I’m too old to qualify for the Saskatchewanderer gig where the province designates a youth correspondent to travel around and check out special summer events and attractions such as festivals, fairs, heritage days and bunnock championships. Seems kind of ageist to me. Anyway, if I did somehow manage to turn back the clock and qualify, here’s some things I’d consider covering.
For more information on these events, or to find about even more summer activities, visit the Tourism Regina, Tourism Saskatoon and Tourism Saskatchewan websites. /Greg Beatty
REGINA
Regina Afrofest
July 5
Summer festival season in the Queen City kicks off with this celebration of our diverse African cultures. Food, arts, crafts, entertainment and more are promised. Performers include Njacko Backo, Coffieman, Dr. Bird & Bluebeat, Amara Kante, Oral Fuentes Reggae Band and African Princess Dance troupe. Afrofest is in Victoria Park, and runs from noon to 8 p.m. Tickets $10.
Regina International Fringe Festival
July 9-13
As you’ll see later, Saskatoon has a fringe too. It’s celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Regina’s is marking its own milestone. Booked to perform at the 10th anniversary edition are 18 local, national and international acts. Four of the five venues are located in the Cathedral area, while the MacKenzie Gallery is in south-central Regina. Tickets are $10 per performance, and there’s a free kids’ fringe July 13.
Craven Country Jamboree
July 10-14
Plenty of people are cravin’ the opportunity hit Craven for the 2014 jamboree, I bet. Even if country music isn’t your thing, there’s no shortage of other fun past-times to keep you occupied including knitting circles, book club discussions, nature walks, yoga sessions and… relax, I’m kidding! Headline acts this year are Luke Bryan (Friday), Dierks Bentley (Saturday) and Dallas Smith (Sunday). And guys! SO MANY TRUCKS WILL BE AT CRAVEN! Sigh. Trucks.
Secret Gardens Tour
July 11-13
This annual New Dance Horizons fundraiser featuring self-directed garden tours and dance performances. There’s day-time and evening tours, and the theme this year is “The Garden of Earthly Delights”. If that phrase sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the title of a famous 15th century three-panel painting by Hieronymus Bosch that riffs on Biblical concepts of Heaven and Hell. It’s basically the best painting ever, so expect greatness from this year’s event. Tickets are $40. Totes worth it.
The Trial of Louis Riel
July 16-18, July 23-25, July 30-Aug. 1
Billed as the second longest-running theatrical production in Canada (behind Anne of Green Gables), this play is based on court transcripts from the 1885 trial of Metis leader Louis Riel on treason charges. Even today, Riel is a controversial figure. Some people regard him as a true traitor for the role he played in the Northwest Rebellion/Resistance. Many others, though, see him as a champion of indigenous rights in the colonial era.
North American Indigenous Games
July 20-26
This competition has been held every three years since 1990. Edmonton was the first host, and this year it’s Regina’s turn. Thousands of athletes representing 22 regions from across Canada and the U.S. will be in town to compete in 13 sports. The opening ceremonies are at Mosaic Stadium on July 20 at 2 p.m., and will include entertainment by George Leach, Crystal Shawanda and Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company.
Carisask Carnival
July 18-19
306-206-1268
For a few years now, the local Caribbean community has been getting together to celebrate their cultural roots. Hosted by the Saskatchewan Caribbean Canadian Association, this family friendly festival is held in Wascana Centre near the Legislature, and typically features a parade along with plenty of Caribbean music, food, dance and other costumed delights.
Queen City Ex
July 30-Aug. 3
Get ready for an apocalypse of fun (is that possible? I say yes!) with Regina’s supercool annual summer fair! Like last year, the QCX begins with an evening parade on July 29. That will be followed by fireworks at Wascana Centre. Music? You want music? Oh they’ve got music, all right: the grandstand headliners are Lonestar (July 30), Marianas Trench (July 31), the Bret Michaels Band (Aug. 1), Monster Truck (Aug. 2) and Down With Webster (Aug. 3). In addition to the midway, attractions include Saskatchewan Express, Splash ‘n’ Boots, Little Ray’s Reptile Zoo (HOORAY)) and Alex the Lion.
Connect Festival
Besant Campground (West on #1 Hwy near Moose Jaw.)
