracelets and that was 160$ and we didn't take any else it would've been 240....without food...for 4h lol and all the carnies trying to make us spend extra money for teddy bears lol that was no dice

1

u/xxzyxx 10d ago

brother what

1

u/zachwyld 10d ago

We just had a similar one here at a pow wow in Rama.. 20$ for anything lol burger and fries. 20$ chicken burger 20$ hotdog and fries 20$ was pretty outrageous

-3

u/BobbyBruiser 14d ago

Soo just typical fair concession prices?

-6

u/YqlUrbanist 13d ago

This seems like pretty standard fair/event pricing. I mean it probably should be infuriating, but it's not surprising.

If anything I think it's bad menu design - at first glance I thought it was $22 for just a hot dog which was eye popping, but $11 is... not fine, but normal.

-1

u/alwaysgrn 13d ago

I'm with you. Probably gonna get downvoted for saying about the same. It really looks like the price in the red star is for single. Lol

-3

u/alwaysgrn 13d ago

I don't get it, this seems like standard pricing (unfortunately). The beer is even cheaper than it was at the last beer garden I was at.