Membership Spotlight | Town of Stettler

Membership Spotlight | Town of Stettler

Find out why the Town of Stettler is known as the Heart of Alberta. The Town of Stettler can be found on Highway 12 about 90 kilometres straight east of Red Deer. We interviewed Kami Ritz, from the Town of Stettler below.

1. Tell us about your municipality?

‍The one thing that we hear repeatedly is how much people enjoy our community and most always return for another visit or make it their new home. Recently we have had lots of people from all over BC, Ontario, and more move to our charming town, one visit and they fell in love. Stettler is known as the Heart of Alberta for many reasons, but one is our central location, nestled between the two major cities of Edmonton and Calgary and only a short drive to Red Deer, it is easy for people to visit Stettler without spending hours on the road. Once in Stettler, people are always amazed at how much there is to see and do in the area and our variety of landscapes, from the coulees to the river and Buffalo Lake, you get the best of all worlds all in one place. Stettler offers affordable vacations that are great for any type of traveler.

2. What makes you different, unique, or stand out?

‍Once here, people will find that we have so much to offer everyone. Our major attractions include Alberta Prairie Steam Excursions which give people the unique experience of riding a vintage train while enjoying the many different themes, entertainment, and food that each excursion offers. People can also choose to ride to the scenic village of Big Valley or a shorter excursion to the Country Hideaway. Ol’MacDonald’s Resort is another popular attraction, being one of Alberta’s favourite family campgrounds. With their Ol’ Mac Markets and new partnership to have rentals such as kayaks, paddleboards, and more, you really can get everything right there including the Ol Mac famous cinnamon buns! Kids love the playgrounds, petting zoo, and endless adventures they can have at the resort and parents enjoy a chance to relax in a beautiful setting.

When it comes to sports, people have room to play in Stettler, we proudly host many ball tournaments as well as rodeo series here with our recently renovated ag grounds. Stettler also will be hosting the Stettler Triathlon which is a perfect event for all ages and abilities. Other great area attractions in Stettler include our Town and Country Museum and P&H Elevator which history buffs love to visit. Our two area golf courses are a favourite stop, in town the Stettler Golf and Country Club features: Family Friendly Golf - Food and Beverages, Cart Storage and Rentals - Ladies, Men's and Junior Leagues - Pro Shop - Clubhouse Rentals, Pheasantback Golf, and Country Club offers a little more challenging course but is uniquely beautiful complete with driving range, they offer fun specials as well with great food including taco Tuesdays! West Stettler Park where you can enjoy live entertainment. We love that our local businesses have turned Stettler into a premiere shopping destination.

Our beautiful downtown features beautiful boutiques, cafes, and spas. Throughout our town you find local businesses offering unique selections you cannot find anywhere else. Visitors and locals love to spend the day browsing through our shops and love finding the many items made locally that are featured in our stores. Increased stores and unique eateries are opening and giving more reasons to come Shop Stettler! We also just had Ford’s Farmstead open just west of town where you can find fresh produce along with meats, cheeses, and more plus enjoy ice cream and hang out in the petting zoo which makes it another great attraction to our area.  What also makes Stettler unique is our surrounding communities that each bring more to see and enjoy during your visit, whether shopping Jimmy Jock boardwalk in Big Valley, checking out the first ever flying machine in Botha, or visiting the world’s largest lamp in Donalda.

Along with the attractions these communities have, there are always fun special-events like drive-in movies, steam engine days, markets, antique shops, museums, and more. When you realize all the things to see and do in the Stettler area, you will want to extend your stay and we have lots of ways you can do that with our local hotels, cozy B&Bs, and numerous camping options including beautiful cabins! For itineraries, places to stay and eat, and an overall guide to the area, visit www.destinationstettler.com.

‍While we may be a long way off, we are excited that Stettler is becoming a Christmas Destination. With the Polar Express, shopping, Christmas markets, concerts, light displays, and events like Moonlight Madness and the Night Before the Night Before, when it comes to getting in the holiday spirit, Stettler is the place to be. If you love those Harlequin Christmas movies, a visit to Stettler during the holiday season will have you feeling like you stepped on the set of one of those movies.

‍3. What can guests (local or visiting) expect to experience? Overall, Stettler offers the amenities of the big city served up in our small-town charm. We have the room, so people are not crowded, and all our attractions are affordable. Whether you are looking to go for a hike or to enjoy a spa day, a family vacation, or a solo getaway, you will find everything here that you need for a perfect and memorable trip. Our community is very welcoming, and people say one of their favourite things is walking down the street and having each person they pass greet them with a genuine smile. You can always count on the best service in the area as everyone goes over and above for patrons. While the hotspot tourism locations expect people to come, we deeply appreciate people taking the time to visit.

‍4. What is new or upcoming?

Make sure to check out all the events that are happening in Stetter all year round, including markets, drive-in movies, and car shows, Click here to learn more about the Town of Stettler and follow them on social media to keep up to date on all their happenings and events.