Aug. 1-4
This annual electronic music-fest celebrates its 19th year in 2014. Commuting is probably an option, but a lot of people who go prefer to camp out for the weekend, which makes for a great festival vibe. Feature acts include Funkanomics, DJ Dan, DJ Czech, Krafty Kuts, Rene LaVice and Stacey Pullen.
Regina Folk Festival
Aug. 8-10
Always a highlight of summer, the glorious Regina Folk Festival takes place in cozy Victoria Park and nearby City Square Plaza. Besides the nighttime main stage shows, there are after parties at the Exchange on Friday and Saturday, and free daytime concerts and workshops on Saturday and Sunday. Also, the food is deadly. So deadly. Not kidding. Roti FTW! This year’s acts include Joel Plaskett Emergency, Sam Roberts Band, Indigo Girls, Serena Ryder and Los Lobos. You or the people around you might esspolode from the sheer awesomeness, so everyone should bring umbrellas. Hey! Look for the official program guide in the July 24 Prairie Dog.
Symphony Under The Sky
Aug. 17
Held in Wascana Centre behind the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, this outdoor concert has long served as the kick-off to the Regina Symphony Orchestra’s fall season. In addition to a performance by the RSO, which always concludes with a rousing rendition of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture (complete with cannons), there’s music by several local country, folk and pop-rock acts. Sooo good!
SaskTel Summer Invasion
Aug. 22-23
This two-day festival features free Xtreme sports competitions and demonstrations (skateboarding, MotoCross, etc) during the day in Wascana Centre and ticketed concerts at night. When we last checked, the musical line-up had yet to be finalized, but Swollen Members was headlining Friday and Hedley on Saturday. If you act now, early bird passes are $59.
Regina Dragon Boat Festival
Aug. 29-30
Teams of rowers representing local businesses and organizations compete for supremacy on mighty Wascana Lake. This festival is a long-standing Labour Day weekend tradition, and we’ve received word from organizers that if you’re community-minded, plenty of opportunities exist at the Board and volunteer level for doing the many jobs that are necessary to ensure that a festival like this, which also includes food, music and a beer tent, runs smoothly.
SASKATOON
Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan
July 9-Aug. 24
shakespeareonthesaskatchewan.com
Earlier this year the federal government announced a $12,000 grant to upgrade the sound system and main tent. Both moves should help boost production values to new heights. So what plays are being presented this year? Well, there’s the classic romance Romeo & Juliet and the tart comedy The Taming of the Shrew (performed in 1960s doo-wop style, I believe). Tickets are between $10-$34, and some performances feature pre and post-show chats. Hey! This one’s in Saskatoon, so you can make a superfun road trip out of it.
Reggae & World Music Festival
July 12
Fittingly, given its reggae and world music theme, this festival is in Friendship Park. Last time we checked the website, the list of performers had yet to be announced. But those details should be up shortly, and you can start making plans to head down to the Broadway Bridge area to check it out.
Pion-Era
July 12-13
Hosted by the Western Development Museum, this annual celebration of Saskatchewan’s settler past includes a vintage fashion show, ice cream making/butter churning, costumed interpreters reenacting Boomtown, the Story of Threshing, a Parade of Power and other pioneer activities.
A Taste of Saskatchewan
July 15-20
Whet your appetite for food and music at this popular festival which is held each year at Kiwanis Memorial Park. Featured will be gourmet food from over 30 of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants and local food producers along with over 50 bands spanning the musical spectrum from country and pop to folk, rock and death metal — okay, we’re not sure about the last genre. But there’ll be tons of great talent on display. Also, did we mention food?
Velocity Prairie Thunder
July 15-16
Part of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Race Series, this two-day event will feature some of the top drivers in Canada. Different classes of vehicles will race on the 1/3 mile paved oval track, and there will be other entertainment. Tickets are $45, or $99 for a family pack.
River Lights Festival
July 18-20
This is a new festival on the block. It’s happening at River Landing, and will feature high-speed boat races as part of the Watercross Nationals. There’s also paddleboard races, a regatta hosted by the Saskatoon Racing Canoe Club, riverboat cruises, an Enchanted Forest light display and other attractions including First Nations canoe and dance presentations.
