More than 200,000 people flooded through Saskatoon Ex gates in 2024

Lots of people enjoyed the Saskatoon Exhibition this year — more than 200,000 people in fact.

Susan Kuzma, manager of signature events at Prairieland Park, said the 2024 Ex saw  204,991 attendees come through its gates.

“We did start off with a cooler start to the week, a little bit of rain, …  but we were able to pick up the difference as the week went on,” Kuzma said Monday.

“The grandstand definitely drives each day in admissions. I think we had a really good lineup, and I think that definitely is what people consider when they come to the park, (and) what day they come,” she said.

Kuzma said the Kickin’ Horse Saloon also brought in a lot of guests with their featured acts, and the Ex introduced 10 new rides this year, increasing the number of Midway riders.

“I think that overall almost everybody seemed pretty please with it and the riders were extremely happy with the new rides.”

This year was also the debut of the Co-op Family Fun Zone, which proved a very popular place for families to visit when things got too hot outside.

“We always want to develop both indoor and outdoor activities for families because it is hard to predict what the weather will be like,” Kuzma said.

This year was the second the Ex has had metal detectors at the entrances, and the grounds had become significantly safer, she said.

“I think it’s doing its job very well, and people are feeling really safe at the park … I think people are feeling confident that it is a safe place to come,” Kuzma said.

“They are very happy that they are doing security checks at our entrances and we’ve also included Saskatoon city police officers to be at those entrances.”

Next year will be a the 140th anniversary of the Saskatoon Exhibition.

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