MOSAIC TO END WITH A SHOW
‘Electric’ closing ceremony planned
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are poised to bid farewell to old Mosaic Stadium with a bang and a whole lot more.
The CFL team revealed its plans on Monday for Saturday’s final regular-season game at old Mosaic Stadium — a 5 p.m. contest between the Riders and B.C. Lions. The Riders are to move into new Mosaic Stadium for the 2017 season.
“(The closing ceremony) will be electric and that’s no word of a joke,’’ Steve Mazurak, the Riders’ vice-president, sales and partnerships, said during Monday ’s media conference at old Mosaic Stadium.
“We’ve spent as much time and energy on this as could be allowed to put on a fantastic show for the last 30 minutes at this stadium. We respect that people are coming to this stadium for a late-October game and the weather may not be as we would have liked. It won’t be a long show, but it will be a deserving show.’’
The farewell activities start at 2 p.m. with the opening of the Fan Fest on the practice field. The gates to Mosaic Stadium open at 3:30 p.m., followed by the 5 p.m. kickoff.
An extended halftime show is planned and includes local entertainers Jess Moskaluke, Jason Plumb and the Jack Semple Band.
The post-game celebration includes a 25-minute farewell video, fireworks and special guests. Mazurak was coy when pressed for additional details about the closing ceremony.
“It will be lights, cameras and action,’’ said Mazurak, who played for the Riders from 1973 through 1980. “We love pyro, lights and electricity and we will get all of the above as we pay homage to our players and our history of the stadium so expect something on our video screen. It will have a little bit of everything.’’
Mazurak said that approximately 1,600 tickets remain unsold for the final game at the old stadium, which can accommodate 33,427 spectators.
The Riders’ 5-11-0 record and the fact they aren’t in the playoff race may contribute to the game not being sold out. Mazurak feels the time of year may also be a factor. The forecast for Saturday evening calls for a high of 2 C with winds of 25 km/h.
“It’s late in the season and it’s going to be a little bit cold,’’ Mazurak said. “People traditionally have been late coming to the ticket office for late-October games, so that is standard. Once the news gets out that we are going to have a tremendous event and we’re all going to reflect on some of those memories of old Mosaic Stadium, it will be just fantastic and people will rise to the occasion.’’
The Riders have been building up to the final game of the farewell season at Mosaic Stadium since the season began. The festivities included celebrating the Riders’ four Grey Cup championship teams.
The closing ceremony will be a celebration of old Mosaic Stadium more than what is ahead with the move to the new facility.
“I’m the first to say ‘Let’s put a bulldozer to this thing and get on with the new,’ ” Mazurak said.
“(Old Mosaic Stadium) does need praise and it does need to be honoured.’’