Saskatoon Blitz: Comic and Geek Culture Convention
July 26-27
Regina had its first ComicCon in May. It was a rousing success, and plans are in the works for sequel in 2015. This year marks the fourth annual Saskatoon event, which will be held at Prairieland Park. Blitz started out as an anime convention, but has since expanded to include comics, gaming, Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Confirmed guests include Lauren Tom, Sugar Lyn Beard and Mike Booth.
PotashCorp Fringe Theatre Festival
July 31-Aug. 9
Saskatoon’s fringe festival isn’t the oldest in Canada by any means, but it’s been around for awhile. In fact, 2014 marks its 25th anniversary. The festival features 33 acts this year drawn from across Canada and around the world, along with the usual assortment of buskers and arts and craft vendors. Don’t know if any special plans are in the works to commemorate the silver anniversary, but it should be fun.
Saskatoon RibFest
Aug. 1-4
Anyone can marinate a hunk of meat, throw it on the grill, slather on some sauce, and serve up a semi-respectable meal. But there’s more to the art of ’cuing than that. With this festival you’ll have an opportunity to sample some truly delectable fare produced by some masters of the BBQ. Throw in some children’s activities and live music, and it all adds up to a pretty sweet time.
Saskatoon Exhibition
Aug. 5-10
So you got your midway, carney games, a whole pile of tasty albeit usually nutritionally deficient snacks, chuck wagon races, a strong man competition, racing pigs, and even a Saskatchewan Art Showcase. On the grandstand side, acts include Johnny Reid (Aug. 5), Walk Off the Earth (Aug. 6), Billy Talent (Aug. 7), The Sheepdogs (Aug. 8) and Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (Aug. 9).
John Arcand Fiddle Fest
Aug. 7-10
Located seven km southwest of Saskatoon, this festival includes a mix of workshops, concerts, contests and Metis dance and craft activities along with special children’s programming. There’s free un-serviced camping on site, and a weekend pass will run you $60, with day passes $25 and children 12 and under free.
FolkFest 2014
Aug. 14-16
Similar to Mosaic in Regina, this annual festival, which started in 1979, celebrates the increasingly multi-cultural character of Saskatoon. This year, 25 different ethnic communities are represented with pavilions showcasing music, food, drink and other aspects of their culture and homeland. There’s not quite an A to Z representation of countries, but it’s close as pavilions range from Asia Pacific to Ukrainian.
PotashCorp Fireworks Festival
Aug. 29-30
potashcorpfireworksfestival.com
“Creating magical moments” is the tagline for this festival which features two evenings of fireworks choreographed to music. The displays take place at the Amphitheatre at River Landing and across the river in Rotary Park, and each is preceded by live entertainment (music, dance, etc) along with plenty of other activities for children and adults.
THE HINTERLAND
My Family’s Greatest Adventure
Grasslands National Park
June 28-Aug. 30
Saturday evenings throughout the summer at the French Valley and Rock Creek campgrounds special family activities such as geocaching, kayaking and ferret-spotting are being held. Ferret-spotting? I should give Bucky Katt from the comic strip Get Fuzzy a head’s up. Lord knows, he could use some help in that department.
100th Anniversary Heritage Day
Claybank Brick Plant (50 min. SW of Regina)
June 29
I don’t have an exact figure on hand, but in the century this plant’s been around, the bricks it’s produced have been used to construct a lot of buildings in the province. Claybank is a national historic site, and if you visit you can learn about all the steps necessary to make bricks from clay. Includes a trip to the clay pit, a tour of the factory, plus an opportunity to bake bread in an outdoor brick oven.
Art Guild Show & Sale
Regina Beach
June 29-July 27
lastmiountainculturalcentre.ca
Month long exhibition and sale of paintings by the South Shore Art Guild.
100 Mile Mall
Highway #1
July 1
For Canada Day this year, the communities of Broadview, Grenfell, Sintaluta, Whitewood and Wolseley are joining forces to present an arts, craft and antique show and sale along with a flea market.
Motherwell Homestead
Abernathy
July 1
pc.gc.ca/lhn-nhs/sk/motherwell
Built in 1882, this homestead (which includes a stone house and classic red wood barn) is named after William Motherwell who was Saskatchewan’s first Agriculture minister and also served in MacKenzie King’s federal cabinet. Now a national historic site, the restored homestead offers visitors a chance to learn more about farm life in pioneer times.
