Red River Exhibition
The Red River Exhibition (or "The Ex" for short) is a ten-day festival hosted every summer, in June, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The event takes place at Exhibition Park and features a midway, concerts, stage shows, and agricultural exhibits. The park is operated by the Red River Exhibition Association, a not-for-profit organization. Winnipeg's The Guess Who played there in '15, and the Crash Test Dummies played there in '92.
| Red River Exhibition | |
|---|---|
_(9446562646).jpg.webp) The Red River Exhibition 2009 | |
| Genre | Summer fair |
| Dates | June |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | 3977 Portage Ave. |
| Coordinates | 49.8860°N 97.3271°W |
| Country | Canada |
| Established | 1952 |
| Attendance | 233,000 (2011) |
| Area | 480 acres (190 ha) |
| Website | redriverex |
The Ex was started in 1952 at the Osborne Stadium complex near the Manitoba Legislative Building. It later moved to the Polo Park Race Track and then to the Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg Arena, and Winnipeg Velodrome facilities.
In 1997, it moved to its present location. The total amount of land owned at the western edge of Winnipeg 480 acres (1.9 km2). Red River Exhibition Park was built as a multi-purpose facility on only 90 of those acres leaving almost 400 acres (1.6 km2) for future growth and expansion.
The annual fair continues to grow despite the fact its arrival is frequently accompanied by significant amounts of rain, (seven days out of ten in 2014).[1][2] The record for attendance at the Ex is 223,183 paid visitors, set in 2011.[3]
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing 2020's cancellation, the 69th was deferred to 2021.
See also
Other Canadian annual fairs
- Canadian National Exhibition - Toronto
- Calgary Stampede - Calgary
- Edmonton K-Days - Edmonton
- Pacific National Exhibition - Vancouver
- Central Canada Exhibition - Ottawa
- Canadian Lakehead Exhibition - Thunder Bay
- Markham Fair - Markham, Ontario
- Royal Agricultural Winter Fair - Toronto
- Royal Manitoba Winter Fair - Brandon, Manitoba
- Schomberg Fair - Schomberg, Ontario
- Sooke Fall Fair - Sooke, British Columbia
- Streetsville Bread and Honey Festival - Mississauga
- Western Fair - London, Ontario
References
- Geary, Aidan (17 June 2015). "Rain doesn't keep riders from Red River Ex". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- Megarry, Brett (24 June 2014). "Red River Ex Massive Despite Rain". 680 CJOB. Retrieved 19 June 2016.
- "Weather rains on Red River Ex's parade; attendance down this year" (24 June 2013). Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved 19 June 2016.