Red River Exhibition facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Red River Exhibition |
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![]() The Red River Exhibition 2009
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Genre | Summer fair |
Dates | June |
Frequency | Annual |
Location(s) | 3977 Portage Ave. |
Coordinates | 49°53′10″N 97°19′38″W / 49.8860°N 97.3271°W |
Country | Canada |
Established | 1952 |
Attendance | 233,000 (2011) |
Area | 480 acres (190 ha) |
The Red River Exhibition (or "The Ex" as many people call it) is a super fun ten-day festival that happens every summer in June. It takes place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Imagine a giant fairground filled with exciting rides, awesome concerts, cool stage shows, and interesting displays about farming and animals!
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What is the Red River Exhibition?
The Red River Exhibition is a huge summer fair that brings together people of all ages. It's famous for its exciting midway with thrilling rides and games. You can also enjoy live concerts from different bands and watch amazing stage shows.
The Ex also has special exhibits about farming and agriculture. It's a great way to learn about where our food comes from. The whole event is run by the Red River Exhibition Association, which is a group that doesn't make a profit.
Music and Fun
Many famous bands have played at The Ex over the years. For example, the well-known Winnipeg band The Guess Who performed there in 2015. The band Crash Test Dummies also played at the fair back in 1992. It's always a place for great live music!
A Look Back: Where it Started
The Red River Exhibition first started way back in 1952. Its very first home was at the Osborne Stadium complex, close to the Manitoba Legislative Building. Over the years, the fair moved around to a few different places.
It was held at the Polo Park Race Track for a while. Then, it moved to the areas around the Winnipeg Stadium, Winnipeg Arena, and Winnipeg Velodrome. Each move helped the fair grow and reach more people.
Home Sweet Home: The Park Today
In 1997, The Ex found its current and permanent home. This special place is called Red River Exhibition Park. It's located on the western edge of Winnipeg. The park is quite large, covering about 480 acres (1.9 km2) of land.
The main fairgrounds were built on 90 of those acres. This means there are almost 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land left for the fair to grow even bigger in the future! It's a huge space designed for lots of fun and activities.
Fair Facts and Figures
The Red River Exhibition keeps getting more popular every year. Even though it sometimes rains a lot during the fair (like in 2014, when it rained seven out of ten days!), people still come out to enjoy it.
The record for the most visitors was set in 2011. That year, an amazing 223,183 people came to The Ex! In 2020, the fair had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, the 69th Red River Exhibition was held in 2021 instead.