Queen City Ex: cricket grilled cheese, return of the Zipper

From thrill rides to daring food, the Queen City Ex midway offers something to tempt the adventurer in everyone this year.

Trucks are parked at Evraz Place, and the midway rides are starting to go up ahead of the kickoff parade and fireworks Tuesday.

Shalyn Kivela, communications manager for Evraz Place, joined the Greg Morgan Morning Show on CJME to offer a preview of the QCX on Tuesday morning.

“After a one-year hiatus, the iconic fan-favourite Zipper is back. So it’s not the same Zipper as before, it’s a new and improved ride. This one features open-view seats that’s going to really intensify the experience and it has an over the shoulder harness to make sure you’re not bouncing around in the cage,” Kivela explained.

There will be plenty of classic midway foods like cotton candy, candy apples and mini donuts available, but there are also a few more interesting options.

“Every year our concessionaires really try to bring something wild and fun and daring for our fair-goers to try, Kivella said. “So the one that’s probably the most daring that you’d probably have a hard time getting me to try would be the cricket grilled cheese.”

If thrill rides and food aren’t your style, there are still plenty of entertainment options inside the gates. A new act featured this year is a light show called Nova, with nightly midway performances at 9:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.

“It’s someone who performs in this big translucent dome and it’s this huge light show, a modern soundtrack and it’s just something really cool to see,” Kivella said. “So I think people are going to be really interested to see that.”

This year also marks the return of live concerts back outdoors on the stage in Confederation Park. The concerts were held indoors for a few years during construction around the new Mosaic Stadium.

The lineup of performers features a wide variety of musical styles with Kip Moore performing Wednesday night, Arkells on stage Thursday, Burton Cummings on Friday, the Regina Symphony Orchestra will be performing the music of Prince and Michael Jackson on Saturday and Craig Morgan will take the stage Sunday.

The QCX also has a big lineup of entertainment available indoors such as the Indigo Circus, hypnotist Joshua Seth, illusionist Jason Andrews and meet and greets with children’s television characters.

The week kicks off with the parade at 7 p.m. Tuesday evening starting at Dewdney Avenue and Cameron Street, running east then south down Broad Street and ending at the Tartan Curling Club on Broadway Avenue.

Fireworks will follow in Wascana Park at dusk, with the estimated time being 9:45 p.m. or 10 p.m.

The Queen City Ex parade route on July 31, 2018 (Google Maps)

Visit the website to find information on all the events, rides and entertainment options.