Taste of Sask. fest won’t be back in 2020
Sasktel Centre has shelved plans to hold the popular Taste of Saskatchewan food festival this summer due to ongoing issues with the downtown Kiwanis Memorial Park.
Wear and tear on the vegetation in the park and the disappointing, weather-battered previous edition this past July have contributed to the decision to take at least one year off from the riverside festival.
The potential for the event to be cancelled next year came up in city council’s 2020-21 budget deliberations on Monday night during discussion of the budget for Sasktel Centre, a city-owned facility, which runs the annual event.
Coun. Zack Jeffries expressed surprise when Sasktel Centre
I certainly know there were challenges this year, but it would certainly be unfortunate if I could not get a deep-fried Mars bar in July.
CEO Will Lofdahl explained why his 2020 budget did not include funding for the event.
“I certainly know there were challenges this year, but it would certainly be unfortunate if I could not get a deep-fried Mars bar in July,” Jeffries said of one of the popular items at Taste of Sask.
Lofdahl said several restaurants that took part in the festival lost money this year and Sasktel Centre wants to avoid a situation where restaurants lose money two years in a row and leave the event.
“We’re still working through this,” Lofdahl said.
Lynn Lacroix, the city’s general manager of community services, told council a list of alternative sites was suggested to Sasktel Centre for a festival site.
In an interview, Lacroix said there has been concern for some time about the effect of wear and tear on the vegetation in the park. Most other festivals have been moved to other locations.
The city administration would like to halt all events in the park for a year and is exploring the possibility of a permanent downtown festival site, Lacroix told council.
Stormy summer weather proved to be a problem for Taste of Saskatchewan, Lacroix said in the interview. The park had to be evacuated briefly due to a storm during the event this year.
Coun. Randy Donauer said he wants council to be informed of developments in discussions between the city administration and Sasktel Centre.