SASKATOON -- > THE BASICS
This year’s Saskatoon Ex runs Aug. 6-8 and 11-15 at Prairieland Park. All admission entrances open at noon with preferred parking lots opening at 10:30 a.m. Outdoor entertainment areas, food concessions and midways close at midnight.
NEW RIDES
The Ex will feature some new rides including a roller coaster called the Crazy Mouse. You and a few others will squish into a small car and zip along a bright red and yellow ride featuring sharp turns and steep drops.
JUST 'TRY' TO RESIST THE MUSIC
Blue Rodeo will be among the groups performing at the grandstand. Other acts include Our Lady Peace and Tom Cochrane, while Bif Naked and Platinum Blonde are among the performers at the Dakota Dunes Casino Show Stage.
POTATO POWER
A spudnut is no ordinary donut. Nay, a spudnut carries decades of tradition on its noble, glazed shoulders. The recipe includes a specially-spiced potato flour made by Bakemark that is patented to Prairieland and is only used in the making of the Ex’s spudnuts.
Each year the Spudnut Supervisor oversees the production of the 6,500 to 11,000 spudnuts by 65 employees. (Editor’s note: It’s surprisingly hard to find reputable estimates of the caloric content of spudnuts. But using a ballpark 100 calories, that’s up to 1.1 milion calories consumed by customers each day. We thought this would be a fun detail.)
BREAD FANS
The Doukhobor Society of Saskatoon uses the proceeds from their bread sales at the Saskatoon EX to fund their other activities. They also see it as a way of continuing an important cultural tradition.
The recipe dates back over 200 years to the Russian empire. Each batch of dough uses 132 pounds of flour which makes 100 loaves of bread. Once the ovens are heated the ashes are pulled out and 33 risen loaves per oven are slid in and left to bake for one hour. Running two shifts, the booth averages about 700 loaves a day.
Since 1972, Doukhobor Bread can be purchased by the slice with butter and jam, or by the loaf.
BRING AN UMBRELLA
This year’s Ex is an entirely outdoor event with no indoor trade show or access to the main buildings. Guests are welcome to wear masks and enhanced cleaning protocols will be in place.
(Source: saskatoonex.com)
