Sask. festivals gear up for more active summer
With COVID-19 restrictions likely to loosen in Saskatchewan through June and July, organizers of events, festivals and tourist attractions are rethinking their summer plans.
Jonathan Potts with Tourism Saskatchewan says that after a year of adversity, many event planners are stepping up to the challenge while other volunteer organizers are choosing to hold off.
“Because things are changing quite rapidly it’s quite tricky for some to prepare depending on lead time they need, but we do have a very entrepreneurial industry, and a very adaptable industry,” Potts says.
Andriy Bondar chairs the Ukrainian Day in the Park committee. One of the main reasons he wanted to get involved is for his daughter, four-year-old Veronica.
He’s been living in Canada for five years and wanted to be involved in the festival that celebrates and showcases Ukrainian culture.
Last year their August event had to be cancelled and this year the board has a plan, but it is still being finalized.
“We don’t know if we’ll have a live broadcast from a location or if it will be 100 per cent pre-recorded and just played on the day of the event,” Bondar said.
August 28 is the date they will be sharing culture with performances, food vendor promotions and a few surprises, Bodnar says.
He says it was challenging for the volunteer board to come to a decision about hosting the event – but they didn’t want to hold off for another year.
The Ness Creek Music Festival originally cancelled their regular event but is adapting and having smaller venues to accommodate restrictions.
Organizers at Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival have one play planned, Macbeth, starting in July but audience capacity limits could change to allow more people into the theatre.
The Fringe is also planning a hybrid event with some virtual and in-person shows while Taste of Saskatchewan is moving to August instead of July.
The Prairie Lily riverboat in Saskatoon is going to set sail starting June 24, with 30 per cent capacity.
The Saskatoon Ex and the Regina Exhibition are going ahead in August with a schedule that allows for cleaning days. The Prince Albert Exhibition website says it is cancelled for 2021.
The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival is announcing its plans on Thursday while the Country Thunder music festival in Craven has been cancelled.
Folkfest in Saskatoon is holding a three day festival in late August which will be mainly virtual. There are some interactive elements in the works with some pavilion food sale days in July and Aug leading up to the virtual event.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Bob Cole, veteran CBC broadcaster and former voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada,' dead at 90
Bob Cole, legendary CBC broadcaster and former voice of Hockey Night in Canada, has died. He was 90.
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.