SASKATOON -- With many events cancelled this long weekend due to COVID-19, some Saskatoon operators are taking it upon themselves to keep the fun alive by offering interactive experiences.
A local theatre company is taking its show to the streets.
“This year felt more important than ever to be bringing something to the communities,” said Jesse Fulcher Gagnon, a performer at Sum Theatre.
That’s why they’re putting on Turn, Turn, Turn, a travelling theatre experience that combines original music, performance and puppets.
It’s taking the place of Theatre in the Park this year, according to Fulcher Gagnon.
The show will travel to 27 different neighbourhoods in Saskatoon over the next couple weeks.
Five performances are scheduled to take place during the long weekend in Forest Grove, Churchill, Stonebridge, City Park and Varsity View.
“It’s not a play you need to see the entirety of. Even five seconds of it, 10 seconds of it is magical enough of an experience,” Fulcher Gagnon said.
While the goal is to bring the community together, he said they’re balancing fun with safety.
“We don’t post our exact routes, we post sort of general maps hoping that people don’t gather in clumps and still are cautious of the distance between each other. We really did try to approach this with a safety first sort of mentality,” Fulcher Gagnon said.
He added that performers are also wearing masks and don’t pass around props.
The Berry Barn is also offering activities for people throughout the summer, including a petting zoo, pony rides and pedal go carting.
“We’ve been really pleasantly surprised by the amount of people that are coming out and how well they are accepting us and our new rules and new way of doing things,” said Grant Erlandson, co-owner of the Berry Barn.
He said this long weekend will likely be quieter than usual because there will be no weddings and fewer out of town visitors.
However, he said it was important to have activities available for people to “keep our employees employed and keep this place running.”
