Tasting it all at Taste of Sask in Downtown Saskatoon

I used to work downtown and my favourite time of year was Taste of Sask in downtown Saskatoon! Taste of Saskatchewan has always been one of the festivals I make sure I go to. I love trying all the foods. I have some favourites but every year I try to eat something completely different. I used to plan my lunchtime meals because I could just walk there on my break. It’s a little different now. I took my son for his first three years and then we had a break when Covid happened. Things have changed but we still try to get there for at least one day of the week. We chose to go Friday at lunch this year. There were a lot of people around but no waits for food. The hardest part about going to Taste of Saskatchewan is picking your meal. You can plan ahead though and take a look at the online menu. The best part for me is eating the food! The best part for my son was seeing all the amazing kid areas.

We started with a walk around the park to decide on our meals. As we walked, we saw face painting, art, bouncy castles and more. And of course, we saw a lot of restaurants. We stopped at a Taste of Saskatchewan photo booth to take a photo. They had props and you can share your photo to win prizes.

Considering this is the hottest week this year, it didn’t stop anybody from visiting. As we posed in the photo booth, all I saw was sweat pouring off my face! That doesn’t stop me from sharing though! My kiddo could have spent all day taking photos but we were hungry and meeting friends.

Food Choices

Everybody has favourites at Taste of Saskatchewan. If you’ve never been, there is always a restaurant you’ve heard of and love. There were for me as well but I was able to try all new places. My son and I tried quite a few locations. They’ve changed the payment method from previous years. It’s gone ticketless so you can purchase straight from the restaurants with cash, debit, or credit card. It’s definitely an easier process!

I started with an easy decision. My son is pretty picky so I went with garlic-soy fried chicken. We got two pieces so we each got to have one. This was a guaranteed food he would eat.

For a drink, I chose the mango bubble tea! I’m a big fan of bubble tea and this one was delicious. I got my son a Booster Juice because I knew he’d enjoy it and this way I didn’t have to share mine!

I’ve heard amazing things about Capital Music Club but haven’t tried it before. I saw the name Sweet Chili Chicken Nachos and knew I had to try it. It did not disappoint. It was delicious.

I tried the Pork Belly but I think if I had it to do over, I’d try the pie. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the meal but I ended up with a lot of food but no dessert. It was really good and it was something I’ve never tried.

Deep Fried Octopus Ball. I had to try them. They were pretty good! After trying it, I thought my son would like it as well but he stuck to the chicken.

We found a shady spot to eat and listened to the music as well. They’ve got different groups on the stage all day long. It’s a great way to showcase Saskatchewan music and to enjoy the day even more! My kiddo loves the singing.

We were lucky that we came the same day as this amazing City of Saskatoon MĒ TA WĒ TĀN Program. They are visiting different parks in Saskatoon and Friday was a day at Taste of Saskatchewan. MĒ TA WĒ TĀN presents cultural programming including teepee raising, hoop dancing, games and crafts and more. He had a lot of fun!

Even with the heat, it was a great afternoon spent with some friends. We didn’t go to the kid’s section where the bouncy castles are because it was TOO hot to even think about that. We actually made a quick stop to the spray park by the river for a quick cool-off. I’m very glad that our Taste of Saskatchewan tradition has resumed in 2022 and I’m looking forward to checking it out next year as well.

Taste of Sask in downtown Saskatoon

Date: July 12-17, 2022
Find out more here.