Smash Mouth, TLC, Metric coming to Saskatoon Ex this summer

WATCH: Saskatoon Exhibition marks 140 years this summer with bigger rides, top music acts, and an expanded 8-day schedule.

The Saskatoon Exhibition is getting ready to mark its 140th anniversary this summer with larger amusement rides, well-known music artists, and an eight-day schedule.

“Everyone’s very excited. I mean, it’s just a long legacy, 140 years. It’s really quite hard to believe when we pre-date the province or the City of Saskatoon,” Prairieland CEO Dan Kemppainen told media on Thursday.

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Kemppainen said his team is also excited about the entertainment lineup, which includes Smash Mouth, TLC, Loverboy, Metric, High Valley, Corb Lund and the Road Hammers.

With the Saskatoon Exhibition getting 85 per cent of the rides from the Calgary Stampede this year, Kemppainen said there’ll be larger rides with more capacity.

For the first time in decades, the Ex is returning to an eight-day format instead of the usual six-day schedule.

“We’re in a growing population; in a dynamic community, so we want to offer two more days,” Kemppainen said.

The Ex will also have an “impressive deployment” of security officers this year, according to Patrick Barbar, head of security operations for the Saskatoon Ex.

Barbar said since implementing screening at entrances a couple of years ago, there has been a “steady decrease” in incidents involving weapons. He noted there were no incidents involving weapons on fair grounds last year.

“By having a strong perimeter, we ensure that the Ex remains a family-friendly and safe environment that we want it to be,” Barbar told media.

The Saskatoon Exhibition is schedule to run from July 31 to August 7. This year, the parade will be held the day before the event starts.