Children’s Festival

Kids of all ages will celebrate creativity, curiosity and fun at the 30th annual Nutrien Children’s Festival of Saskatchewan. The festival will be held at Rotary Park. More than 20,000 visitors are expected to take part in theatre, music, dance, comedy and circus arts performances from around the world, and participate in countless hands-on creative activities. Familyfriendly and affordable fun is guaranteed. Get your tickets early and head down to Kinsmen Park from June 5-8.

For more information, visit https://nutrienchildrensfestival.com/.

Saskatoon Pride Festival

The Saskatoon Pride Festival, hosted by the Saskatoon Diversity Network (SDN), is an annual festival providing an accessible space in which to celebrate queerness, foster community pride, and raise awareness of queer culture within the larger community.

The SDN is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization which serves the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, transsexual, inter-sex, two-spirit, queer, and questioning community, family and supporters.

It exists to raise awareness of queer community and culture by facilitating, organizing, promoting, and presenting a queer pride festival. The event begins on June 12 and ends on June 19.

For more information, visit saskatoonpride.ca.

SASKTEL Saskatchewan Jazz Festival

For 10 days each summer, the city bursts into song as the SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival plays host to world-class artists in a number of local venues. There is also a free stage in beautiful Friendship Park. More than 85,000 hungry music fans devour the sounds of jazz, blues, funk, pop, and world music each year, with a program that spans as many genres as it does continents. The first festival took place in Saskatoon in 1987. Today, it has become the second largest festival of its kind in Western Canada. This year’s festival takes place from July 9 to July 18.

For more information, visit saskjazz. com.

Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan

A not-for-profit, registered charity incorporated in 1985, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival Inc. continues to provide exciting contemporary and traditional productions of plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries. Plays are performed in repertory by professional artists, in large tents on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River.

The festival runs from July 1 to Aug. 31. Matinees are performed during certain weekdays and all weekends. In addition to performances, companion activities such as medieval feasts, workshops, tours and art displays. The featured plays this year are MacBeth and The Tempest.

Dragon Boat Festival

Saskatoon Dragon Boat Festival has not confirmed dates yet for 2021. This is a fundraising event for Children’s Wish and Ronald McDonald Foundations of Saskatchewan. More than 45 corporate and community teams are expected to participate in the event.

A Taste of Saskatchewan

Saskatoon’s festival of fabulous food features more than 30 of Saskatoon’s finest restaurants serving their house favourite dishes for six days in August in beautiful Kiwanis Park. The menu is outstanding, from succulent entrées to delicious desserts to specialty items. Enjoy old favourites or try something new

— A Taste of Saskatchewan is indeed Saskatoon’s Flavourite Event. A Taste of Saskatchewan also features Saskatchewan’s premier bands and performers.

The menu includes everything from country, rock, Celtic, blues, reggae, salsa, jazz, pop, and more, giving everyone a Taste of Saskatchewan’s musical talents. This year’s festival runs from August 10-15. For more information, visit www.tasteofsaskatchewan.ca.

Foodtruck Wars

The Foodtruck Festival takes place in the heart of Riversdale on 20th Street from Avenue C to Avenue F from July 22-24. Foodtruck Wars is a family friendly festival that includes 16 food trucks/trailers offering a wide variety of food choices. One of the highlights is the Foodtruck Wars Flavour Challenge, a taste-testing competition, with competing food trucks entering their favourite dessert, beverage and entre.

Also, returning from past festivals will be the Hot Dog Havoc, Saskatoon’s only hot dog eating contest, a pie eating contest, a beer garden and Bartari’s Video Game Lounge. New to the festival will be a street vendors market, a kid’s play zone and a buskers circle. For more information, visit foodtruckwarsyxe.com.

The Fringe Festival

The Nutrien Fringe Theatre Festival has a rich history in the city. It was launched in 1989 by 25th Street House Players. 25th Street Theatre was the first professional theatre company, with its roots dating back to 1972.

After a year at the theatre’s venue on Duchess Street, the Fringe moved to Broadway Avenue in 1990. More than 6,000 theatre-goers embraced the first Fringe on Broadway. In addition to theatre, the festival offers craft vending, food vending, theatre art and busking. It has become a popular Saskatoon gathering spot, with more than 60,000 people hitting Broadway during the festival. This year’s festival will be held from July 29 to Aug. 7. More information can be found at www.25thstreettheatre.org.

Ribfest

This four-day family event at Diefenbaker Park offers delicious, succulent ribs barbecued by some of Canada’s top Ribbers, plus live entertainment, a children’s fun area, food vendors and beer gardens. Admission, parking, children’s activities and musical entertainment are free.

Organized by the Rotary Club of Saskatoon Nutana, proceeds support the Rotary’s work in the community. Donations are appreciated. The event runs during the August long weekend every year. For more information, visit saskatoonribfest.com.

The Exhibition

The Saskatoon Exhibition is an annual event eagerly awaited by thousands of people each year. Come rain or shine, more than 200,000 people attend the six-day event. Exhilarating carnival rides, diverse food stands, and the ever-entertaining headlining grandstand are just a few of the Exhibition’s many highlights. This year’s exhibition will be held Aug. 10 to Aug. 15 at Prairieland Park.

For more information, visit www.saskatoonexhibition.ca.

Folkfest

People can “Share Our World” through the more than 20 pavilions which represent some of our many thriving cultures in Saskatoon. We are fortunate to have so many proud cultural groups who create their pavilions to share the sights, sounds and smells that remind them of their homes. We are lucky to have the opportunity to share our world together. Come out and enjoy the displays, dance to the entertainment and tempt your tastebuds with some ethnic cuisine. Folkfest is held in August.

For more information, visit www.saskatoonfolkfest.com.

YXE Beer Wars

Aug. 27 & 28

Venue: Kiwanis Memorial Park North

Website: yxebeerwars.com

The YXE Beer Wars is a new festival. It will support the fine craft beer, wine & spirits producers of Saskatchewan. There will be 28 craft beer, wine and spirits vendors, and a selection of traditional brewed beer. In addition, there will be food vendors, a covered seating area and Bartari’s video game lounge. This is a 19+ event.

PotashCorp Fireworks Festival

The hub of activity for the Nutrien Fireworks Festival is Saskatoon’s spectacular River Landing, along the South Saskatchewan River in the heart of Saskatoon. Live shows take place on Friday and Saturday evenings at two locations: the Amphitheatre at River Landing and Friendship Park. Both evenings are topped off with a fantastic fireworks display set to music. The PotashCorp Fireworks Festival is truly a community celebration. Aside from the terrific entertainment and amazing fireworks displays, the festival features food, fun for kids and adults, demonstrations and games, and a bike valet service. No dates have been decided for this year’s festival.

For more information, visit nutrienfireworksfestival.ca.

(More festivals appear on our Events pages.)