YXE Urban Games: A Family-Friendly Festival of Sports, Art, and Culture!
We are just a week from Saskatoon's first-ever YXE Urban Games event! Happening from Aug. 16-18th at Victoria Park, it will be an exciting weekend of sports, culture and art! We are also excited to have the FIBA 3x3 Women's Series happening in Victoria Park – yes, that's right, we are building a temporary court in the park! 3x3 Basketball made its debut at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and recently just wrapped up competition in Paris, with the Canadian Women's team finishing in 4th place. The YXE Urban Games will be their first stop post-Olympics! Let's get into everything you need to know for next weekend!
Opening Ceremonies
The event kicks off on Friday morning, with the main gates opening at 10:00. The Premier Division 3X3 Tournament will also kick off in the morning, with other showcase and competition sports and activities running all day. The opening ceremonies will occur on Friday evening at 6:30. Everything on Friday is FREE ADMISSION—I repeat, FREE! I know where my family will be hanging out that night (and, let's be honest, all weekend!) The rest of the weekend will have both ticketed and free events.
Urban Art & Culture
If you remember, Saskatoon hosted the Urban Canvas Street Party last summer. Well, this year it is bigger and better than ever! It will be part of the YXE Urban Games and will have many exciting activities all weekend. One aspect that was brought back again this year is the live Mural art, which I can't wait to watch. This completely blows my mind; I don't know how they do it; the artists are so talented! The murals the artist creates are stunning.
There will also be a Graffiti Car that visitors can try, Indigenous art, dancing and drumming, and many other cultural performances. Saskatoon Makerspace will be on site with a pop-up tent full of opportunities to watch and have a hand at creating something magical! Be sure to explore the different pop-up art displays throughout the park, like the extensive woodwork Urban Games Logo created by Green Ark and colourful benches created by youth at Core Neighborhood Youth Coop. There will be so much to do and see; I can't wait to check it all out!
Photo Credit: Aspen Films
FIBA 3X3 Women’s Series
I don't know about you, but I was glued to the TV for every Canadian Women's 3x3 Olympic basketball game. I was even watching on my phone at the beach! One reason I watched so much is that our family is a basketball family, but also because this team will be playing in Saskatoon next weekend, and it is their first stop after the Olympics; how cool is that!! The Canadian Women's team is led by Saskatchewan's own Paige Crozon from Humboldt, along with Kacie Bosch from Lethbridge and Michelle and Kathrine Plouffe from Edmonton!
The FIBA 3x3 tournament kicks off Saturday at 1:00 pm, and Team Canada will be playing in the opening game. You will need tickets for the FIBA event, so buy your tickets here and get there early, as seating is first come, first serve. Teams from across the globe compete for $40,000 USD prize money! Saskatoon will host teams from Chile, Singapore, Puerto Rico, Czechia, Romania, Germany and the United States. The schedule will be released on Tuesday, so watch YXE Urban Games' social media and website. Be sure to come out and cheer on Team Canada!
Photo Credit: FIBA
Local 3X3, Urban and Extreme Sports
As I mentioned, there will be a Local 3X3 Basketball Tournament throughout the YXE Urban Games. Over 50 teams will compete in this tournament, with players ranging from ages 12 to adult! Registration is open until the end of the weekend (Aug 11th), so if you are a baller and want to get in on the action, you can register here!
With the Local 3X3 Tournament, a variety of Urban Sports that will also take place. I'm so intrigued and excited to watch these sports because they aren't your "typical" sports. Like, a Dodgeball Tournament? Hello, how fun! They also will have demos and competitions of different sports that you can try, like Ultimate Frisbee, Futsal (like soccer, but with a smaller ball), Breaking (previously known as Break Dancing) and skateboarding!
There will also be Extreme Sports like Wakeboard Nationals on the river, Wall Climbing (located at Grip It on Nelson Road), and Motorcross shows happening along Spadina Cres. Talking about these different sports makes me eager for this event!
YXE Urban Games: A Family-Friendly Festival of Sports, Art, and Culture
This event is open to anyone and everyone. Bring out the family, plan an afternoon date to watch some FIBA 3x3 Basketball, or call a friend to participate in art and cultural fun! There will also be beer gardens hosted by Hudsons (family-friendly until 6 pm!), food trucks, and more. The events that need tickets will be the YXE Urban Games main festival site in Victoria Park, which includes the FIBA 3X3 tournament, Urban Games Entertainment Stage, Urban Sports Competition Zone, Hudsons Beer Gardens, and Urban Art & Cultural activities. There is no charge to watch the Local 3x3 Tournament, Wakeboarding, Moto Cross, Skateboarding Contests, and the Opening Ceremonies! You can purchase tickets online here or in person at the event (children six and under are free when accompanied by an adult!) If you are coming in from out of town, many hotels are offering discounts and offers for Urban Games. You can check out our website for all those offers here.
Like any event, parking can be tricky! I encourage you to consider alternative transportation like carpooling, biking or scootering, taxiing or Uber, or public transit. There will be an on-site free bike valet for safe bike storage. If you need accessibility support, look for our volunteers on the Accessibility Team or watch for the signs for additional support.
Photo Credit: Aspen Films
Follow YXE Urban Games' social media and Discover Saskatoon's for updates, finalized schedules, and more. This event is going to be so much fun. Be sure to mark your calendars and come check out YXE Urban Games—you don't want to miss it! I hope to see you there.
Bailie Knowles
Bailie grew up in a small town but was always a "city girl" at heart. Saskatoon is home to her and her family. Her household is full of love and chaos with her husband, four (wild) & wonderful children, and their beloved furry companion. Bailie works as a Marketing & Communications Coordinator with Discover Saskatoon. She loves getting out into the community with her family and taking in all of Saskatoon's events and attractions. Her family loves discovering new parks, trying new restaurants and breweries, hitting up all the events, and attending sporting events like the Saskatchewan Rattlers & Huskies. Follow along with her family adventures @bailie.knowles on Instagram!