Hot tickets: Scotties, Junos and Grey Cup coming to Sask. in 2020
The three biggest attractions of the year are returning events.
Three major events are coming to Saskatchewan in 2020, adding to an already full calendar of attractions for locals and out-of-province visitors.
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts hits Moose Jaw Feb. 14 to 23, the Junos return to Saskatoon March 15, and Regina will host the 2020 Grey Cup in November.
"They have a huge impact on the economy," said Jonathan Potts, director of marketing at Tourism Saskatchewan.
He notes that 2020's big three have the potential to create an economic impact of up to $119 million combined.
Returning events
Moose Jaw hosted the Scotties when the championship came to town in 2015. The Manitoba team won the Canadian women's championship that year and Potts says this year should pull in fans from across the Western provinces and beyond.
Music fans are anticipating the Junos' return to Saskatoon in March. The last time the awards were hosted in the city was 2007, when Nelly Furtado hosted and nabbed five awards for her album Loose. CBC will be broadcasting the event live from the SaskTel Centre.
The second big sports championship of 2020 will be the Grey Cup in November.
"It generated about $93 million in 2013 and we're expecting it to be over $100 million this time," said Potts of the championship's economic impact.
Full festival calendar
According to Potts, Saskatchewan is gaining a reputation as a province that knows how to put on an event, big or small.
"The NHL Heritage Classic was such a huge event and drew so many people from Alberta, Manitoba, and elsewhere," he said.
Winnipeg and Calgary fans and locals alike attended the chilly game at Mosaic Stadium.
"The NHL said that of all the places they've had the Heritage Classic Games, and I think there's been 28, that Saskatchewan was the best-produced, best-organized, best-delivered outside hockey game."
While Saskatchewan's annual festivals are smaller in size and operation, they stand in no one's shadow.
The 30th anniversary of the Ness Creek Music Festival will happen July 16 to 19 in Big River, SK. The festival in the forest will be auditioning local talent at Saskatoon's Capitol Music Club in February and March.
Other annual events like the SaskPower Windscape Kite Festival in Swift Current, or Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, will be back this year, plus scores of food and folk festivals across the province.
with files from Sam Maciag