All Folk’d Up
Montmarte
July 4-6
Celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2014, this three-day family friendly music festival features a variety of English and Francophone acts. Familiar names this year include the Dead South, Keiffer Mclean & the Curiosity Club, Alexis Normand, Indigo Joseph, Rosie & the Riveters and Brad Johner & the Johner Boys.
Carleton Trail Jamboree
Rabbit Lake
July 4-6
Set in a natural amphitheatre, this festival has a country music focus although one of the headliners is Nick Gilder & Sweeney Todd who classic rock fans will perhaps remember for their 1975 hit “Roxy Roller”. Other performers include JJ Voss, Trick Ryder, Billygrind and One More Girl.
Station Arts Centre
Rosthern
July 4-27
If you’re interested in live theatre, Norm Foster’s comedy Hilda’s Yard is being presented throughout July. It’s about a pair of empty-nesters who are about to purchase their first TV set in 1956 when their children unexpectedly return home. Then from Aug. 8-24, there’s a production of Doug Curtis’s heart-warming tale Mesa about a middle-aged man driving his wife’s 93-year old grandfather from Calgary to his winter home in Arizona.
Doukhobor Dugout House
Blaine Lake
July 5-26
This is a national historic site, with costumed interpreters recounting the settlement history of Russian Doukhobors. There’s guided tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. The theme this year is Doukhobor Letters, which includes a special segment on correspondence between Doukhobor leader Peter Verigin and Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy.
Saskatoonberry Festival
Mortlach
July 5
With the late spring and generally cool weather we’ve had so far this summer we’re not sure where things are at with the development of the wild fruit crop in Saskatchewan. But if you agree with the sentiment expressed by organizers of this annual festival that “over 3000 people with purple teeth can’t be wrong”, you’ll want to check out this day-long event.
Summer Chautauqua Festival
Swift Current
July 10-13
Annual festival devoted to recreating the atmosphere of travelling shows from the 1920s that entertained remote prairie communities with music, theatre, stories and lectures in the vaudeville tradition. If you’re looking for a movie in that vein, track down the 1984 Canuck offering Chautauqua Girl. I can’t vouch for whether it’s aged well, but it encapsulates that era and the popularity of chautauquas before the widespread arrival of movie theatres.
PolkaFest 2014
Hafford
July 11-12
One of a number of polka blowouts that are held throughout Saskatchewan in the summer. Should be extra special this year as Hafford is celebrating its 100th anniversary. So hats off to Hafford, I guess.
Motif Multicultural Festival
Moose Jaw
July 11-13
Similar to Mosaic in Regina and FolkFest in Saskatoon, this festival is dedicated to celebrating cultural diversity in the Band City. Motif is hosted by the Moose Jaw Multicultural Council, and is held in Happy Valley Park. Included is music, food, dance, drink and more.
Southwest Quest
Eastend
July 11-13
With a focus on art and music, this festival allows people to explore the southwest corner of the province. Although how the host community ever got named what it did considering its location in the province is beyond me. “Eastend” of what? Alberta? Anyway, I’m sure it will be a fun time.
Qu’Appelle Valley Artists Show & Sale
Lebret
July 12-13
Includes a host of original paintings, pastel drawings, sketches and more from valley artists.
Canora in Bloom
Canora
July 14-19
Tourism Saskatchewan’s website describes this as an “infamous” festival. “Infamous” generally implies a degree of disrepute if not outright debauchery. With floral displays, a street dance, children’s carnival and other types of entertainment, though, I think this is a relatively respectable event that the whole family will enjoy.
Cowtown Rodeo
Maple Creek
July 16-18
306-662-3409
In addition to traditional rodeo events, also includes a dance, pancake breakfast and Miss Rodeo and Miss Indian Princess competitions.
Ness Creek Music Festival
Big River
July 17-20
Saskatchewan’s original eco-friendly music festival offers a great chance for people to commune with nature in a remote forest with thousands of like-minded music enthusiasts. Expect a Feature acts this year include Lindi Ortega, the Pack A.D., Shotgun Jimmie, the Deep Dark Woods (because of course) and the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer. That is just an insanely wicked line-up, by the way. A weekend pass is $130 advance and $150 at the gate.
