Summer in Saskatoon winds down with a bang

Thousands of people will flock downtown this weekend for a perfect view of a dazzling light display.

The 9th annual PotashCorp Fireworks Festival kicks off Friday night with a stunning show by Team Philippines, followed Saturday by Team Canada.

The 15-minute displays are expected to start around 9:30 p.m. each evening.

Like last year, fireworks will be set off from barges on the river. As such, Rotary Park will once again not be used as a viewing location.

“We’ve moved things down along the river a little bit and we’re programing a lot of activity up in River Landing,” said festival director Shad Ali.

Ali noted the best viewing areas for the fireworks will be on the downtown side by the River Landing amphitheatre and then towards the Saskatoon farmers’ market.

Cultural entertainment, rock bands and food vendors will be up and running for the festival at 6 p.m. Demonstrations and exhibits will also be open for the public to view and try.

Organizers expect around 30,000 people each night for the shows. People are encouraged to ride their bicycles to River Landing and take advantage of a free bike valet.

Traffic is expected to flow normally on Saskatoon bridges. Organizers would like to remind drivers not to slow down to watch the fireworks from their vehicles.

As for the pedestrian walkways, Ali said those are often packed with people getting in a great view of the show.

Environment Canada’s forecast for Friday evening calls for clear skies and temperatures around 18 C.

Saturday’s expected to see a daytime high of 21 C, with some cloudy periods at night.