New Cowboys Park sign renews transparency concerns over sponsorship deal
Posted Jun 11, 2026 2:56 pm.
Last Updated Jun 11, 2026 6:44 pm.
A new Cowboys-branded sign installed ahead of Stampede at the former Shaw Millennium Park is renewing concerns about a confidential deal that handed naming rights and major control of the public space to Penny Lane Entertainment.
The 10-year sponsorship agreement, signed two years ago under former mayor Jyoti Gondek and the previous council, forced out several long‑standing festivals and led to plans to pave over much of the park’s existing greenspace.
Engagement with the community only occurred after construction had already begun, and the city has since promoted the site as a “plug and play” event location.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas said Thursday he “hates the deal” but is obligated to uphold it. He told reporters he has seen the contract but is bound by confidentiality so strict he cannot even share it with his staff for analysis.
“That to me is a red flag,” he said. “I want to have as much transparency as possible.”
“I don’t think we struck the right balance… that said I am bound by the terms that the previous mayor and council agreed to.”
Online reaction on the Calgary subreddit has seen commenters uniformly opposed to the confidential arrangement that granted Cowboys naming rights and extensive use of what was once North America’s largest public skatepark.
Public access to the skatepark has been heavily affected by the annual Cowboys Music Festival. Last summer, most of the park was closed for all of July and skaters were vocal about their frustration.
The city says the beginner area will remain open this year, but the intermediate and advanced bowls are closed, with a gradual reopening expected after safety inspections in mid‑July. A temporary skatepark has been set up at Pixel Park to offset the disruption.
Farkas says the city must operate within the agreement as written.
“Council was left between a rock and a hard place,” he said, adding that he hopes to improve accountability, transparency, and public access while still honouring what Penny Lane was promised.
Fences are already up again at Cowboys Park, along with the new signage installed.