Saskatchewan Festival of Words
Moose Jaw
July 17-20
Annual celebration of the written and spoken word. Includes a mix poetry, fiction and non-fiction presenters, along with film screenings, musical performances and workshops geared to children and adults. Presenters this year include Gail Bowen, Judith Krause, Steven Galloway, Wayne Grady, Miriam Toews, Jean Freeman and CR Avery.
Sandy Creek Gospel Jamboree
Mortlach
July 18-20
Get your gospel (along with country and bluegrass) groove on with acts like Gordon Mote, Driven Quartet, Jay Stone Singers and the Amundruds.
PolkaFest
Assiniboia
July 18-19
306-642-5676
Another of the aforementioned Saskatchewan summer polka blowouts. Music for this one is provided by the Country Squires and Len Gadica.
Homesteader Hey Days
Shell Lake
July 18-20
306-427-2272
Includes a dance, gymkhana, parade, pancake breakfast and fresh-baked bread from outdoor clay ovens.
Annual Fair
St. Walberg
July 18-20
306-248-7574
There may not be an actual midway at this fair as in Regina and Saskatoon, but there is a parade, chuckwagon races, a ball tournament, dance, demolition derby and more.
Dino Days
Eastend
July 20-21
If you’re in that neck of the Saskatchewan woods (i.e. in the southwest corner), this annual celebration of all things dino offers a perfect chance to check out the T-Rex Discovery Centre. It’s home to Scotty — one of the largest, and most complete T. rex skeletons in the world.
Saskatchewan Handcraft Festival
Battleford
July 18-20
Organized by the Saskatchewan Craft Council, this market celebrates its 41st anniversary in 2014. It features over 30 vendors selling pottery, hand-made jewellery, woodwork, visual art and more
Canada’s Parks Day
July 19
Annual celebration of our national, provincial and regional park network, with special events planned at different locales.
Geocaching Mega Event
Rosthern
July 19
A great opportunity to explore nature and learn a bit about the history of the area while navigating special caching trails.
The Roaring Forge Craft Celebration
Mossbank
July 19
My grandfather on my mom’s side worked as a blacksmith for a time in the 1910s and ’20s in the Preeceville area. Mossbank is apparently the site of the only original blacksmith shop left in Saskatchewan. It’s hosting a gathering of blacksmiths from across Canada who will display their talents. Also included is a farrier demonstration which is kind of like a pedicure/manicure, except for a horse.
Children’s Festival
Waskesiu
July 19
Action-packed day of child-friendly activities at Prince Albert National Park. So good luck to all the parents who plan on attending with their kids.
Vintage Power Machines
Prince Albert
July 19-20
306-980-8340
Includes demonstrations of threshing, log-sawing, blacksmithing, vintage tractor pulls, heavy horses and more.
Hilltop Sheepdog Trial
Mankota
July 25-27
306-478-2292
You remember those old Warner Brothers cartoons where Ralph Wolf used to try to poach sheep but was always thwarted by Sam Sheepdog? This event is kind of like that, except there aren’t likely to be any live wolves around, and the dogs are border collies instead sheepdogs — although they certainly are well trained at herding sheep. And no, the Sheepdogs aren’t playing as part of the festival. At least, as far as I know they’re not.
Dog River Days
Rouleau
July 25-27
306-551-0104
This event was originally planned to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular CTV comedy Corner Gas hitting the airwaves in 2004. Fans of the show were to be invited to visit Rouleau to participate in a whole pile of fun activities. Then last month, news broke that a long-anticipated Corner Gas movie was in the works. So this celebration is certainly timely.
Railway Days
Melville
July 25-26
306-728-4177
Annual festival recalling the importance of the railway to Melville. Includes a street dance, fireworks and more.
The Gateway Festival
Bengough
July 25-27
Located near the Big Muddy badlands, this music festival marks its 10th anniversary in 2014. Line-up highlights include the Sheepdogs, Library Voices, Belle Plaine, the Bros. Landreth, Megan Nash and Bend Sinister. Advance adult and youth weekend passes are available until July 24 for $90 and $55, while rush passes are $110 and $70. Children 12 and under are free.
