Some fun summer adventures are just around the corner as Saskatchewan’s provincial parks get ready for Park Week.
The Government of Saskatchewan has officially chosen July 10 to 16 as Park Week, this is to work in conjunction with Canada’s Parks Day on July 16.
"Parks Week is currently underway with a series of fun programs and live performances offered throughout the week in a number of provincial parks," Parks, Culture and Sports Minister Laura Ross said. "Parks Week is a great lead-up to Canada's Parks Day on July 16, an annual initiative led by the Canadian Parks Council to connect people to nature through fun, educational, family-oriented events and programs all across the country."
This year’s Parks Week and Canada Parks Day will present a series of themed programs in several of our provincial parks. These activities can include treasure hunts, guided hikes, crafts, painting, and more.
Moose Jaw’s closest provincial park, Buffalo Pound, is holding various exciting events for Park Week. Throughout the week there will be different activities taking place, such as In-Seine Fishing, Haunted Hikes, Bison Treks, and numerous other fun events. This is all leading up to the end of the week on July 16, when a themed day will take place. The theme is “Choose your own Adventure,” which is a day themed around choosing your own adventure. It will begin at 10 A.M. with a Treasure Hunt, after that at 1:30 P.M. there will be Geocaching, and towards the end of the day, there will be the Seek and Snap event at 4 P.M. All these events will take place at the Maple Vale Picnic Shelter.
Another event being featured during Parks Week is SaskExpress. SaskExpress began their provincial park tour on July 7, 2022, in Moose Mountain Provincial Park with their “Going for Gold” performance. This show takes the world of Olympic Athletes and mashes it with musical theater for a funny and exciting experience. The show begins at 7 P.M. though locations and times may change due to weather. The remaining tour dates are as follows:
• The Battlefords – July 14
• Blackstrap – July 15
• Saskatchewan Landing – July 16
• Buffalo Pound – July 17
In addition to SaskExpress and the themed programming, Blackstrap Provincial Park’s Beach Luau, hosted by Little Kahuna’s Beach Café and Tiki Bar, will run from 12 P.M. to 10 P.M. on July 16. This event will include a Polynesian pulled pork bar, crafts, a treasure hunt, cornhole tournament, steel drum performance by The Steadies, an astronomy program, tiki cocktails, and beer gardens.
Park Week wraps up on July 16, but the fun continues on July 17 with a Beach, Beer & Brisket event at Duck Mountain Provincial Park. This event will feature beach activities and games, brisket BBQ smoked by Yoder Smoker, and beer gardens. Waves Ice Cream and Mini Golf and Friends of Madge Lake host it, in collaboration with Madge Lake Golf Resort and other local businesses.
For those looking for self-guided activity options, Discovery Packs are available to borrow at park visitor centres and entry gates and they provide everything needed to complete a craft, explore the park, or conduct a science experiment. Themes include astro explorers, weather wonders, historic parks, disc golf, and more.
To stay up to date with park programs, events, and offerings, follow Sask Parks on Facebook at http://facebook.com/saskparks
To pre-register or to learn more about Sask Parks go to their website at http://parks.saskatchewan.ca.
