NAFISA ISLAM 

Saskatoon’s Broadway district is home to a variety of unique shops, restaurants and yearly festivals and events that make it a cultural hotspot. The annual Broadway Street Fair is among those festivals and is the district’s largest event of the year.

The street fair is a vibrant and eclectic celebration of Saskatoon’s arts and culture community, featuring street performers, vendors, artists, musicians and dancers that transform the five block area into a bustling community-wide celebration. This year, the fair will host over 70 artists from all over the city and province, each with different talents and backgrounds.

This is the 32nd year of the street fair and it has transformed since it was first introduced. In 1983, the street fair began as a sidewalk sale to give local merchants an opportunity to showcase their wares. Over the years, the tradition of the sidewalk sale has remained, along with the addition of entertainment, kids’ activities, food trucks and much more.

The street fair is a way for people to discover new businesses and to take advantage of great deals from their favourite local stores.

In an email to the Sheaf, Alana Torresan, events and administration coordinator for the Broadway Business Improvement District, said Broadway merchants have described the street fair as one of their busiest days of the year, with last year drawing in over 10,000 visitors.

A crowd favourite of the street fair is its numerous discounts on merchandise, as many of the retail shops host their biggest sales of the year. The silent auction tent is also considered one of the most popular events, as there are items to win both from stores in the district and outside businesses that want to lend support to the Broadway community.

The Broadway Street Fair isn’t just an opportunity to shop, however. It offers activities for all ages, from the young to the young at heart — although it is certainly a great opportunity for university students who are living on a budget to snag some great deals.

“The fair is known for its sales!” said Torreson.

New students especially can view the fair as a chance to get to know trendy local stores that are in their price range. It’s also an opportunity to discover some up-and-coming, charming neighbourhood restaurants that are great for dates and relaxing hangouts.

This year, the fair will feature two new attractions — a scavenger hunt and various life-sized versions of classic board games. To participate in the scavenger hunt, a game card must be picked up prior to the fair at select Broadway businesses, such as The Better Good and Nosh Eatery and Tap. Participants can fill out it and return it on the day of the fair for a chance to win delicious prizes. The life-sized games will be located at the intersection of Broadway Avenue and Main Street and will feature games such as Jenga, Connect Four and Twister.

The organizers of the Broadway Street Fair hope it will entice more Saskatonians to become interested in the local cultures of this city’s neighbourhoods.

“We hope that the event brings our regular clientele to the neighbourhood to celebrate with us, as well as encouraging new customers to experience the district,” Torresan said.

The Broadway Street Fair is seen as an important neighbourhood event. It celebrates the arts community, the district’s history as the first commercial area in Saskatoon and its aspirations for the future as the city’s leading arts and culture neighbourhood.

“The Broadway Street Fair is about showcasing the district’s community spirit and pride,” Torresan said.

As the summer draws to a close, it’s the perfect opportunity for the community, which isn’t too far from the U of S campus, to get together for one last hurrah before the cold breezes of autumn roll in.

The Broadway Street Fair will be held Sept. 12. For more information, check out onbroadway.ca.

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Photo: Supplied