Brickspo
Moose Jaw
July 26-27
Hosted by the Western Development Museum and SLUG (Saskatchewan LEGO Users Group), this third annual event showcases LEGO creations tied to transportation and other themes such a pirates and space.
Frenchman River Gospel Jam
Shaunavon
Aug. 1-3
Offers a blend of gospel and country music. Feature acts include the Oak Ridge Boys, Jason Blaine, Link Union and Catherine Lewans. Weekend pass $70.
World Bunnock Championship
Macklin
Aug. 1-3
306-753-2256
Bunnock is a traditional German-Russian game played with horse ankle bones. It’s kind of like a cross between bowling and curling (with maybe some beer pong too, except without the compulsory drinking), where teams take turns trying to knock down each other’s rows of upright bones. Laugh if you want, but over 300 teams are expected to compete for $30,000 in prize money.
Summer Slam
Raymore
Aug. 1-3
Three day music festival and slo-pitch tournament. Headliners on the music side include Deric Ruttan, April Wine and Magnum.
Mid-Summer Arts Festival
Fort Qu’Appelle
Aug. 2
306-332-1366
Outdoor festival held at “the Fort”, includes visual and performing arts, along with children’s activities and buskers.
Living Skies Come Alive
Moosomin
Aug. 2-3
306-435-3531
Held on Saskatchewan Day weekend, this two-day event features a fireworks competition, children’s activities and other entertainment.
Threshermen’s Show & Seniors’ Festival
Yorkton
Aug. 2-3
wdm.ca/yk/threshermensshow.htm
Hosted by the Western Development Museum and other partners, this festival includes threshing, stooking and sawmill demonstrations, along with an antique car show and gas tractor competition.
Young Frankenstein
Edenwold
Aug. 5-23
Musical version of the classic Gene Wilder and Mel Brook’s Hollywood horror spoof featuring the further adventures of the infamous Frankenstein family. Presented by Prairie Skies Theatre. Tickets are $30 Adults, Students $25, Youth 6-12 $20, and kids under five free. A fowl supper is also offered on select nights.
Saskatchewan Premier’s Walleye Cup
Nipawin
Aug. 7-9
306-862-5302
This is apparently the longest running fishing tournament in Saskatchewan. It’s been going for 27 years, and around 160 teams are expected to compete for over $125,000 in prizes. We’re not sure if the tourney’s namesake will be in attendance (the premier, we mean, not the fish), but plenty of avid fisherfolk will be.
Heritage Village Days
Weyburn
Aug. 8-9
Last year, Weyburn celebrated its 100th anniversary. This year, it’s back with this two-day event commemorating its history which includes guided tours of a Heritage Village along with blacksmithing, ice cream/butter-making and sheep herding demonstrations.
Sizzling Summer Festival
North Battleford
Aug. 9-10
Hosted by the North Battleford Western Development Museum, this event offers attendees a chance to experience pioneer life in the 1920s with vintage auto rides, light and heavy horse demonstrations, antique farm equipment and more.
North West Territorial Days
Battleford
Aug. 12-15
agsociety.com
Hosted by the Battlefords Agricultural Society, this event, in one form or another, has been around since 1887. There’s been a lot of changes over the decades, of course, thanks to innovations like electricity, gas powered vehicles and machinery, GMOs and whatnot. The 2014 version includes a parade, fair, and a host of agricultural activities.
Northern Lights Bluegrass & Old Tyme Music Festival
Big River
Aug. 11-17
Includes a music camp with instruction in fiddle, banjo, upright bass and more along with a three-day music festival featuring the Los Texmaniacs, the Slocan Ramblers, Le Vent du Nord, Ryan Boldt, Freddie and Sheila Pelletier, and the Gridpickers.
Arts Frenzy
Regina Beach
Aug. 16
Includes arts and crafts, live music, buskers and random outbursts of frenetic arts activity on the beach.
Light Horse Show
Maple Creek
Aug. 16-17
306-662-3986
Two-day all breed horse show and gymkhana. What’s a gymkhana, you ask? Well, it’s an equestrian event that involves speed pattern racing and timed games such barrel racing and pole bending.
