The finest festivals on the flatlands

Saskatoon's festivals could fill your entire calendar

I don’t want to alarm other cities vying for the title, but it’s possible that Saskatoon is trying to position itself as the festival capital of Western Canada. But you didn’t hear it from me.

In fact, Saskatoon has festivals almost non-stop throughout the year, but the action really starts to heat up as the weather does. We lack sufficient space to list them all, but there is no end to the things you can do from the May long weekend into early fall.

Pryvit!

To kick off the season, check out the Vesna Festival, a celebration of Ukrainian culture running May 13 and 14. Fill your senses—and your bellies—with the performances and the perogies. If you happen to be a collector of folk art, there will be plenty of options. By the way, “pryvit” is Ukrainian for welcome. 

Soul food

You know how food always tastes better outside? It turns out that music is equally delicious on a warm summer day. The SaskTel Saskatchewan Jazz Festival feeds 70,000 jazz, blues and funk fans with the taste of sweet, sweet music. Between June 24 and July 3, musicians from all around the world provide an aural feast that will leave you full of sound and bliss. Digest that. 

The Bard is the word

The playwright Christopher Durang once said that Shakespeare is best enjoyed outside on a summer day when there’s a cool breeze. We agree. Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, happening July 7 to August 21, celebrates the Bard with two of his famous comedies, Love’s Labour’s Lost and The Winter’s Tale. The play is the thing. 

Catch the edge

Some of the finest plays you will ever see have their professional debuts touring Canadian fringe festivals. You’ll see theatre on the edge—sometimes like an unpolished gem but with brilliance of potential shining through. Short plays, even shorter plays, comedy, interactive street theatre and possibly Canada’s next rising star will all be found at the Saskatoon Fringe Theatre Festival, held July 28 to August 6. Don’t miss it.

Saying goodbye with a bang

By September, summer may be waning, but Saskatoon celebrates the end with such style that it’s hard to be melancholy. The PotashCorp Fireworks Festival will give you a charge on September 2 and 3. Expect music, great food and drink, lots of family-friendly activities and, of course, the explosive evening fireworks. This is a spectacular way to start the fall.