Red River Ex latest event cancelled due to COVID-19

WINNIPEG -- One of the largest outdoor exhibitions in Manitoba will not be running this year.

The Red River Ex announced Tuesday morning it will be cancelling the 2020 edition of the festival, citing the COVID-19 outbreak. This year’s event was scheduled to run June 12-21 at Red River Exhibition Park.

“We’ve faced many years of really bad weather but nothing that would ever jeopardize the health and safety of our volunteers, staff and guests,” said Garth Rogerson, CEO of the Red River Ex, in a statement.

Rogerson’s statement said the Ex has a financial impact of $16 million to Manitoba, adding it will be felt through the community.

The news the Red River Ex is cancelling comes days after other major fairs and exhibitions have all cancelled their events due to the ongoing pandemic and limits on the size of public gatherings.

Last week, the Calgary Stampede, Edmonton’s K-Days and the Manitoba Stampede in Morris all announced they would be cancelling this year’s events.

Earlier this month, the organization said it was watching public health orders to find out if they would be able to run.

The organization adds online tickets purchased for this year will be valid for next year’s event, which runs June 18-27. You can also email [e-mail] for a refund.