Cherry Day
Bruno
Aug. 17
Special day devoted to all things cherry — except for Swedish-born pop star Neneh Cherry. Although if she could be persuaded to attend I’m sure she’d enjoy the chance to sample all sorts of cherry treats including cherry-flavoured BBQ smokies. Yum!
Summer Star Party
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park
Aug. 21-24
Hosted by the Regina and Saskatoon branches of the Royal Astronomical Society, this annual event offers a great opportunity for aspiring and established astronomers to observe the northern night sky under great viewing conditions with zero light pollution and relatively little atmospheric distortion.
Taste of Waskesiu
Prince Albert National Park
Aug. 21
Hosted by the Waskesiu Chamber of Commerce and Recreation Association, includes a fundraising dinner, silent auction and live entertainment.
Danceland Presents The Emeralds
Manitou Beach
Aug. 22-23
danceland.ca
Opened in 1928 during the height of the jazz age, Danceland has long been a dancing hotspot in Saskatchewan with its world famous horse hair-supported hardwood dance floor. One caveat, the Emeralds in question here hail from Edmonton and not Detroit and are a polka band. So if you go, you won’t hear any 1960s-era R & B and soul.
Blueberry Festival
St. Walburg
Aug. 23
Special day devoted to all things blueberry, and we do mean “all” things — nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more — along with a street fair and live entertainment.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Weekend
Manitou Beach
Aug. 29-30
Groove to the music of the 1950s and ’60s at Danceland.
Duck Derby
Lumsden
Sept. 1
Family friendly day of activities including a parade, arts and craft sale and children’s activities. Then around 2 p.m., 20,000 brightly coloured rubber ducks are dropped into the Qu’Appelle River. The current carries them downstream in a one km race, and prizes are awarded to the people who hold tickets for the top 20 finishers. Hmmn… does Ernie from Sesame Street know about this event? He totally should, it’s right up his alley.
POWWOW & RELATED EVENTS
Canada Day Celebration
July 1
Batoche National Historic Site
Selected by Louis Riel as the site of a provisional government in the 1885 Northwest Rebellion/Resistance, Batoche was also the location of the conflict’s last battle. Visitors can learn more about that troubled time in our history through costumed guides, tours and special exhibits.
Canada Day Celebration
Duck Lake Interpretive Centre
July 1
Duck Lake also played an important role in the Northwest Rebellion/Resistance. It’s part of the Trails of 1885 initiative (www.trailsof1885.com), and features a museum, art gallery, bilingual tours, and a guided tour of murals in Duck Lake.
Kahkewistahaw First Nation Powwow
Broadview
July 11-13
One Arrow First Nation Powwow
Bellevue
July 12-13
306- 423-5493
Back to Batoche Days
Batoche
July 17-20
For over 50 years members of Metis community have gathered at Batoche to celebrate their culture and history. This year, a special ceremony will be held to unveil a memorial to Metis Veterans. As well, there will be all sorts of traditional games and entertainment from fiddling and jigging to square-dancing and old time dancing. An Adult weekend pass is $50, $35 for Students & Seniors, with kids 12 and under free.
Carry the Kettle First Nation Powwow
Sintaluta
July 18-20
306-727-2135
Touchwood Agency Tribal Council Powwow
Raymore
July 22-24
306-835-2125
Standing Buffalo Powwow
Fort Qu’Appelle
Aug. 8-10
306-332-4685
Treaty 1-11, National Alliance Gathering
Aug. 11-13
Fort Qu’Appelle
Representatives from several dozen First Nations are expected to gather to discuss aspects of the treaties tied to their history, the current reality for treaty nations in Canada, and what developments are likely to occur in the month and years to come.
Cowessess Traditional Powwow
Broadview
Aug. 12-14
306-696-3324
Piapot First Nation Traditional Powwow
Zehner
Aug. 15-17
306-781-4848
Flying Dust First Nation Powwow
Meadow Lake
Aug. 29-31
Taste of Metis Culture
Sept. 5-6
Batoche National Historic Site
Billed as a fall showcase of Metis artisans and entertainers, this event will also be held on Sept. 12-13 and Sept 19-20.
Stephen Whitworth contributed additional stupid jokes to this article. Have a great summer, everyone!
