Earptopia: Didsbury Day Community Collab.
Earptopia Didsbury Day – A Model of Innovative, Community-Driven Film Tourism
In October 2024, the Town of Didsbury successfully hosted Earptopia – Didsbury Day, an immersive fan tourism event that transformed the town into “Purgatory,” the fictional setting of the cult television series Wynonna Earp. As part of the larger Earptopia Convention held in Calgary, this first-of-its-kind initiative in Alberta brought over 200 international visitors from 17 countries to Didsbury for a single day, showcasing the power of nonprofit collaboration and creative economic development through tourism.
The event was led by Didsbury’s Economic Development department in collaboration with the Earptopia fan convention organizers. Economic Development was joined and supported by nonprofit partners, including the Didsbury Museum, Didsbury Municipal Library, Torrington Gopher Museum, and local volunteer groups. Together, these organizations co-created a vibrant, interactive experience featuring a Wynonna Earp-themed scavenger hunt that also educated the fans on Didsbury’s history and guided them to visit local businesses, a reconstructed Shorty’s Saloon façade built by original set designers, and the unveiling of authentic show props and memorabilia. The Didsbury Museum hosted record-breaking international attendance, while five local restaurants collaborated to deliver the “Taste of Purgatory” lunch experience, generating measurable economic benefit across multiple businesses.
This collaboration not only increased business revenues by an average of 38% on event day, but also fostered long-term impact through the launch of a permanent digital scavenger hunt tool. This tool—evolving from the one-day event—has become a sustainable visitor attraction, allowing updates with future film content and strengthening Didsbury’s position as a year-round film tourism destination.
The community-wide effort extended well beyond the economic sphere. The Library hosted a Pride celebration that added a meaningful cultural and inclusive dimension to the event. The Museum hosted tea/cookies and Didsbury history event and partnered with Torrington’s Gopher Museum to create a one-of-a-kind Wynonna Earp-themed gopher display—boosting cross-promotion between neighboring communities. Local businesses embraced the opportunity, offering themed products, while volunteers played a central role in event logistics, hospitality, and souvenir production.
Collaboration was further amplified through partnerships with Keep Alberta Rolling. The event attracted Audible (Amazon), who conducted on-site fan interviews for their upcoming Wynonna Earp audio series, bringing further international attention to Didsbury. Fans themselves contributed $4,500 in donations to the museum, while the Town received additional props and $10,000 in donations to develop a permanent installation and recover some of the cost.
Ultimately, Earptopia Didsbury Day was a resounding success—born from a shared vision among nonprofit partners to create something truly memorable, inclusive, and economically impactful. It exemplified the power of grassroots collaboration to deliver mutual benefit, community pride, and long-term tourism development.
This project demonstrates how even small communities can innovate and lead. It redefined film tourism in Alberta and serves as a replicable model for other towns aiming to engage cultural audiences, diversify their economies, and strengthen local collaboration through creative, community-centered initiatives.
