Fireworks festival returns to Saskatoon for long weekend

The Nutrien Fireworks Festival is taking over Saskatoon’s River Landing area Friday and Saturday.

This will be the eleventh year of what’s become a Saskatoon tradition for the last long weekend of the summer.

While fireworks displays are set to begin at 9:30 p.m. each night, festival president Nowshad Ali said there’s going to be plenty to do at the festival site, which stretches between River Landing I around the Remai Modern Art Gallery and River Landing II, located near the Saskatoon Farmer’s market.

“There’s a petting zoo, there’s a Ferris wheel. There’s tons of activities throughout. And, of course, we’ll have food trucks and those kind of things on both dates.”

Ali said fireworks would once again be launched off barges in the river near Rotary Park, in order to keep them well away from the Traffic Bridge, which remains under construction.

“So we can’t fire from the bridge or be anywhere close to it, we’ve had to move a little bit further up.”

Entertainment and attractions get underway at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The following traffic restrictions and park closures will be in place during the festival:

Rotary Park will be closed from Thursday at 6 p.m. to Sunday.
There will be no access to Saskatchewan Crescent from Victoria Avenue to under the Circle Drive Bridge from Thursday to Monday. The Meewasin Trail will be closed as well.
Spadina Crescent from Saunders Drive (River Landing area) to Third Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. Friday until Sunday
Third Avenue will be closed south of 19th Street from Friday to Sunday starting at 9 a.m. with the Spadina Crescent closure between the roundabouts. Saskatchewan Crescent from McPherson Avenue to East Lake Street will be closed from 4 p.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday.
The boat launch beneath Broadway Bridge will be closed Friday, Aug. 31 and Saturday, Sept. 1 between 3 p.m. and 11 p.m.
Between 7 and 10 p.m. each night, sections of Rotary Park, Cosmopolitan Park, and Kiwanis Memorial Park will be closed.