Parade entertains all ages as Saskatoon Ex kicks off

The Saskatoon Ex Parade entertained all ages on Tuesday, as it passed through the two-kilometre-plus route through Saskatoon’s downtown.

Around 100 entries walked, drove and biked through the streets, which missed the morning rain, but provided a cooler setting than years passed.

The @SaskatoonEx Parade is underway on a cool(er) morning in #DTNYXE pic.twitter.com/PN2i40tAyt

— brady lang (@BradyLangSK) August 6, 2019

One parade-goer, Colleen Charlette, said the day was all about embracing the city, and what the citizens stand for.

“I love it. It shows Saskatoon coming together as a community, from the firemen, to the mayor, to Dakota First Nation, it shows a unity in the community that we really need.”

Another Saskatoon resident, Brett Doucette, echoed Charlette’s comments, saying it was nice to see everyone out enjoying themselves.

“Diversity is such a huge thing in this city, it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. An event like this (that’s) so big, every person can come out and have fun.”

A long-time parade-goer, Ashley Boehm, said she’s brought her kids every year, and went when she was a child with her parents.

“It’s really cool to come see some of the same things like the Shriners that I saw as a kid, that are now here for my kids to see.”

She said over the years, she’s seen businesses come and go, but it’s stayed pretty much the same since she was young.

This kicks off Ex week in Saskatoon. The fairgrounds at Prairieland Park are open from noon to midnight daily until Sunday, when everything wraps up.