One of the most popular events of the summer is about to make its return to Moose Jaw -- and this time, unless something extremely strange happens, the 2022 edition of Sidewalk Days is a go.
Vendors have been registered, entertainment booked and all the planning has come together for the Main Street street festival, which begins Thursday and runs through Saturday in downtown Moose Jaw.
It’s a welcome return after seeing all the hard work and preparation cancelled at the last minute due to the pandemic the last two years, and organizers are once again looking forward to seeing the thousands of patrons filling the street all three days.
“We’re trying to remember how to do this whole thing, it’s been so long,” joked Sidewalk Days committee chair Jackie L’Heureux-Mason. “Honestly, though, it’s come together really well and everyone can pretty much expect what they’ve seen as we’ve been building it up over the years. We’re expecting it’ll be another fun event.”
Around 200 vendors have signed on for the three days, with Main Street closing at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by the festival running from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday as well as from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Folks can expect to see a little bit of everything up for sale, too, with many Main Street businesses setting up shop outside their storefronts and others from throughout the community lining the street all the way from Manitoba up to Caribou.
Shopping is only a small part of what will be on offer, though, as folks young and old will have plenty to see and do throughout the three days.
That includes a host of musical acts on two stages, with bands from Saskatoon and Regina joining a selection of performers from Moose Jaw in providing entertainment. Trick Ryder will also be making a return, opening the evening show on Thursday and closing things out on Saturday night.
Then there’s the newly christened Kinsmen Children’s Village, which saw the local service club come on as a sponsor this year and as a result will offer all sorts of fun stuff for the little ones to enjoy.
“This is the first year they’ve gotten on board with it and since it’s a huge mandate for them to make the lives of children better, it fits right in, and we really love that we can keep that area completely free of charge,” L’Heureux-Mason said.
The area will feature no less than seven bouncy castles -- including three giant ones -- as well as the traditional face-painting station, performances by Chris the Magician, Disney princesses for photo ops and all sorts of cool things kids can enjoy.
Then there will be a selection of buskers making the rounds throughout the day, offering musical performances and other acts guaranteed to attract plenty of attention.
“So you’re not going to get very far downtown without seeing something interesting, and there’s been a lot of involvement from everyone in the area, even more than we have seen historically,” L’Heureux-Mason said.
The only variable right now is the weather, with some rain in the forecast, but L’Heureux-Mason hopes that will do little to dampen what has been a lot of built-up enthusiasm -- especially after all the effort that has gone into making Sidewalk Days great once again.
“There was probably about six months of work that went into 2020 and 2021 before we officially cancelled it, so it was disheartening, to say the least,” L’Heureux-Mason said. “The good news is that even though we have a small committee, we work together really, really well so it’s feeling much more organized than in the past, so I can’t complain.”
For more information on Sidewalk Days, be sure to visit their website at www.sidewalkdays.ca.
