Saskatoon heads outside for Saskatchewan Day

The Saskatoon Fringe Festival returned to Broadway Avenue in Saskatoon. (Tyler Barrow/CTV Saskatoon)

SASKATOON -

Saskatchewan Day is the first long weekend without public health restrictions since the COVID-19 pandemic began last year.

In Saskatoon, hundreds spent the day taking in the Saskatoon Fringe Festival along Broadway Avenue.

“We came down here and saw this guy doing some juggling stuff, and then he was on a ladder and it was really cool,” said nine-year-old Grace Pelrine who was on Broadway with her family.

“Absolutely fun, my first time out here at the Saskatoon Fringe and the weather is (cooperating) with us and we’re going to enjoy everything about it here,” said Fringe Festival attendee Curtis Smith.

Last year the Fringe Festival was cancelled due to public health restrictions. A loss for a vendor like Kristina Johnson who sells jewelry. This is her 17th time setting up shop at the Fringe Festival.

“It’s just great to be out after a year-and-a-half of no sales,” Johnson said. “It’s been actually really good in terms of foot-traffic and sales.”

Other businesses around the city were hoping to attract some sun-kissed patrons as well on the holiday Monday. According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, Monday's high was 33 degrees. A chance for Homestead Ice Cream to fill some waffle cones.

“It still brings a lot of customers in during the day. Even though so many people go out to the lake there is still a lot of people who have family come into the city.” said Homestead Ice Cream Supervisor Oliver Picton “We always have a lot of customers out during the weekends and long weekends.”